Chapter 20 Silas
SILAS
Kids were funny as fuck. My experience with them was limited, but coaching a group of nine-to-twelve-year-old boys and girls, or pre-tweens as some Internet expert called them—required me to catch on quickly.
Things I’d learned so far:
A. Nine, ten, eleven, and twelve-year-olds were either rule followers or savvy anarchists who exploited loopholes in their favor.
Rhys La Rue, Chase’s best bud and Cooper’s best friend’s son was a scrappy little hellion with the toughness of a Doberman and the personality of a Labrador.
Today at practice, he’d caught a fade route pass I’d thrown to the end zone.
Great catch, and I’d told him so. However, he’d been out of bounds and the points didn’t count.
“That’s not fair,” he’d argued. “You clapped. If you clap, it should count.”
“Sorry, man. You deserved the shout-out. Well done. But touchdowns have to be scored in bounds. Them are the rules.”
“We gotta change that,” Rhys had grumbled.
Of course, he conveniently forgot his ruling when the other team ran a similar bum play.
B. They had weird hobbies.
Lola Lynwood, a ten-year-old from Elmwood brought her collection of bottle caps to practice…
just because. That inspired Joaquin to share the Pokémon cards his uncle had given him.
And since I’d once been the proud owner of a killer Pokémon card collection and was very curious about why anyone would want a jug full of bottle caps, I’d cut practice fifteen minutes early so we could check out the cards, the bottlecaps, and play tag till pickup.
C. They were fact junkies.
I’d been in the middle of explaining what a no-running zone was when Taylor Colfax adjusted his glasses and spouted,
“Did you know that Saturn could float in a bathtub?”
“Uh…” I’d tucked the football under my arm and squinted. “No.”
“It’s true.”
“Cool. All right, back to football.” I’d clapped and continued, “We’ve got a five-yard no-run zone, which means you have to pass the ball and—”
“I heard it rains diamonds on Neptune,” someone else had piped up.
“Oh, that’s so cool.”
“And on Uranus too.”
“You said ur-anus,” a wise guy had snickered, inciting a round of merriment.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
I’d dropped the ball and waved my arms in the air like a plastic blow-up figure they always put on the roofs of tire stores. “Yo! Are we talking science, or are we playing football?”
“Football!”
“And Uranus!”
I hid my smile as everyone burst into laughter and shook my head ruefully.
“All right, wise guys. Take a lap.” I’d motioned for the fifteen kids in my group to follow me around the perimeter of the field, stopping often to do jumping jacks and push-ups.
Our twice a week hour-and-a-half-long practices were both an exercise in patience and a test to the limits of one’s sanity. They were also some of the most fun I’d had in years. Christ, I learned something every day.
Kangaroos can’t hop backward, owls don’t move their eyeballs, wombats make cubed poop.
I mean… Wow.
I liked to think I was imparting a little football wisdom too, but by the middle of June, I was beginning to realize that winning wasn’t the main goal. It was more about fun and camaraderie…being a team.
“You’re good with the kids,” Dexter commented, handing me a water bottle.
“They’re goofy as hell, but I like ’em.” I took a swig and waved at parents as they checked their kids out.
“I’m glad.” He glanced at his watch and at the kids still waiting for pickup. “I told Reg I’d drop Rhys off. Are you taking Chase and Ivy?”
Okay, so yeah, I was beginning to wonder if Dex suspected there was something going on with Coop and me.
Not that he’d said anything, but he was a keen observer and had to notice that Coop’s kids were pretty comfortable around me.
Then again, we were neighbors in a tight-knit community, so… maybe not.
My phone buzzed before I could reply.
Cooper.
My heart flipped at the sight of his name on my screen. What a sap. “Hi.”
“Hey. Sarah’s running late and I’m stuck here for a meeting. Would you mind taking the kids to my house? She’ll be there within fifteen to thirty minutes, and Ivy and Chase know the security code…and well, you do too.”
I smiled, stepping away from Dex in case my voice hitched or squeaked or something equally embarrassing. “Yep. No problem.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.”
Dex lifted his brow in a maneuver that would have looked ridiculous on anyone else. “Everything okay?”
“Yep. I’m gonna give Ivy and Chase a lift home.”
He gave an up-nod, his lips tilted on one corner…no words required.
Fuck. He knows.
I hustled the kids to their dad’s house. They were tired from being in the sun—Chase wanted to play video games while Ivy packed her bag to go to her mom’s, and I texted with Alli, who was on a yacht in the Mediterranean with her boyfriend.
First yacht experience. 10/10
Pics or didn’t happen, I typed.
Alli sent a selfie. Even with no makeup and her hair in a ponytail, she was stunning. And the South of France looked pretty sweet too.
“Who’s that?” Ivy asked, slipping on the barstool next to me at the kitchen island.
“My ex.”
She scrunched her nose and studied Alli’s photo. “She was your girlfriend.”
“No, my wife.”
Ivy widened her eyes comically. “You’re married to her?”
“Not anymore. We’re divorced.” I sent a sunglasses and sunshine emoji to Alli before meeting Ivy’s puzzled gaze. “You’re staring at me.”
“Sorry. I just…” Ivy stammered. “She’s really pretty. What’s her name?”
“Allison.”
“Are you going to date her again?”
I huffed a laugh. “No. She’s dating someone else.”
“Oh, yeah. The Trilogy Alpha Team guy.”
“Yep. I think you knew that.”
Another fact about kids: They were excellent at weaseling info out of you.
“Are you sad about it?” she asked quietly.
I set my cell face-down on the island. “No. We’re friends, and it’s better that way.”
“Hmm.”
I chuckled. “I can tell you have questions. Snoop if you want. I don’t mind.”
“Okay.” Ivy chewed on her lip. “Do you wish you had kids?”
“Yeah, but I still have time. I’m only thirty-six.”
“You’re thirty-seven.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right. Thanks for the reminder. Anything else?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong? You look bummed.”
“I dunno. I just…think it’s sad that people don’t stay together,” she said in a small voice.
“Maybe it is, but don’t be sad for us. We’re happier apart. Don’t I seem happy?” I pulled a goofy face to make her laugh.
She grinned. “You do. I think…you and my dad both seem happy.”
Oh. First Dex and now Ivy.
Fuck. And double fuck.
“Well…uh, yeah, but we’re friends and—”
“Hold that thought.” She hopped off the stool and rummaged through her bag, returning with a small case, a portable mirror, and her iPad. “Remember when you said you’d help me put on makeup?”
“Um…”
“Can you do it like hers?” Ivy pointed at my phone meaningfully.
I opened and shut my mouth twice. “Alli? I-I don’t think she’s wearing any.”
“She is. Trust me. I can tell it’s a professional job too.” Ivy scrolled a makeup tutorial page on her device. “I tried to follow this guy, but I can’t do the eye shadow. It’s always too dark. Will you try?”
“Dude. You’re gonna get me in trouble with your mom.”
“No, she doesn’t mind. As long as it’s not too much.” Ivy slid a small compact to me. “Please.”
I thought about texting Cooper for advice, but he was in a meeting and…
“What if you put it on me?”
Ivy gasped with delight. “You’ll let me put eye shadow on you? For real?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just…not too much, okay?”
“Okay! No problem.” She wiggled on her seat excitedly and rubbed her hands together. “Sit super still. I’ll turn on the tutorial, so I don’t get anything wrong. We’ll skip foundation, but can I try blush?”
Oh, shit.
“Sure, why not?”
Ten minutes later, I was wearing pink berry blush and two shades of eye shadow—lavender bliss and blue velvet. My captor wielded a brush along my nose, complimenting my complexion while her brother alternately giggled or made suggestions.
“I think he needs lipstick,” Chase said. “Do red.”
My growl made him laugh like a hyena. He literally slipped off his stool and chortled on the floor. Ivy was snickering too and—
Ding dong.
“That’s probably your mom. Oh, darn.”
I went with Chase to answer the door ’cause I’d read some horrible story about kids getting stolen from their homes and no, I didn’t think that would happen in Wood Hollow, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
Sarah stepped into the foyer, greeting her son with a fierce mom hug before straightening. Our paths crossed frequently now that I was coaching the kids, so spending a little time with my lover’s ex wasn’t too awkward anymore.
“Hi, Silas. Thanks so much for—” She covered her mouth, her eyes bright with amusement. “You, um…look very…nice.”
I put my hands on my hips and skewered mother and children with my fiercest glare. The one that came with a slight lip curl and a sneer designed to prove to linebackers who outweighed me by fifty pounds that I was one tough motherfucker.
It didn’t work. They weren’t impressed in the slightest.
Chase was the first to gain his composure. “Ivy was ’sperimenting on him.”
Ivy beamed. “I think I did a good job.”
“Wonderful job,” their mom concurred. “Are you two ready to roll?”
They hurried off to gather their belongings, leaving Sarah and me alone.
Honestly, I was glad to have the makeup diversion between us.
Having something to laugh about kept me from festering about her lack of communication with Cooper regarding her future plans.
The thought of him losing this bit of sunshine was just… wrong.
But it wasn’t my place to judge. At least not aloud.
I gestured to my cheeks. “Not sure how I got conned into this. I hope it washes off easily.”
“It does,” Sarah replied, still grinning. “I’m sorry for running late. I was—”
“Nah, I don’t mind at all. They’re cool.”
“They certainly think you are. They talk about you all the time. Cooper does too.”
Ooh, that was smooth.