5. Motion
Motion
F inn smashed his foot into the pile of rocks at his feet, splaying gravel across the parking lot. Fucking sunny day. The chipper blue sky laughing in his face. Shitty way to start the damn day.
“Hello, Finn? It’s Jay Walker from Minneapolis.” Exactly the call he should have been dying to get, and the throat punch he’d expected it to be.
Swallowing a suffocating lump that lodged in his throat, he croaked, “Yeah, Jay. I know who you are. How’re things in your neck of the woods these days?”
“Great. Beautiful day here.”
Come on, get to the point.
“What I called for, Finn, is, well, we’d like to have you come on out for an interview.
If all goes well, maybe talk you into a contract for an assistant coaching position.
I’d love to see you whip some shape into our receivers.
” The Midwest vowels drew out with each word, not a hint of pretension in his tone.
“That, uh, yeah. That would be great.” Goddammit.
“Wonderful. How about we fly you out, show you around and see what you think?”
“Sure, sure I can do that.” No he couldn’t. Or wouldn’t. But should. Opportunity of a lifetime, for the second time in his career, and the idea of it tied his stomach in knots.
“Great. I’ll have my assistant call you to nail down the dates and send along an itinerary.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing from them.”
Pops had walked in seconds later. “Was that a call on a coaching position?”
Finn nodded, his molars ground so tight he couldn’t answer.
Smile reaching his crinkly eyes that had seen so many sunsets over the field, so many games himself and then as Finn’s coach until college, and now as the high school coach, Pops dropped onto the stool and bumped his elbow into Finn’s side. “Why don’t you look more excited?”
“Dunno. A lot to take in, I guess. Just an interview.”
“Don’t want to get your hopes up? I get it. I thought you’d said you hadn’t sent out any resumés yet?”
“I didn’t. Coach Lund had asked if I minded if he gave out my number. Knowing Kit, he didn’t wait for them to ask, but offered it out to anyone willing to listen.”
“Doesn’t matter how they tracked you down. The fact that they reached out? Come on, you must already have the job, they’re just waiting on the formalities. Bet they already have the contract drawn up.”
“He implied as much.” His teeth still gritted together, he nodded. “Think I’ll get some fresh air. Let it soak in.”
“Of course. If I can do anything to help, you just let me know. Brenda would be so proud, her son, the professional football player and coach. Imagine, in a few years? You may get your own team.” Pops beamed enough for both of them.
Nodding again, worrying his head might wobble off from all the agreeability, Finn backed out of the kitchen. Tossing on his nearest pair of shoes, he took off.
Not knowing where he was driving, not caring, he followed the road down the slope to the bottom of the hill, ending up at Riverside Park. He slammed the car door behind him. Fuck. Expanding his chest to draw air in, he let the oxygen fuel his brain, easing his turbulent thoughts.
The high elevation atmosphere was thin and dry, but as soon as he entered the trees surrounding the river, a humid breeze revitalized the air. Not many people out today. A group of teenagers was goofing around upstream, so he wandered downstream.
For a few hundred feet, he wandered under the dappling canopy until he reached a small clearing, and was startled…
no, completely awestruck, by the furious woman on the beach.
A rock the size of her palm in her hand, she tossed it up and tested its weight before launching it across the river.
It cracked against the tree on the opposite side.
“Nailed it,” she whooped as she jumped up and down.
Haley Salsborough. Her hair was pulled back in a thick ponytail.
Although artfully ripped in a clever pattern, her ankle-length jeans were clearly designer, accented by a blue t-shirt that moved like water over her skin and leather sandals that laced around her ankles.
He stood back, watching her crazy routine. Face scrunched in a livid scowl, she’d pick up another rock. When she deemed the rock acceptable, its weight in range and her target isolated, she launched it across the river.
As she reached for a fourth, he stepped closer. “Hey,” he said.
She flinched briefly, but shook her head in surprise as she realized it was him. “Hey,” she said, her scowl lightening to the feisty lopsided smile she’d entreated him with the other night.
“Didn’t like that rock, huh?”
Wiping her hands on her jeans, she shook her head and said, “Nah. Too many rocks on this side. I’m trying to distribute them more evenly.”
“Very thoughtful of you. I mean, look at this park. Hideous.”
She glanced around theatrically. “What’s with all the cheery pink flowers and artfully filtered sunshine?” Pausing, she stepped a few feet closer. She had to have caught the clench of his jaw, adding, “Sometimes this town is a little too lovely.”
He stepped closer, but didn’t get as close as he’d like. “Don’t I know it. Days like today? I could use some bay area fog.”
“And mist to wick away a foul mood. Although, I did miss the snow.” She cleared her throat and strolled to the log that served as a park bench.
“Yeah. A little clean slate over the ground is nice.” Unable to resist, he sat next to her. “Did you work it out?”
“What?”
“Whatever was driving your rock-throwing rampage? Those were some impressive shots.”
“Thanks. That was the point, actually. I, uh, I don’t remember the last time I threw rocks.”
“Most grownups would probably say the same, if they even thought about it.”
She glared across the water. “I suppose so.”
He followed her gaze across the water. A leafy tree, one he probably knew the name of at some point, lie angled over the water, its leaves bouncing as the whitecaps high-fived each time they passed underneath.
Deer tracks dotted the coarse sand on the narrow beach, probably out for a drink earlier this morning.
“I, uh, I have an interview,” he blurted out, his brow scrunching as he realized he’d said it out loud.
“That’s fantastic.” She grinned and nudged his shoulder with hers. “For what? Where?”
“Assistant coach at Minneapolis.”
“Holy crap, good for you.” Sapphire eyes darkening, she studied his reaction, her gaze resting on his jaw, trailing along the clenched edge before meeting his gaze. “You’re not excited.”
“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “I mean, it’s a great opportunity. One I really shouldn’t turn down. Buddy of mine says Dallas has me on a short list, too.”
“I’m not questioning. I get it. I mean, I’ve never had a job interview in my life. But, I understand not knowing if you want something or not.” She shook her head, closing her eyes and smiling. “Okay, I’m not making sense.”
“Yeah, you are. It’s like I’m on the edge of a cliff and someone’s extending their hand to rescue me,” he trailed off, not sure of how to explain without sounding totally nuts.
“But you’re not sure you want to be rescued?”
“Yeah. If I don’t have a clue what I’m looking for, how can I feel relief from an offer I’m not sure I want? Of course, I haven’t gotten any actual offers yet, so I’m getting ahead of myself, anyway.”
“Why don’t you check that hand out? See what it has to offer, then decide if you want to accept help? You can always say no.”
F inn rubbed a hand through his hair, his cowlick splaying the front of his hair wildly. “True.” He leaned toward her, nudging her side. “Or I could throw rocks at the problem.”
Her eyes rolled, but she melted at his sweet acknowledgement of the moment shared. Rising to her feet, she held out a hand. The corners of his lips lifted in an easy smile.
Heat flooded through her at the contact, filling a piece she had felt was missing, but couldn’t have been sure until that moment. Raw, fierce lust. A longing to pull that hand closer and see what it felt like on her body, skin against skin.
His eyes flashed with an intensity, an amusement as his smile grew into a grin.
At the shore, she begrudgingly released him and picked up a grapefruit-sized rock, smooth and cool in her palm. She set it in his hand. “Give it a try,” she urged.
His lips turned up in a sweet smile before he tossed the rock in the air once, catching it with a give to compensate for its weight. Like an archer in the stars, he drew his throwing arm back and counter balanced the pose with his other hand before thrusting the rock forward.
The stone cut through the air with an audible whoosh, soaring across the river before it cracked against the same tree she’d been aiming for, then ricocheted off and splashed into the water.
“You could have been a quarterback,” She nodded with appreciation.
He rested his hands on his hips and grinned again.
“Could have, but anyone can throw. Not so many can run like hell, snatch a flying sack of pigskin traveling at fifty-plus miles an hour while their feet are a few feet off the ground, then land on their tippy toes, juke their way through the pack, and run the length of the field without getting caught.”
“Those quarterbacks sure are a bunch of slackers. Not like those modest wide receivers.”
Broad shoulders steady, hands resting on his hips as if he was comfortably watching the game from the sidelines, he flashed her a wink that melted straight down to her panties.
“Sorry. Pops and Evan were both quarterbacks, so I learned early on you have to keep those egomaniacs in check. Zoe and Mom preferred to play as linebackers. I’m pretty sure that was Zoe’s favorite, so she had an excuse to knock us on our asses. ”
“Aw, cute. The Halseth family scrimmage in the backyard must have been so much fun.”
“Yeah, we had good times.” His grin persisted, but grew distant.
Haley picked up a rock the size of her fist and tossed it in the air like Finn had, but with much less facile. Accidentally dropping it would lessen the badass look of it. She drew her arm back.
Finn cleared his throat, hesitated, and said, “You have a hell of a throw, but mind if I show you something?”
“I could be offended, but, well, I would love to throw like a pro.” She raised her eyebrows.
He put his hands on her hips and steadied her perpendicular to the river. Stepping up close behind her, he moved his hands to hers. “Back like this.” He gestured, guiding her arm into position.
She was tempted to move her hips out of position, knowing he’d steady her again. But, well, she really did want to improve her throwing, in case she ever got the opportunity to throw something at Nate’s face.
“The power comes from your hips and shoulder. Your wrist is the level, not the hammer.”
The air lightened as too much oxygen fueled her lungs as he touched her and used a reference she would appreciate. Her form threatened to falter as she filled her senses with the moment, but she swallowed the distraction and stabilized her core as he coached her along.
“Alright, now let’s see it.” He stepped back, his voice laced with the same lightness that lifted her.
Repeating the process as he’d shown her, she pitched the rock again. Didn’t quite hit the tree, but close. Better, the rock blasted past and crashed in applause as it knocked a few branches before dropping to the ground in the shrubs beyond.
“Nice.” He grinned as he returned his eyes from the landing site and settled on her.
She shrugged, but couldn’t have masked the naked joy if she’d tried. “Whether you want to or not, you are a hell of a coach.”
“Your throw was already pretty damn good, I was just looking for an excuse to touch you.” He grinned, shifting his weight to the other foot.
“And I wasn’t objecting.” She picked up another rock and pitched it across the river.
“You know, I used to be athletic. It’s been so long, I forgot the thrill of pushing the limit.
Aside from wanting to chuck one of these at my ex’s face, I came out here for fresh air, then found I needed that release. ”
“I know what you mean. One of these days, my knee is going to let me sprint again. I’m getting there, but I can’t tell you how much I miss running full throttle.”
Not so literal, but yeah, she could. “I miss doing a lot of things full throttle.”
“I don’t mean to be nosy, but you mentioned an ex. Sounds like that was for the best?”
“Oh my god yes. I just wish I’d woken up and left sooner.”
“I’m sorry. It’s hard to see through the fog when you don’t realize that’s not all there is.”
The ache that had brought her here returned, turning her legs to thick mush. “Especially when it seems mild at first, and before you know it, you’re suffocating in it.”
He scowled and shoved his hands on his hips, walking halfway up the beach and stopping again. “Or everyone seems to think you’re lost in it, but you find it a refreshing mist.”
Moving up the beach, Haley grabbed her jacket and stopped in front of Finn. “I like your metaphors,” she said with a grin, beyond tempted to wrap her arms around his waist and bury herself against him, knowing the connection might settle them both.
He rubbed his hand over his hair, flashing her that easy smile again. “Same. Are the rocks more to your liking now?”
She nodded, unable to look away. “Much more even. I think I’ll head home and see if my head’s clear enough to finish my latest post. What about you? Better?”
His hands rested on his hips again, his gaze searching the other side of the river. “I will be.” As she strolled away, he added, “Haley?”
“Yeah?”
“We’ve got a new IPA you should try. Good one that bites you back.”
Grinning, she said, “Can’t wait to try it. You work tonight?”
“Tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”