Page 123 of On Her Team
I hold his stare. “Yes, Coach.”
“You got something on your mind?”
Addy. Her tears. Her saying love isn’t enough.
“No, Coach.”
“Good,” he snaps. “Because if you miss another read, I will assume you forgot how to play football and you can warm the bench.” He blows his whistle. “Again!”
We line up.
Nolan bumps my shoulder. “You good?”
“Fine.”
He studies me for half a second like he doesn’t believe it, then turns back to the line. The ball snaps and I force everything else out.
The next hour of practice is a repeat of the previous plays. Me messing up. Coach getting mad. When he finally blows the last whistle for the day, I rip my helmet off and stalk toward the locker room.
“Edwards!” Coach Knox bellows. “My office. Now!”
Fuck. No one enjoys being called into the coach’s office. But after the day I’ve had, I deserve it.
“Shut the door,” he demands when I step inside.
I shut the door and stand in front of his desk.
“What the hell is going on with you?”
“My head wasn’t in the game today.”
“This is the last week of training camp. Regular season starts in a few weeks. This is not the time to lose concentration.”
“I know.”
“You know?” He lifts an eyebrow. “If you know, then why the hell did you let Allen get sacked twice in practice?”
“Personal issues.”
“Personal issues? Is this code for women troubles?”
There’s no use denying it. I nod.
“Fucking hell. What do they put in the water on this island? My entire offensive line has women troubles.”
“Not only the offensive line,” I mutter.
His eyes narrow. “What did you say?”
I don’t shy away from his question. I’m too curious to discover the truth. “Rumor has it you’re leaving, Coach.”
He slumps in his chair. “Fuck. No one’s supposed to know yet.”
My heart stammers in my chest. Shit. It’s true. Coach is leaving us. I can’t imagine the team without Knox. He’s been a father figure to me since my first year, when I couldn’t get my shit together.
“You’re really leaving?”
He scowls. “We’re not discussing me. We’re discussing you. What’s going on? Is she pregnant?”
