Chapter 17
Willa
“I’m sorry, Coach. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble,” I stutter, trying to apologize. “I get excited, but I wasn’t trying to step on your toes.”
I completely took over coaching Carter. Coach Renan stood back and watched me make a complete fool of myself.
“What’s your plan?” He points to my boot clad foot. “How long do you have until you can play again?”
“It’s still on the mend,” I admit, holding back the tears I feel coming out.
I came to the rink as soon as I left the doctor. Four more weeks of physical therapy and more tests. Wear the boot to walk around campus for four more weeks, he suggested, with no promise of a return to hockey.
“I don’t know if or when I can play again.” This time, I can’t stop the tears from running down my cheeks. Looking away, I quickly wipe them from my face.
“Have you ever thought about coaching?” His question takes me by surprise.
I check his face to make sure he’s not joking.
“No. I mean, maybe after retirement,” I’m afraid I’ll say the wrong thing.
I never actually thought about it. The goal was always to play hockey. There’s nothing after that.
“Or after an injury.” He looks down at my boot again. “How about this?” He rubs his hands together. “We need a new assistant defensive and skills coach. While you”re healing, help us out. And… I can work something out with the board about your scholarship.”
My mouth drops, but no words escape. “How did you—?”
“Don’t worry about that,” he says, holding out his hand, waiting for me to shake it in agreement.
I haven’t told anyone, but if I don’t play this semester, I lose the scholarship I have. I’ll have to pay back this semester and maybe more. It’s under review, and I have no idea how he knows. My dad is fighting it, otherwise they would have already taken it away.
They keep telling me not to worry about it, and that they’ll figure it out after I graduate. But I know my parents can’t afford it. They’ve already unwillingly put in so much money for my hockey pro dreams, and the deal was to stay and get a good education.
“If I can’t do anything about that, then you’ll get paid like the rest of the coaching staff to cover some of that tuition,” he adds, looking as upset about it as I feel. “I know it’s not cheap.”
The more he says, the more I realize how much I need to do it.
“You’d be helping me out, too.” He lets out a sigh.
“Are you sure about this, sir? Like really sure? I’ve never been a coach before.” I don’t see how I could be more qualified than whatever candidate they have lined up.
“I’ve seen better coaching in the last twenty minutes than I’ve seen in half the guys I work with.” He laughs. “The board wants me to hire someone they picked, because we ran out of candidates. Don’t get me started on that. This will be my compromise with them.” He holds out his hand to shake mine in agreement.
I stare at his open palm. Too nervous to move, because I know my answer, but can I do it?
“This offer won’t last long, Tomlin.” He warns me to not make him wait.
“Ok.” I quickly grab his hand in a rough shake. “Yes, I accept.”
“Great. You start tomorrow and we’ll get you something to stand on.” He drops his hand but stops from leaving and slowly turns back. “Is there anything going on between you and Carter I should know about?”
“No,” I answer quickly and shake my head. “We’re just friends.”
“Good.” He nods and heads out toward the exit just as Carter comes out dressed in his street clothes with his hair still wet.
“Ready?” He looks back at the coach nervously.
“Great news,” I screech excitedly. “I’m going to be your new coach!”
Carter has been trying not to look upset. He got even more angry when I made him drive into town to get tacos.
I haven’t addressed the elephant in the room yet of what he was about to propose before Coach Renan interrupted us.
“You’d be like everyone’s coach?” He forces a smile after placing his order and watches the waitress walk away.
“Yes, not just yours, but the team.” I throw a tortilla chip at him to get his attention from our waitress’s ass.
“What does that mean for us?” He snaps angrily, but quickly hides it with a rub of his hand over his mouth. “I mean, this kind of changes things.”
“Not really.” I shrug, avoiding what he was asking for earlier. “We can still be friends.”
“Friends who fuck.” He eyes me as his leg bounces nervously under the table.
“About that,” I hesitate as if I’m breaking up with a boyfriend, but Carter was never my boyfriend and would never be my boyfriend. “We can’t do that anymore.”
“Because you’re my coach.” He gives me an annoyed sarcastic smirk.
“No,” I stop him, considering how to say this without ousting my best friend’s crush. “Because we’re friends. I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”
“Pfft.” He blows out a breath between his lips and leans back.
“I’m serious. I like our lunch dates like this. Sex ruins everything.” I should not be feeling bad about this, but Carter is getting so upset over me being his superior. Maybe agreeing to be a coach was a mistake. “Can’t you just be happy for me?”
His leg stops bouncing, and he immediately leans over the table, grabbing my hand from the chip basket to get my attention.
“I am so happy for you.” His dark russet brown eyes pull me in. “Willa, you are going to be such a wonderful coach. I am happy that you’ll get to do something you love.”
“Thank you.” I blush at his sincerity.
“But,” his full pouty lips tick up, “it’s going to be really hard not imagining you naked while you’re yelling and whistling at me to move faster.”
He’s joking. And it’s not at all funny.
“Faster, Carter.” He mimics what I’d sound like with a groan. “Harder. Move those hips.”
“Shut up.” I throw another chip at his face and slap his hand.
“I really need to get laid,” he groans seriously. “Like a really good lay. I’m starting to think no one can top you.”
“I think you’re missing that connection with someone.”
He rolls his eyes at me, but a light goes off in my head like the red flash of the lamp lighting up after the perfect set up and rebound into a goal.
“You should try dating. Let me set you up with someone.” I plant the seed, and I am so proud of myself.
“No.” He shuts me down quickly.
“Why not?” I gasp. “I know a lot of tough and rough girls on the hockey team that would love to slap you around in bed.”
“Absolutely not.” He glares at me.
“Jocelyn is single.” I keep going, planting that seed even deeper.
“Willa,” he growls across the table for me to stop. “No.”
“I’m taking that as a, maybe.” The waitress comes back with our food before he can say anything else, and I won’t let him talk more about it.
He said no, but he doesn’t know what’s good for him. A tough woman that can handle his snarky attitude is exactly what he needs.
I”m just as scared of stepping on the ice as I was the first time I played here at Drexton Hall.
Coach Renan must’ve warned the team. Either him or Carter, because I’m greeted with cheers from all the guys. I make a small curtsy with my boot and crutch for them.
The crutch is for extra support in case the boot slips.
“Alright,” the head coach shouts and blows his whistle. “Let’s get to work. You can move to the bench once they break off into a scrimmage.” He nods at my anti-slip shoe. “I can’t imagine you being able to move too fast in those.”
“They’re good, but they’re not that good.” I scan the ice, watching the guys warm up and stretch.
Carter winks at me as he switches to his left into a lunge.
For the most part, I observe their routine. I’ve seen it before, but I’m not comfortable enough to step in yet.
The skate coach lines half the guys up to run a drill. Timing each one from goal line to goal line.
“Finn,” I call out for him to come to me. He takes his helmet off and runs his hand through his curly orange hair while skating over. “You”re bending too much.” I tap my crutch on his skate. His right ankle bends when he skates, causing him to slow down. “Do some strengthening exercises and keep it straight. You’ll get more speed that way and it’ll help prevent any injuries.”
“Aye. Thanks Will…I mean Coach.” He smiles before skating away.
“Is anyone giving you trouble?” I jump at the sound of Carter’s voice behind my back.
“No.”
“Good.” He scrutinizes his team while towering over me. “If they do, let me know. I’ll take care of it.” He keeps watching over them, nodding as if planning it out in his head.
“Shouldn’t you be running drills?” I give him my best strict coach face.
He squints down at me, ready for the challenge, but I push him away before I crack as an unsettling feeling grips my gut.
“Go. Get out of here.” I order him to leave me alone. He was making me nervous.
He laughs and skates away to work on blocking with Coach Greardon.
Coach Renan gives me a nod when I glance at him. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be doing, but as long as I have his approval, I’ll keep doing it.
I’ve been giving tips here or there when I notice something. Calling the guys over to me, because it’s easier than trying to catch up with them.
“Bray,” I call out to Carter’s little brother. He ignores me. “Braydon.” He looks but doesn’t come over. He hears me.
Coach Renan peers over at me to see what I’m going to do.
I can’t back down.
“Pierce,” I shout louder, but he still ignores me. I didn’t get a whistle yet, and Coach Renan steps forward with his raised to save me, but that would be even more embarrassing.
Using my fingers, I raise them to my mouth and let out a loud, ear-piercing whistle. A very handy trick my dad taught me years ago.
Everyone stops. All the sound from sticks hitting pucks, guys joking with each other and skates scraping the ice stop.
“Braydon Pierce,” I shout so everyone can hear. “Your ice time is shit and you’re too slow to keep up with any of these guys.” He pushes away from the wall, ready to come at me. “Bend your knees through the glide. You’re giving up halfway down the ice and slowing down because you’re afraid of the stop.” He scoffs, but doesn’t dare say anything, not in front of everyone. His attitude is worse than Carter’s.
“Don’t listen to me if you don’t want to.” I keep going, because this goes to everyone. “But you’ll never get drafted if you aren’t getting enough time on the ice during a game. There are hundreds of guys out there that wish they could be where you are, and several of them are already here, ready to take your spot.”
There’s a moment of complete silence before someone claps, followed by the guys tapping their sticks on the ice and cheering to agree with me.
Their attention is making me blush, but I hold my hand up to accept their encouragement.
“Alright,” Coach Renan blows his whistle, “get back to those drills.”
Carter glares at his brother from across the rink before checking in with me with a slight dip of his head.
This is only a practice.
These guys are way more hot-headed when it’s game time, but I can do this. I played in co-ed teams all throughout high school. I can take them.
“Sorry about Braydon.” Alex skates over after checking in with all the guys as their captain. “I had Luca on speaker earlier warning all the guys not to mess with you.”
“Great,” I laugh.
“We were thinking of going out tonight for a drink, and to watch Luca’s game. Kandi’s coming too. I didn’t know if you could since you’re our coach now.”
I used to hang out with Luca’s best guy friends all the time with him, which always included Alex and Finn. Coach and I already discussed it, and as long as it doesn’t affect me working with them on the ice, I can still be friends with them.
“Yeah, that sounds like fun. Text me about it later.” I keep our interaction short to take my new job seriously. I really want this to work out.
I may not be playing, but being out here on the ice feels right. This is my home.
“Cool,” Alex says before joining the others to help the freshman out with some skill work.
As awkward as I felt at the start, I’m excited to be helping these guys out.
As long as there’s hockey, everything will be ok.
I will be ok.