Pete Sebastian, Coach Read online

  “You’re right about some. But not all of them are like that,” Alyssa countered.

  “Yeah. Give us some credit for brains. We’re not that naïve,” Lexie said.

  Pete laughed. “That’s what you think. Some of them are pretty smooth.”

  Alyssa put a frying pan on the stove. “Were you like that?”

  Color heated his cheeks. “We’re not talking about me here. Leave me out of this.”

  “But we are talking about you. You didn’t find us in bed with a naked guy.” Lexie crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Right,” her sister chimed in.

  “You weren’t supposed to be coming home. If you had told me last night, this never would’ve happened.” He measured the mix into the bowl.

  “Do you sleep with her every night?” Lexie asked.

  “I’m not going to have that discussion.” He cracked the eggs into the mixture.

  “Why not? If you can discuss our sex lives, seems only fair that we can discuss yours,” Lexie shot back.

  “Respect! I’m your father, not some idiot college boy. That discussion is not going to take place.”

  “Were you sleeping with all the women you went out with?” Alyssa added butter to a frying pan.

  “Oh, no! You didn’t sleep with our principal, did you?” Lexie’s hands flew to her cheeks, color flushing her face.

  “Of course not.” He stirred the batter with a whisk. “Don’t be gross.”

  “Seems to me, the gross one here is you, Dad,” Alyssa said, after turning on the flame.

  Pete smacked his hand on the counter. The girls jumped at the loud noise. “Sit!”

  The twins took their usual seats at the table without uttering a word.

  “I guess you’re right. You’re old enough to know…a few things. I’m tired of living alone. It wasn’t easy to raise you two without a woman in the house. I looked and looked, but never found anyone I could trust with your care.”

  He poured batter into the pan while he talked. The girls stared at him.

  “Now, you’re gone. Or practically. One foot out, each of you. I rattle around in this house. It’s lonely. Damn lonely without you two. It isn’t just that I miss you, which I do. But I’ve put my life on hold for so long, I don’t have one anymore.” He sprinkled chips on each pancake.

  The batter began to bubble slightly. Pete plucked a spatula from a hook on the wall. “No more pancake breakfasts, no college tours, no parent/teacher conferences, no soccer games, no basketball games. I used to spend my time bending my life like a pretzel to squeeze in all your activities, all the places I needed to be for you two.”

  He flipped the three pancakes. “At the time, I thought that was hard.” His voice got soft, and he turned his gaze away. “But this…this is much harder.”

  Lyssa reached out to touch his hand. He smiled at her.

  “Now, I’m alone. I seem to have enough time on my hands to fill two lives.”

  “What about the team?” Lexie asked.

  “The Kings still take up plenty of time. But the old saying is right—give a task to a busy person, and they’ll get it done. When I had so much on my plate, I managed. I had a full life, even without a wife. Now, that’s changed.”

  “So, you want to get married?”

  “I do.” He took three plates down from the cabinet. “Can you understand what I’m saying?”

  The twins glanced at each other before nodding. Lyssa’s eyes filled. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t realize…”

  “We didn’t know. We thought you’d be happy to be rid of us,” Lexie added.

  “We figured you could have some fun. Travel. Do stuff. Without having to take care of us all the time.”

  Pete parceled out the food. “You’re right. I do have time. Lots of time. Too much time. And no one to spend it with.”

  “What about your girlfriend?” Lexie dug the maple syrup out of the back of the cabinet.

  Alyssa fished three forks from the utensil drawer. “Is she the one?”

  “I don’t know. We’ve only been seeing each other a couple of weeks. But from where I sit right now, she might be. She’s amazing, and she knows football. She’s the new vice president of publicity.”

  “At The Kings?”

  “Yep. And she’s doing some great things there.”

  “Like what?” Lexie asked, tucking into her pancake.

  “Well, there’s this anger management program,” Pete began, filling his fork.

  * * * *

  Jo showered when she got home then made a pot of coffee. She took a mug with her when she walked Daisy. She shivered at the idea of the ugly scene going on in the Sebastian house and was glad she wasn’t there. Part of her had wanted to stay and defend Pete. But she didn’t belong at a family fight.

  After downing a bowl of cereal, her thoughts turned to buying a dress for Mitzi’s wedding. She dialed Beth’s number. Need to know what she’s wearing. It had been a couple of weeks since she had spoken to either of her friends. Life in Monroe had become busier than she imagined possible. Guilt at neglecting the girls nagged at her.

  “Hey, Beth. Sorry it’s been so long.”

  “I was beginning to think you’d left the country.”

  The women laughed and updated each other.

  “So, I’m getting a new dress for Mitzi’s wedding, and I wanted to know what color you’re going to wear. Shouldn’t we coordinate? I mean, either wear the same color on purpose or different colors? What do you think? Did you get a dress yet?”

  There was silence on the line.

  “Beth?”

  “Didn’t Mitzi call you?” Beth’s voice sounded strained.

  “Nope. Why? Has she decided on a date and place?”

  Silence again.

  Jo stared at the phone and swore. “Hello? Hello? Beth?”

  “I’m still here.”

  “What? Did something happen? Something bad? Is Mitzi okay?”

  “Oh, she’s fine. The wedding was last weekend.”

  Beth’s words sucked the air from Jo’s lungs. “What?”

  “I thought she was going to call you. I thought you knew.”

  “Knew what?” Jo choked out.

  “That Mitzi didn’t feel comfortable inviting you.”

  “Why?” There was a sting of tears at the back of Jo’s eyes. Not gonna cry.

  “Because of what happened with Skip.”

  “But I didn’t do anything, Beth. You know that.”

  “I know. But she feels you’re like…I don’t know. Unlucky. That’s it. She said that one look at you and Neil would do the same thing.”

  “He wouldn’t. She’s wrong.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  More silence stretched on as Jo tried to get her mind around what she had heard. The information was like a knife in her gut. A cramp in her stomach made her double over. “It wasn’t my fault.”

  “No one ever said it was. I know you didn’t do anything. You didn’t flirt with Skip or lure him or anything. He just met you and fell.”

  “I can’t believe she did this.”

  “I’m so sorry. If I had known she was too chicken to tell you, I would have called. You didn’t do anything, Jo. Mitzi still loves you. She just needs some time.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  Silence fell on both sides of the phone for a moment.

  “I hope you’re not upset,” Beth added.

  “Of course, I’m upset. How can you ask that? I’ve just lost one of my best friends.”

  “She’s not lost. Let her settle in a little. She still wants to talk to you. It’s not like she never wants to see you again.”

  “What’s there to say?”

  “She’s jealous. Afraid of you. You don’t know your own power, Jo.”

  “I can’t be friends with someone who feels that way about me. Do you feel like that too?”

  “No, I don’t. Roger is mine. I’m not worried. You were in my wedding party, don’t y
ou remember?”

  “Of course, of course.” But her mind wasn’t thinking straight.

  “Mitzi said you have a new guy. Any chance he could be the one?”

  “I don’t know, Beth. I don’t think there is going to be the one for me. I’m happy being single.”

  “From the woman who was never without a boyfriend? That’s bullshit.”

  The pain had spread from her guts to her brain. A growing headache distracted her. “I’ve gotta go. Thanks for telling me.”

  “You’re not mad at me, are you?” Beth asked.

  “I never kill the messenger. We’re fine. Just…I’m not feeling so great right now.”

  “Okay. Call me when you feel better. I want to hear all about this new guy.”

  “I will.”

  Jo put down her cell and gripped her belly, doubling over. She ran to the bathroom and threw up. Kneeling on the floor, resting her head on the rim of the toilet, tears flowed. Daisy trotted in, cocked her head at her mistress, and then curled up on the floor. Jo wiped her nose and face with toilet paper. Then, she petted her dog and pulled herself up.

  After cleaning up, she retreated to her room. A heaviness in her chest encouraged her to lie down. Her mind swirled with thoughts and memories of good times with Mitzi and Beth.

  She rolled over, glancing at herself in the mirror. Her face was pink and her eyes swollen. Not so gorgeous now, am I? I’m nothing special. Just a girl who knows how to work hard and keep going.

  Outraged at the unfair treatment by her friend, anger nudged out sadness. Fury at being misjudged, at Mitzi’s jumping to conclusions about Jo and Skip, filled her heart. The injustice of it infuriated her. I was mistaken about her. Guess she wasn’t really a friend. But after all these years. All the talk about the weddings we’d have.

  Jo sighed and closed her eyes. She fell asleep, only to be awakened by the doorbell and Daisy’s barking. Dragging herself out of bed, she donned her good bathrobe and padded barefoot to the door. Checking through the peephole, she saw Coach Bass. His daughters were in the background.

  “Come on, Jo, open up.”

  She cracked the door and squinted in the bright sunlight.

  “Not dressed? Throw something on. We’re going shopping. You said you needed a new dress. The girls wanted to bring you along.”

  She let go of the door, and Pete eased it open, stepping inside.

  His smile melted into a frown when he looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t need a dress.”

  “But I thought you were going to a wedding?”

  “Nope. The wedding was last week. I wasn’t invited.”

  His brow furrowed.

  She took a deep breath. Not gonna cry. Be strong. Come on.

  “What? I thought she was one of your best friends.”

  “She was.”

  Pete stepped forward, pulling her to him. When he closed his arms around her, tears oozed down her cheeks. He stroked her hair. “She must be crazy not to want you there.”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “We’re already A.W.O.L. from the team. Get dressed. You can tell me in the car. The girls are driving. We can cuddle in the backseat.”

  “I can’t go. I’m not dressed, and I look like hell.”

  “You look fine. A little red, but fine. Come on. I know you can dress fast. You were out of my house like a bolt of lightning this morning. Let’s go.” He gave her rump a friendly pat and nudged her toward the bedroom.

  “Come with me?”

  “If I do, we’ll never get out of here.” He snickered.

  Jo smiled and retreated. She slipped on jeans, a coral T-shirt, and flip-flops. No need to dress up with college girls. When she returned, she saw through the window that Pete was talking to the twins. Probably telling them what a wet blanket I am. She shrugged. But when she got outside, she was flanked by one girl on each side.

  “Some girls can be so mean. Come on, let’s buy something,” Alyssa said.

  “You must need at least a pair of shoes,” Lexie added.

  “My treat, ladies. Get whatever you need.” Pete followed behind the three women walking side-by-side. He held the car door for Jo then slid in next to her, taking her hand between his.

  “Where should we go first?” Lexie wondered.

  “The Cottage has clothes for Jo. But I like Serendipity.”

  “Let’s go there then. I’ve never been,” Jo piped up.

  Alyssa swung the Volvo SUV around and pulled onto the street.

  “What happened?” Lexie asked.

  Jo took a deep breath. “About two years ago, my best friend Mitzi became engaged to this jerk-off Skip…”

  * * * *

  After shopping, Pete convinced Jo to stay for dinner. While he barbecued a steak, she prepared a salad. The girls set the table in-between texting and phone conversations. While digging through the fridge looking for dressing, a feminine voice came up behind her.

  “Don’t hurt him.”

  Jo backed out and faced Alyssa. The young woman’s brows were knitted, her expression cloudy.

  “Who?”

  “Dad. Don’t hurt him. I know he looks like a tough guy, but he isn’t. He cries at chick flicks. Don’t tell him I told you that.”

  Jo could barely suppress a giggle.

  “Okay? He seems to like you a lot.”

  “I like him a lot too. I don’t plan to hurt him.”

  “Good. He’s new to relationships. Oh, sure, he’s dated before. But none ever hung around past a few weeks.”

  “Maybe that was his choice, not theirs?”

  “I don’t know. Each time he seemed kinda down. Disgusted. And it would be a couple of weeks before he started going out again.”

  “He was looking for a replacement for your mother.”

  “Yeah. She’s a piece of work,” Alyssa said, shaking her head.

  “I gather she wasn’t involved in your life much when you were growing up.”

  “Involved? Not even a drive through. Nope. It was Dad 24/7.”

  “That’s a shame. Her loss. One would think having two fine daughters would bring joy to a mom.”

  “Not our mom. Do you want kids?”

  Jo’s head snapped back. “That’s a pretty personal question.”

  “We’ve got a right to know if we should be expecting a little brother or sister.”

  “It’s a bit premature for that, don’t you think?”

  “Why? He’s not seeing anyone else.” Alyssa’s hand covered her mouth. “You’re not dating anyone else, are you?” Her eyes widened.

  “No. Just Pete. Your dad.”

  “Oh, good.” Alyssa let out a breath. “I doubt Dad could handle sharing a woman.”

  “Who’s sharing a woman?” Coach Bass entered the room carrying a nicely cooked steak on a platter.

  “No one. No one, Dad.” Alyssa’s face flushed a little before she exited.

  “What was that about?” he asked, putting the plate down on the table.

  “Just a little girl talk.”

  He smiled. “It’s great to see her have someone female to talk to. Thanks.”

  “It’s a pleasure. They’re delightful.”

  “They weren’t before we talked and I dangled a shopping trip in front of them.”

  “Girls love clothes.”

  “I feel for their husbands. They’re gonna be expensive. They’d better marry rich.” Pete drew his carving set from the drawer and approached the steak.

  “Salad is ready.” Jo licked a drop of sesame ginger dressing from her finger.

  “Call the girls,” he said, slicing into the succulent meat.

  The minute they sat down, Alyssa and Alexis dominated the chatter. After a discussion of what they had bought that day, there was a brief bout of complaining about exams. Boyfriends were mentioned. Each girl stole a glance at her father when she mentioned her main squeeze. Pete played it cool, not reacting negatively to the girls’ comments.

&nb
sp; Jo had time to get lost in her own thoughts while the chatter continued. Do I want kids? With Pete? Isn’t it too soon for that kind of thinking? I’ve always said I wanted kids. He’s done such an excellent job of raising his girls. He’d be the perfect guy to have them with. What am I saying? We’re not even officially going steady yet. Can I still use that term?

  “So, Jo. When are you moving in?” Alexis asked.

  Jo choked on a sip of water.

  Pete pounded her on the back until her lungs were clear. “I don’t think that’s an appropriate question, Lexie,” Pete said, returning to his chair. Jo spied a blush steal into his cheeks.

  “Sorry. Just well, you guys seem comfortable together, so I thought…”

  “Thanks.” Jo put her hand on the girl’s forearm. “That’s very sweet. But let’s not rush anything.”

  They finished their meal. The girls volunteered to clean up, so Pete took Jo for a walk on the beach. He laced his fingers with hers as they ambled along the sandy shore.

  “Is it rushing to talk about you moving in?” he asked.

  Her eyes widened. “Don’t you think so?”

  He stopped to face her. “Actually, no. I know how I feel. I want you around.”

  She closed her lips and stared at the ocean.

  “I guess you don’t feel the same.”

  She turned toward him in time to catch the look in his eyes before he faced the water. “I’ve never lived with anyone. Or even been in a serious relationship.”

  His head snapped back. “Why not?”

  She shrugged. “Don’t know. I never thought I’d get married. I was serious about being somebody, getting ahead, finding security in myself. Does that make sense?”

  He moved closer, draping his arm over her shoulders. She smiled up at him. “Sure. Like a guy. I get it.”

  “I didn’t have a supportive family. I knew I couldn’t rely on them. So, I learned to take care of myself. That’s worked for me.”

  They continued walking down the beach.

  “Has it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re alone. Has becoming an island made you happy?”

  She stopped. “I never thought of myself as an island, exactly. Just being self-reliant. I’ve always had friends.”