Chapter Fourteen
“That’s not going to happen.”
The words Halle had thrown out after his confession played in his head like a radio jingle. She’d shut him down so fast he hadn’t known how to react. After all of the rejections he’d experienced in life: the English teacher who thought he wasn’t good enough; the high school coach who thought he wasn’t important enough; the college coach who’d assumed he wasn’t strong enough; the teammates after he’d been drafted who expected a seventh-round pick to struggle to keep up. No matter how much he thought he was used to rejection, Halle’s rejection had hit differently.
He understood. She was still with Gregory. They were getting to know each other because of Shania. There were a lot of complications. He’d put himself out there and she’d rejected him. He would have to focus on Shania and building a relationship with her. There would be no relationship building with Halle outside of being mutual parents.
Which was what he reminded himself as he entered Books and Vibes later that week to get a book for Shania. He’d seen her flipping through the first book in the series after practice while she’d waited on Halle to pick her up and mentioned the second book was releasing this week. He’d decided to get it for her as a surprise before visiting her and Halle later that day.
Instead of going out in public to meet with Shania, he and Halle agreed that he should come to her house, or they come to his. News had spread like wildfire through Peachtree Cove after cousins’ day at the park. The players on the team asked if it was true. Instead of ignoring their question he’d answered them straight on. Yes, it was true. No, it didn’t make a difference in how he coached. If they had a problem then come to him and give him and Shania privacy regarding their relationship.
A request that was a hope and a prayer if he ever asked for one. He knew he couldn’t deny the gossips from discussing the situation. But on his football field, his personal life was off-limits.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Coach Q,” Patricia Norris said from behind the counter. She and her husband, Van, owned the bookstore that was also a coffee shop. “What can I help you with?”
“I’m looking for a book.” He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and read off the title.
Her eyes sparkled with knowing. “Oh, that must be for Shania, huh? She loves that series. We got a few copies in this week. They’re in back on the romance shelf.”
Quinton didn’t bother to ask how Patricia knew the book was for Shania. He wasn’t a frequent customer of Books and Vibes. He may have come in once to pick up coffee, but he wasn’t the hang out in a bookstore and coffee house kind of guy.
“Thanks.” He nodded and headed in the direction she pointed toward the back of the store.
Two steps in that direction and he stopped. Gregory came his way. The book Quinton was there for already in his hand. He raised a brow when he saw Quinton.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Gregory said in a voice that was pleasant enough to anyone listening, but irked Quinton. What, was he not allowed in bookstores?
“I came to buy a book.”
Gregory raised a brow. “Which one?”
Quinton pointed to the book in Gregory’s hand. “That one. I was getting it for Shania.”
Gregory nodded slowly. “Ah...trying to get on her good side.”
Quinton pressed his lips together. “Just trying to build a relationship with my daughter.”
The congenial expression melted away as irritation flared in Gregory’s face. He adjusted his glasses. “I understand. You made a donation and thought you were done. Now you’ve got to step up. Must be challenging.”
“Being a decent father may be challenging for some, but not me.” And he didn’t appreciate Gregory implying that it might be.
Gregory tilted his head to the side. “I guess that is part of the DNA of an athlete. You all can’t wait to prove yourself.”
Time to end this conversation before he got ready to pop off. “Get to your point, Gregory.”
If Gregory had a problem with him then he needed to get it out of his system. Quinton meant what he said; he wouldn’t step to Halle as long as they were dating. He wasn’t one to break up others’ relationships, but he also wasn’t going anywhere. He was a part of Halle’s life, and if Gregory was going to remain a part of her life, then they had to figure out how to get along.
“No point. Just making conversation. We’re going to be seeing each other more. We’ll have to get to know each other. Won’t we?”
“I guess. But seeing as how you and Halle aren’t engaged or married then who knows how much we’ll need to get to know each other.”
Gregory’s eyes narrowed. Quinton kept his expression neutral. He’d dealt with smug assholes since high school. People who thought they had some type of leg up on him for whatever reason. He hadn’t let that intimidate him then and he wouldn’t let it intimidate him now.
“Mr. Gaines, I thought that was you.” A woman’s voice interrupted them.
They both turned as Miriam Parker, the town’s mayor, came up. She grinned her usual welcoming smile as she came over to the two. Miriam was a tall, statuesque woman, with a can-do attitude that resulted in her having over 70 percent of the votes in town for the past two elections.
“Coach Q, good seeing you as well. I’m looking forward to another great year of Peachtree Cove football.”
“I’m hoping to give you one.”
She pumped her fist. “Just what I like to hear. Mr. Gaines, I’m glad I ran into you.”
Quinton spotted his exit. “I’ll let you two talk.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s good to catch you both. Now that we’ve completed the renovations on the old high school and turned it into a community and arts center, I’d like to do something great for the editors of TravelMagazine. We made the finals in Best Small Town, and they’ll be here for a visit soon after school starts. We’re hosting a welcome dinner and we’d like to schedule a tour of not just the renovated center, but of the community college’s campus.” She looked at Gregory. “I’d like to bring them to your literature class. Halle said your poetry is fantastic and you’re really bringing out the best in your students. Would that be okay to bring them by when you’re teaching?”
Gregory immediately nodded and beamed with pride. “Of course. I’m happy to help.”
“Fantastic.” She turned to Quinton. “They’ll be here during the second week of school. I know it’s hectic, but I’d like to have them attend the football game. They’ll sit with the boosters and get recognized at half time, but I’d like to introduce them to our local celebrity. Would that be fine with you?”
Quinton had two Pro Bowl rings, but he was far from being one of the most popular people in the league. “I’m not really a celebrity,” Quinton said.
“You’re close enough, and you’ve turned our team around. This will be a good boost to get us that final recognition. I want to show them the best of Peachtree Cove.”
Quinton shook his head. “I appreciate that, but I’m just a part of Peachtree Cove. Besides, I’m not good at interviews or anything like that.”
“Oh, don’t worry. In fact, the editor for the magazine was particularly interested when he learned you were the football coach. He said you two were old friends and he looks forward to learning more about what you’re doing in Peachtree Cove.”
Quinton frowned. He was pretty sure none of his friends worked for TravelMagazine. He only had a handful of good friends—a few from college, one or two from his days playing professionally and Brian and Cyril here in Peachtree Cove.
“Who is he?”
“Wait, let me check my email.” Miriam dug into her purse, pulled out her phone. “I’ve been dealing with one of the writers, but the editor reached out after we made the finals. Here it is. His name is Khris Simmons, with a K. He says you all went to high school together. Typically, the editor doesn’t come to town for this, but he’s coming to catch up with you. So, we definitely need you for this. Not only will it give the town a leg up, but you get to catch up with an old friend. Isn’t it great?”
Quinton’s stomach soured at the mention of the name. There was no way in hell he was going to play nice to the guy who’d made high school a living hell for him. Khris Simmons wasn’t his friend. He’d been Quinton’s bully.
“Why did he give me this?” Shania asked, confusion knitting her brows together.
Halle looked at the book on the table and smiled. “He knows you like the series and wanted to be nice.”
“Gregory doesn’t have to be nice to me,” Shania said.
“Do you want him to be mean?”
Shania sighed and plopped down in the chair. She frowned at the book. “No. It’s just... You two just started dating and that’s cool, because he wasn’t trying hard to get on my good side.” She poked the book. “This feels like trying to get on my good side.”
Halle hadn’t expected Gregory to show up today with Shania’s favorite book. Not after he’d said they needed to take a break. But he’d apologized for overreacting. Said he should have been more supportive of her and hoped she would give him another chance. She’d been surprised by how much she’d considered saying no, before reminding herself that this was good. This was what she wanted.
“Again, why is that a problem?”
Shania looked at Halle as if she should already know the answer. “He’s not my dad. He doesn’t need to be on my good side.”
“But he is the guy I’m dating. What’s wrong with him wanting to get on the good side of my daughter?”
“I don’t know. It just feels weird and sudden. I think it’s because of Coach Q.”
Halle hated how observant her daughter was sometimes. “What do you mean?”
“Well, now I have a dad and everyone knows. So he’s doing all this extra stuff he didn’t do before.” She motioned to the book on the table.
“Quinton being your father doesn’t mean Gregory shouldn’t do nice things. Wouldn’t you want the man I date to be nice to you?”
“Are you going to marry him?” Shania asked pointedly.
“I don’t know,” Halle answered quickly. “Maybe.” A few weeks ago, before this revelation, she would have said she wasn’t against the idea. She would have said Gregory was the perfect guy for her and she could see this growing into something serious. But a few weeks ago she’d looked at Gregory as the right guy for her and a good father figure candidate for Shania. Now she was having doubts. She hadn’t liked the way he’d acted during and after cousins’ day, but she could also see why he would have been confused and upset after learning about Shania’s relationship with Quinton.
Quinton’s filling the role of father didn’t mean he was going to fill any other role in her life. She’d gravitated toward Gregory, not Quinton before. Then he’d gone and thrown down the gauntlet with his “when you break up with him I’m stepping in” statement. She’d been shocked at his admission and surprised at how easily he assumed she and Gregory wouldn’t work out. Even if she now had to figure out what was going on with her and Gregory, she didn’t want Quinton’s words to influence her decision.
“Mom!” Shania’s voice broke into her thoughts.
Halle blinked and focused on her daughter. “Huh, sorry, what did you say?”
“I said you can’t be thinking about marriage right now.”
“Why not?”
Shania’s brows rose and she gave Halle a bewildered look. “Because of Coach Q.”
“What does he have to do with my decision to get married or not? I’m not marrying him.”
Shania waved a hand and scrunched up her face. “Eww... I’m not telling you to marry him either. I’m just saying. This is a lot. Can we get through one transition before we add another?”
Halle frowned. “I thought you wanted me to get married.”
Shania shrugged. “Yeah, one day. If you find the right guy, but not because you’re trying to find me a dad.”
“Who says I’m trying to find you a dad?”
Shania gave her a you can’t be serious look. “Mom, I know part of the reason why you’re interested in Gregory is because you want me to have a dad. But I don’t want any dad. I want my dad. Plus, you’ve shown me that it’s okay to be single. I’m not expecting you to just get with a guy out of obligation or something. You just started dating Gregory and my dad has popped up out of nowhere. Face it, Mom, your life is kind of jacked up.”
Halle shook her head and laughed. Shania’s straightforward way of thinking was more proof that she was her and Quinton’s child. “My life is not jacked up.”
“I’m just saying. Let’s figure out this thing with Coach Q before you let Gregory put a ring on it. I don’t think they like each other. And I kind of would like to get to know my dad without a potential stepdad making things worse.”
Shania’s request made sense, but it still surprised Halle. She would have expected her daughter to be into the idea of her and Quinton possibly dating. Except, she’d raised Shania to be self-sufficient and happy. She shouldn’t be surprised that this was her daughter’s response.
“How about you let me figure out my love life, but I promise to let you know if things get anywhere near serious enough to discuss marriage between me and Gregory.”
Shania nodded. “Cool.”
The doorbell rang and Shania’s face lit up. “That’s Coach Q.” She jumped up from the table, then stopped and turned around. “And...about Coach Q.”
“What about him?”
“I know you kind of wanted to be with Gregory because I asked about my dad a lot, well, now I know. I don’t expect you to marry Coach to try and make us a family either.”
Halle sucked in a breath. “Who said I’m going to marry him?”
“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t want you to. Not because of me. I’m good with just having him as my dad. Besides, he’s my coach. I don’t want to imagine you and him...” Shania shuddered. “You know.”
Heat filled Halle’s face. She pointed toward the front of the house. “Go answer the door.”
She followed slowly behind Shania as she considered her words. If Shania was so direct when it came to Gregory, of course she’d be the same with Quinton. Shania had never pushed her to find her a father; she’d just wanted answers about who her father was. Shania was right; Halle needed to get to know Quinton and see how he fit into their life, not rush into any situation.
She walked up just as Quinton came through the front door. His dark eyes met hers and he lifted his chin in acknowledgment. The words he’d spoken, the way he’d looked at her as if he couldn’t wait for her to say she was free of Gregory so he could pursue her, flashed through her mind and heated the blood in her veins. Halle tugged on the front of her shirt in a weak attempt to cool herself off.
“Thank you for coming by.” She said the first words that popped into her head.
“No need to thank me.”
Shania grinned. “Do you want to watch the University of Michigan game?” Shania asked.
Quinton frowned. “Why Michigan? I thought you’d want to watch Georgia.”
She shrugged. “We can switch to that one, too, but Michigan has a female graduate assistant coach. I started following them, too.”
“I heard about that. Yeah, we can watch the game. Whatever you want to do.”
Halle stepped forward. “I was thinking we could talk. Maybe discuss how this all works out and the ground rules.” This was their first official meeting as a family. They should lay out some rules.
Shania groaned and shook her head. “Mom, come on. Let’s just hang out. We’ve got time for that. Besides, the game is about to come on.”
Halle wanted to argue. She didn’t want Quinton here just hanging out. That made him more like family, and he wasn’t family. Not really. Not if she was establishing boundaries. Boundaries required a game plan and rules for how all of this would work.
She met Quinton’s eyes. His expression was neutral, yet she felt the judgment. The she can’t go with the flow and let things happen. She looked to Shania, whose eyes pleaded with her not to be Principal Mom as she sometimes called her.
Sighing, Halle nodded. “Fine, we can talk after the game.”