Chapter 23
Levi didn’t ask any questions about Haddie’s early-morning meeting the day before. After their shower had left him in need of a power nap before heading in for the start of his Monday, he’d happily sent her ahead to tend to her own responsibilities.
But early-morning meetings two days in a row?
Didn’t she work hard enough for the administration to not call her in before the official day began?
He told her he was happy to leave early and drive with her.
Haddie and her entire team were coming to support the varsity boys in their home match against rival Middleton that evening.
Wouldn’t it make sense to drive together?
“It’s perfect weather outside. I’ll walk, and we can ride home together tonight,” she’d told him before distracting him with a kiss and then slipping out the door before he even had his shoes on.
She rushed out without even a sip of coffee, which he knew would catch up with her later. He’d just have to bring her some.
So imagine his surprise when he showed up outside her classroom with an insulated tumbler only to find Sarah Ramirez and Teddy Kostas snagging two steaming to-go cups from a chair parked in front of Haddie’s closed door.
Through the small window on top of the doorframe, Levi could see Haddie had circle time well underway with her gaggle of tiny humans.
“Wait…” Levi demanded when the two students looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. He motioned for the culprits—because he was sure they’d done something—to follow him a few steps away so they wouldn’t disturb Haddie’s class.
“Hey, Coach,” Teddy replied with a nervous laugh once they were out of earshot from Haddie’s door. “How’s it going?”
“We were just leaving,” Sarah added, then pivoted to walk in the direction opposite Levi, even though that route led to the elementary cafeteria and not to the high school.
“Wrong way, Ramirez,” Levi told her, and she halted mid-step, her shoulders slumping.
“Right.” She pivoted back to face him and glanced at Teddy, who was frozen where he stood.
“Did Coach Martin buy you two coffee?” he asked, arms crossed over his chest.
Teddy glanced at Sarah, who rolled her eyes.
“Seriously?” she said to her accomplice. “You never shut up, and now you’re tongue-tied?”
Teddy clenched his teeth and spoke out of the side of his mouth, as if Levi couldn’t hear him. “I can’t lie to my coach, Ramirez.”
Sarah squared her shoulders and jutted out her chin. “Yeah,” she admitted. “Coach bought us coffee. So what?”
Levi narrowed his eyes. “Yesterday too?”
Sarah swallowed. “Mm-maybe?” she sputtered.
“Shit,” Teddy whispered. “We’re going to get kicked off our teams for blackmail.”
“Shut up, Teddy!” Sarah hissed.
“Blackmail?” Levi inquired, aware of the anger seeping into his tone. “You two better fess up to whatever is going on here if you don’t want to be kicked off your teams.”
Sarah groaned. “Fine.” But first she spared Teddy one final glance. “You’re the worst, by the way. Hotness wasted.”
Teddy coughed. “Wait… You think I’m hot?”
Sarah ignored him and turned her attention back to Levi.
“As I was saying…it’s no big deal, really.
It’s just…at the car wash I accused Coach Martin of being sweet on you, and she let it slip that the two of you were living together right when this one”—she elbowed Teddy—“showed up. So she’s bribing us to keep our mouths shut about it. ”
Levi’s jaw clenched. “Why did she have to bribe you? Did you threaten to make our living situation which is so far from being any of your business—public to the rest of your teammates?”
Sarah threw her free arm in the air and then glared at Teddy. “Look at how fast this guy cracked under pressure.”
Teddy shrugged. “She’s right, Coach. I am the worst.” He sighed.
Levi let out a mirthless laugh. “Yeah, I think you both earned that title today.” Levi checked his watch. “And it’s barely even eight. Congratulations.” He nodded at their coffee cups. “So what’s in the cups?”
Teddy protectively hugged his travel cup to his chest. “Hot cocoa with extra whip cream.”
Levi groaned. “Cocoa? Come on, man.” He turned his attention to Sarah. “What about you?”
She shrugged. “An extra-shot caramel macchiato.”
“Extra shot, huh?” Levi asked. “I guess that deserves a little respect.”
“Thanks, Coach,” Sarah replied with a grin.
Levi shook his head. “Don’t thank me. If Haddie or I liked either of those drinks, I’d be directing you to return your ill-gotten beverages.
But, since I’m not going to let Haddie waste her money, you can keep them.
But appreciate them since this will be your last day collecting anything from Coach Martin. ”
Teddy blew out a breath. “Does that mean I’m still on the team?”
Levi sighed. “For now. But you both know that respecting your coaches or your teachers should go without saying, right? Coach Martin works her ass off all day with the kids in that classroom”—Levi pointed toward Haddie’s door—“and then still gives this soccer program everything she’s got.
She doesn’t get all up in your business when it comes to who you’re living with or not living with or dating or whatever. ”
“Wait…” Sarah interrupted. “Are you and Coach Martin dating?”
This time Teddy had the good sense to lightly elbow Sarah. “He just said we shouldn’t be up in their business,” Teddy told her, speaking again out of the side of his mouth.
Sarah sighed. “Sorry, Coach.” And she had the decency to sound sincerely regretful.
“We’re not assholes, you know,” she continued, and Levi raised a brow.
“We like you and Coach and just thought it would be kind of cool if you were a thing.” She pressed her lips into a nervous smile.
“Also, having you guys be all united and stuff might mean a better fight to keep the soccer program.”
Levi’s mouth fell open. “You guys aren’t supposed to know about that yet.”
Teddy sighed. “I wish I didn’t. Makes it feel pointless to even try on the field.”
Sarah rumpled Teddy’s overgrown brown curls. “Aww, is the wasted hotness a little sentimental?”
Teddy’s cheeks turned pink, and Levi had to bite back a grin at seeing a guy he knew could be ruthless on the field turn to a pile of goo in front of the girl he was obviously crushing on. Levi knew the feeling.
“And yeah,” Sarah added. “We know. Hard to keep a secret in a town like this, especially when you’ve got blabbermouths like this guy.” She nodded toward Teddy who smiled sheepishly.
“My uncle’s on the school board. He told me about Principal Crawford’s plan to save the budget by getting rid of the program. How could I not tell my teammates…and Ramirez?”
Levi scrubbed a hand over his jaw and blew out a breath.
The looks on both of their faces—that doe-eyed loss of hope—ate up his insides.
And if all of them knew? Then how could he blame Teddy or any of his team for not giving it their all?
Coach Crawford had labeled them as unnecessary, given them a coach who knew barely enough about soccer to play it, let alone coach it, and all they were doing was playing the part.
He looked at his watch. He had a little less than ten minutes before first period began, and he needed to talk to Tommy.
“Get to class, you two,” he finally told them. “And apologize to Coach Martin the next time you see her and tell her that she doesn’t have to bribe you because you are going to do your best to keep her private life private, okay?”
“Okay,” they both grumbled together. “But I’m not going to stop shipping you two,” Sarah added.
Levi shook his head with laugh. “Just…keep your shipping to yourself, will you? I don’t need any rumors getting back to the big guy when our program is already in jeopardy.
I gotta run. Teddy, I’ll see you out on the field for warm-ups at four, okay?
Because we are going to own Middleton tonight and show Coach Crawford what we are made of. ”
Teddy forced a smile. “Sure, Coach. If you say so.”
Uh, yeah. Levi Rourke freaking said so because this was what he did. He took scrappy potential and turned it into a trophy-winning, Bowl-dominating team. This would just be on a slightly smaller scale but—he realized—no less important.
His team was necessary. Haddie’s team was necessary. And they’d figure out how to prove it to Coach Crawford and the rest of the town.
Levi pivoted back to Haddie’s door, left the coffee tumbler on the chair, and then booked it to the high school wing and, more specifically, Tommy Crawford’s classroom.
“Hey, Commissioner,” Levi said, announcing his arrival without even knocking on the door.
Tommy was sitting at his desk grading papers when he looked up at his friend with tired eyes and a forced grin.
“Rough night?” Levi asked with a wince.
His friend sighed. “Just overextended. Enrollment has grown in the past few years, and we could really use another English teacher on staff, but you know what that does…eats into the budget. So, my classes are too big, grading load too high, and with debate and this budget rescue committee, I’ve kind of given up on sleep. ”
“Budget rescue committee?” Levi strode toward the front of the classroom and perched himself against the window across from Tommy’s desk.
Tommy nodded. “Turns out quite a number of the faculty are not happy with my father’s fiscal decision-making, so a group of us are getting together to try to come up with a solution.
Not sure if that means extra fundraising or just barging into a school board meeting and airing our grievances.
What I do know is that this will totally strengthen my relationship with my father.
” He let out a bitter laugh and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. “Aren’t you happy you asked? ”
Levi’s stomach twisted into a knot.
“Why wasn’t I asked to join your committee?” He wasn’t sure why he was asking when he already knew the answer. Maybe he needed to hear it straight from Tommy’s mouth.