Page 63 of Taking Sides

“None that you vetted. This one was a referral from a teammate.”

And?” I prompt him for more information.

“She’s . . . okay, I guess.”

“Wow.” I grin. “That almost sounds like an endorsement compared to what you’ve said about the last three.”

“She bought the wrong kind of milk, she color-coded my calendar, and I hate the smell of the new laundry detergent.”

I bite down on my lower lip to keep from laughing again. My brother is not an easy man to work for. If that’s all the faults he can find with her, she must be good.

“Whatever. She’ll do until you come back.”

I hold back a sigh. “Victor, I’m not coming back.”

“Never?” He has the audacity to still sound surprised by this.

“Not as your assistant. I like teaching and coaching.” And I like Moonshot too, but I know he’ll never understand that.

He grunts an irritated sound that’s filled with disbelief.

“I do. The kids are great, and I feel like I have purpose for the first time in . . . forever, maybe.”

Victor is quiet. I hate disappointing him. He gave me a job when I couldn’t find one and . . . he’s my brother.

“I miss you, but I need more to do than running your errands,” I say quietly.

Outside in the hallway, students are starting to roam the halls before first period. Victor still hasn’t responded.

“You could come visit,” I say, knowing it’s a long shot. “Don’t you have a break coming up?”

“I’ve already come to see you there once, last fall. Besides, Dad’s been asking when you’re going to visit. And I don’t want to leave Bella any more than I already am with my game schedule.”

What my brother won’t say is that he misses me, but I know he does. If only because I did everything he wanted exactly the way he wanted.

“Maybe I could fly in for your game against Dallas.” It’s a Saturday afternoon game, and school is closed the following Monday, so I’ll have a long weekend.

“I’ll have Alexis make the flight arrangements for you.”

“Alexis?”

“The new assistant. Assuming she makes it another week.”

“I can book my own travel.”

“Then what the hell am I paying her for?” He grunts again. Poor Alexis. I can’t wait to meet her.

After school, the JV team steps onto the ice, looking defeated. All week the energy has been low. We have a week until our next game, and these boys are going to need every minute of it to prepare.

Grady steps up beside me and yells out to them, “You’ve got five minutes to get warm, gentlemen, then we’re going to do some three on two.”

“I thought we were focusing on skating and puck handling this week?” I ask him, quiet enough that the boys can’t hear. Our plan for the week was to back off and do some basics. A little reset before the hard push. At the beginning of every week, Grady and I discuss the plan for practices, keeping in mind games and recovery time. Things change, of course, but usually with reason.

“Yeah, I was rethinking things. We’ve been too easy on them. Especially with JV. I think we double down on our game-time drills, cut everything else. It’s time to sink or swim.”

“Sounds like hockey boot camp,” I say only half joking.

“Exactly. No more fun and games until they start winning.”