Scoring with the Coach’s Daughter (Maine Megalodons #3)

4. Jake

4

JAKE

I step off the plane and into the humid South Carolina air, my knee is aching just enough to remind me why I’m here. The crape myrtle is in bloom and permeates the air with a light, sweet, and slightly spicy fragrance.

Coach’s friend, Dr. Reid, comes highly recommended. I figure if I can’t work, I might as well take advantage of the time off. What better way to break up the monotony of rehabilitation than to come to a new place and make new friends? Or, better yet, become reacquainted with old ones?

But that’s not what’s got my heart racing. It’s Sam’s pretty face and the thrill of seeing her again.

When I looked her up, the Dragonfly Inn popped up the second I typed Cherry Point into the browser. I was sucked in by the picture of her smiling in front of the Scarlet Tomato Restaurant. It’s a business look for sure with her hair neatly tied back, but still, it’s her . I can’t get enough of her evanescent smile that shines through her stern exterior.

I knew when I left her last night that I couldn’t pass up this opportunity even though it’s taboo to date the Coach’s daughter. Surely, Coach will understand. He must have known I’d look her up seeing as how she lives one town over from where the doctor he recommended for me lives.

I chuckle at any excuse I think of to explain showing up unannounced. Sure, I have a knee injury, and a doctor’s recommendation that brings me to her doorstep. But she’d see through that. Maybe it doesn’t matter. I can’t tell her I love the sexy mom vibe she gives off, but it works for her.

I’m crazy, flying all this way with no guarantee she’ll even want to see me. But I can’t shake the feeling that she’s special. I have to find out if there’s more to our kiss and how she melted in my arms.

As I drive through the town, I take in the quaint streets lined with colorful storefronts and flower boxes on porches spilling over with blooms. Cherry Point is as charming as it sounds. It’s the kind of place I could’ve settled down in—if my life had ever allowed for settling down.

As a child, I couldn’t wait to get out of the small town where I grew up. But now I’m wondering if I judged it fairly. I like getting lost in the city away from the scrutiny of strangers who are curious about my life and want to know every detail of it.

When I pull up to the Dragonfly Inn, it’s as if I was meant to be her and it’s just as I envisioned it. Sam’s place has an aura of mysticism about it as the name implies. The inn looks like it stepped out of a storybook, with its white wraparound porch, wicker chairs, and hanging flower baskets filled with monolithic Boston Ferns swaying in the breeze.

My pulse kicks up a notch as I step out of the truck, the only sound I hear is the gravel as it crunches under the weight of my boots with each step and a chorus of chirping birds bellow like a complementing melody. I glance around, looking for Sam but the front yard is empty. My gut twists. Am I ready for this? Or did I make an impetuous decision that I’ll live to regret? I take another step. What the hell? I’ve made tons of bad decisions in my lifetime. I hardly see where pursuing a woman who piques my interest would be on a list of regrets.

I walk up the four steps and push open the red screen door, not knowing what to expect. But knowing Sam and her mother, I’m sure I’ll be impressed. And I am correct as I take in the country vibe of the foyer. Pictures of Sam and her sister, Ellen adorn the wall.

To my right is a sitting room with a fireplace. The stately bookcase is filled with limited editions and board games for kids and adults. The sofa and overstuffed chairs are taupe and act as accent pieces to the forest-green walls.

The lobby smells like lemon polish and fresh flowers, and there’s a faint hum of conversation drifting from the back—probably the restaurant. I step up to the check-in counter, trying to figure out what I’ll say if she appears.

But she isn’t here and my heart sinks.

A young man in a crisp white shirt and a black apron greets me. “Welcome to the Dragonfly Inn. Can I help you?”

I clear my throat, trying to sound casual. “I’m looking for Samantha McAllister.”

The guy raises an eyebrow, but before he can say anything, I hear her voice.

“I’ll be right there!”

My heart does this stupid thing where it skips a beat. I turn toward the sound, and there she is, coming through the side door, balancing a stack of towels in one hand and pushing a loose strand of hair out of her face with the other.

And just like that, I’m back at the party, standing in Coach’s living room trying to work up the nerve to ask her out.

Her hair’s falling out of this messy bun like she’s been running around all day, and there’s a little smudge of flour on her cheek. She hands the clean towels to the man at the front desk and looks up, her eyes locking on mine. She freezes.

“Jake?” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Hey, Sam,” I manage, my voice steadier than I feel.

She blinks, her cheeks flushing pink. “What are you doing here?”

I shove my hands in my pockets, feeling a little like a kid caught sneaking cookies. “I, uh... needed some physical therapy. Dr. Reid came highly recommended. Thought I’d stay somewhere nice while I’m here.”

Her eyes narrow slightly like she’s not buying the coincidence, but before she can say anything else, I hear the sound of little footsteps pounding down the hall.

“Jake!”

Ellie barrels into the room like a miniature tornado with a thick book under her arm. Her curls fly behind her as she launches herself at me.

“I knew you’d find us!” she squeals, wrapping her arms around my legs.

The breath leaves my lungs in a rush, and I crouch down to her level. “Hey, kiddo,” I say, ruffling her hair. “You didn’t think I’d forget about you, did you?”

She pulls back, her grin as wide as the sun as she looks at Sam. “I told you he’d come!”

I glance up at Sam, whose mouth is slightly open like she can’t believe what’s happening. “You did, huh?”

Ellie grabs my hand, tugging me toward the door. “Come on! You have to see the restaurant! And the garden! Aunt Sam’s vegetables are great and she uses them to feed people.”

“Ellie,” Sam starts her voice a mix of exasperation and disbelief.

“It’s okay,” I say, grinning at Sam as Ellie practically drags me out of the lobby. “I’ve got this,” I reply with a wink .

Ellie gives me the grand tour, talking a mile a minute as she shows me every corner of the property. The garden is a riot of color—green vegetables, herbs, and near it, a terrace of roses growing over a greenhouse. The yard is magnificent, covered with daisies, and wild purple flowers, of which, I’m clueless as to their name.

“My Mom planted these,” Ellie says, pointing to a cluster of flowers. “She said they make people happy.”

I kneel, running my hand over one of the petals. “She sounds like she was a pretty great lady.”

Ellie nods, her expression serious. “She was. We miss her a lot.”

Ellie tugs on my hand again, dragging me toward the restaurant. The dining room is cozy, with wooden tables and big windows that let in the afternoon sunlight. The smell of something amazing—garlic, maybe—wafts in from the kitchen.

“You’re gonna love it here,” Ellie declares. “It’s the best place ever. You’re going to stay here aren’t you?” I laugh at how precocious she is.

“Maybe,” I say, glancing at Sam.

Ellie doesn’t seem to notice the way Sam is staring at me like I’ve just flipped her world upside down.

“You should be a camp counselor!” Ellie says suddenly, her eyes lighting up. “We always need someone to help with outdoor stuff. You can teach us football!”

I laugh, ruffling her hair again. “You think I’d make a good counselor, huh?”

She nods enthusiastically. “The best!”

I glance at Sam again, and this time she’s shaking her head, her expression somewhere between amused and exasperated.

“Ellie,” she says, her tone sharp but not unkind. “Give Jake some space.”

Ellie pouts but lets go of my hand, and skips off toward the kitchen.

As soon as she’s gone, Sam steps closer, her arms still crossed. “What brings you to town, Jake?”

Damn, she’s defensive.

“Just getting my knee looked at by someone your dad recommended a few towns over,” I reply, keeping my tone easy. “And maybe seeing an old acquaintance while I’m at it.”

She narrows her eyes. “And you think now is a good time to visit?”

I grin. “Why not? It was nice seeing you at your dad’s party.”

Her cheeks flush again, and she shakes her head. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Maybe,” I say, leaning against the counter. “But you can’t deny the spark between us. Besides, Ellie’s happy to see me,” I plead my case.

Sam sighs, running a hand through her tendrils hanging near her face. “Ellie’s five. She’d be happy to see Santa Claus if he promised to play football with her.”

“Fair enough,” I say, laughing.

For a moment, we just look at each other. Her hair’s still falling out of that messy bun, and there’s a little crease between her eyebrows that I find weirdly adorable.

“So,” I say, breaking the silence. “You gonna show me to a room, or should I just let Ellie take over?” I joke in the hopes it will lighten the mood.

Sam rolls her eyes but smiles, just barely. “I’m not dressed. I was in the garden before I hit the laundry room,” she says, as she smoothes her hands over her T-shirt with the name of an old rock band and looks at her bare feet.

“It’s fine, you have cute toes!” I smirk. I didn’t know she had such cute toes, and they were painted a bright pink .

She blushes and waves her hand through the air like I’m making this up on the fly.

“You’re a pretty woman, Sam. Take a compliment!”

“Your room awaits,” she smiles, bowing and making a sweeping gesture with her arm, and acts as if she’s embarrassed by my compliment.

As she walks away, I can’t help but watch her. She’s got this energy—this determination—that’s almost magnetic. She’s not the same girl I remember years ago, but there’s still something familiar about her. Something that makes me feel like I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment.

I can’t take my eyes off her and how her hips fill out her jeans. She’s authentic and I find it refreshing.

Ellie peeks her head around the corner, her grin is as mischievous as ever. “Are you gonna stay, Jake?”

“Yeah, kiddo,” I say, smiling. “I think so.”

I follow Sam to my room and it’s as cozy as I expected. If I’m being honest, it’s a slice of country life with an overstuffed chair in the corner, a king-sized bed with a quilt on it, and an antique desk.

“This is nice,” I murmur. I toss my bags on the bed.

“Please check in at the desk. I have to get to work,” she states before she abruptly disappears.

I unpacked before I returned downstairs to find Ellie waiting for me.

“What do you want to do?” she asks and I realize she’s glued herself to me like peanut butter on toast as she ushers me toward the restaurant.