Page 77 of The Maverick's Homecoming

So…this was a testimonial? That seemed unlike Oscar. It was just too…touchy-feely. Oscar wasn’t much for emotional declarations of respect and admiration.

“Thank you, Oscar,” Finn replied. “We’re lucky to have you on staff.”

Oscar let out a hard huff of breath. “You’re a good coach. But you’re not so smart about some other things.”

Finn replied cautiously, “Like what?”

“You’re not happy. Nurse Osborne isn’t happy. Something went wrong for you guys.”

Finn had no clue how to respond. No way should he be discussing his feelings for Kenzie with a student. “Oscar, I—”

The boy put up a hand. “Not finished, Coach.”

“Uh, okay…”

“It all seems so simple. Being happy is better. Just tell her you love her. How hard can that be?”

“I—”

“That’s all.” Oscar opened and closed his hand. “Sometimes I just need to say what I’m thinking. You have a good night, Coach.” And with that, he turned on his heel and took off for the pickup waiting two rows away.

Finn watched him jog over there, heard the pickup door open and shut as the boy got in on the far side. Jesse waved again. Finn raised his hand in a slow salute as they drove by him. Then, for several minutes after that pickup had vanished from sight, Finn stared up at the star-thick sky and thought about what Oscar had said to him.

That night, Finn hardly slept at all. He kept seeing Kenzie’s beautiful face, the sadness in her eyes when he’d asked her to marry him.

The next morning he woke up exhausted. Even after three cups of coffee he still felt like crap. And the day ahead? Packed, as usual. He showed houses from nine to three.

At practice it was harder than ever not to constantly glance Kenzie’s way. More than once, she just happened to be looking at him when his gaze strayed to her.

It was heaven, that jolt of awareness when their eyes met.

It was also hell. He wanted to stare at her forever, but instead he made himself tear his gaze away. A few minutes later, he would sneak another look at her. Sometimes she was looking right back.

And sometimes she was staring anywhere but at him.

Three or four times his focus landed on Oscar, who either looked away like Kenzie did, or glared at him. Apparently, Oscar was getting pretty fed up with him at this point.

And Finn couldn’t blame the kid.

Oscar was right. Finn was miserable. And being happy was definitely preferable to the gray funk that served as his constant companion since Kenzie had turned him down five days ago.

Just tell her you love her.

Easy for Oscar to say. If Finn dared to try again, she would only turn him down a second time. He had no desire to beg for another rejection.

But how could getting turned down a second time be worse than not trying at all? At least if he tried again, he would have the consolation of knowing he’d done the best that he could.

Because the more he thought about the situation, the more he had to admit that Oscar was right—and not only about happiness being preferable to misery.

Last Saturday, Finn had failed to say the most important words. He’d gotten so wrapped up in telling her all that he would do for her that he’d totally forgotten to share what was in his heart.

Talk about an unforced error. He might not win her love by trying again. But at least he would get a second chance to say the words that mattered most.

He lingered after practice, hanging around in the gym until everyone had cleared out. A few minutes after that, he found himself standing in the empty parking lot alone, thinking about calling her, just whipping out his phone and asking her if she would let him come over.

He did pull the phone from his pocket. But he couldn’t quite work up the nerve to hit the call icon. He drove home instead.

At his house, he brought up her contact again. And then he stood there by the kitchen island staring at her name, longing to hitcall—but balking because if she said she didn’t want to see him, he would be done before he started. Finally, after twenty minutes of waffling, he stuck the ring box in his jacket pocket, climbed back into his truck and returned to town.