Total pages in book: 11
Estimated words: 9744 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 49(@200wpm)___ 39(@250wpm)___ 32(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 9744 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 49(@200wpm)___ 39(@250wpm)___ 32(@300wpm)
I bring in my brows. “Huh?”
He grins widely at me. “You’re looking at the new head coach of the Nashville Assassins.”
Pride fills me within seconds. “No shit!” I exclaim, smacking him in the chest. “That’s fucking awesome. Congratulations!”
He laughs as his grin grows. “Thank you. I really wanted this.”
“I know! But hell, you couldn’t come before I retired?”
“Right? I thought the same thing since you were one of my favorite players to coach beside Baylor.”
Our laughter mingles as I grin at him. “You have to say that since I’m married to her.”
He shrugs. “Maybe, but mostly ’cause I’m married to your mom.”
We laugh some more. “You’re going to do great, but who’s taking over the Bullies?”
“Not sure, but I suggested you.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“I think you’d be a great coach, and it’s your alma mater. They’re gonna contact you tomorrow for an interview.”
Wow, I feel like I have whiplash. So many emotions. I just blink at him. “Holy shit.”
He grins. “I think it’ll be good for you. And with Baylor being hired for the women’s team, the athletic director thinks it’ll be good to keep the hockey program a family affair.”
Huh? I raise my brows in confusion. “What? Baylor was hired?”
My father-in-law presses his lips together as he reads my face. “What?”
“You said—”
“I gotta go,” he says, cutting me off, and then he walks away.
Like he didn’t drop a bomb on me.
What the hell just happened?
CHAPTER 5
Here We Go
Baylor
I don’t open the email from the University of Bellevue since I know it contains my contract and my commitment letter for the job as head coach of the women’s hockey team. I thought when I told them I’d have to take a leave of absence to go to the Olympics, they wouldn’t offer me the job, but I was wrong. They wanted me even more, which is hard to ignore. Everyone loves to be wanted, and I’m excited. But I’m still worried about what Jayden will think or how it’ll make him feel.
Today will be hard for him. The guys are having a little retirement party for him, and I know he didn’t want that. I know he wanted to sulk in there, get his shit, and leave, but Shea Adler wanted more for him. Because of that, I can’t sign or commit to Bellevue today. I need to wait for the right time to tell Jayden about all the changes that are coming our way.
I click the email from the USA team coach with my training schedule. We’ll train individually at first, and when it’s time to go to the Olympics, we’ll practice as a team. Some local women are on the team, so we plan to train together with my dad. After I close my training email, I see a message from one of the coaches at the kids’ private school. I open it, and it’s a bunch of links for different football camps. I bring in my brows; I thought Dawson hadn’t decided yet.
“Hey, Daw!” I holler.
“Yeah, Mom?”
“Come here.” I hear him moving through the house, and then he enters my office. He’s still in his PJs with his hair a hot mess, and his headset from his games is around his neck. “What’re you doing?”
“About to play some Call of Duty with Max and Ryder.”
“Cool,” I say with a smile. “Hey, I got an email from Coach Daniel with some links to football camps and the schedule for training camp. Did you decide and not tell us?” I watch his whole demeanor change. He looks away, his hands locking behind his back. When he does that, he looks like a child instead of a massive, growing young man. “Dawson?”
He clears his throat. “I told him I might when I saw him last week.”
“Okay? So, do you want me to sign you up for these?”
He shrugs, and I watch him for a second. “Can I do both? Uncle Jude said it would be too much and too big a strain on my body to do both hockey and football, but I think I can swing it.”
“I’m sure you could. But not only does Jude have a point, it’s also a higher risk of injury. You don’t want to completely burn yourself out—plus, you have school too, my love. I’d rather you choose one.”
He nods slowly, defeated.
“Which do you love more?” He shrugs once more, and I know he isn’t ready to make the decision. “Okay, well, I have until next week for you to decide.”
Dawson kicks the carpet of my office. “Would you be mad if I played football instead?”
I gawk at him, but before I can answer, Jayden says, “Absolutely not. We just want you to do what you love.”
Dawson looks back at Jayden as I do, and I point to him. “What he said.”
Jayden wraps his arms around Dawson’s neck, holding him tight. “Whatever you decide to do, we support.”