22. Chapter 22
Cole
Joanne Everest stared at me from behind her desk. Her eyes said she remembered every prank I’d ever played in high school, and she was holding it against me.
“Cole Hart,” she said, spinning a pencil between her fingers. “I never thought you’d be coming to me, asking for a job.”
I gave a tight smile. “Funny the way the world works.”
“Why do you want to work here?”
“You know I’m great at football. I know it inside and out. I helped get the team to the championship two years in a row. I’ve been away from Lansing Falls for a while, and I decided it was time to come back.”
She tapped the pencil on her bottom lip. “And you think that’s reason to hire you?”
Joanne wasn’t growing on me anymore than she had in high school.
“I know the job. I’ve been working as a trainer, so I know how to help get the boys into shape. I know the game.”
“Knowing how to do something and teaching it aren’t the same thing.”
“No, it’s not. But I can do it.”
She pursed her lips. “I’m going to be honest with you, Cole. I hate sports. I hate that they have to be at my school. I don’t care if we go to the championships. Sports are a waste of time, money, and resources.”
“That’s an opinion.”
“And as principal, my opinion counts.”
“You can’t get rid of sports.”
“No, but I don’t have to push for improvement either.”
“Are you hiring a coach or hoping no one will take the job?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I have to hire a coach. And what about math? Are you going to be able to teach that?”
“Yes. I have a degree in math. It’s on that paper in front of you.”
“But you haven’t used it. You’ve only worked at a gym since college.”
“I’m not old. It’s not like college was that long ago. How did you get to be principal so fast?”
She smiled. “I graduated from high school with my associate degree and flew through college with my scholarships. No family money needed. I don’t like you coming in and getting a job because your grandma is Vera Hart.
“Look, Joanne—”
“Principal Everest,” she corrected.
I rolled my eyes. “Look, I know you don’t like me. That’s your privilege. You need a coach and a math teacher. I’m good at both. Holding a grudge from high school is petty. Especially since I never did anything to you.”
“Not me personally, but all the Harts like to think they own Lansing Falls. It gets old.”
I wasn’t going to mention that my grandma actually did own a good chunk of it. I didn’t think that would help me right now.
“I never acted like I owned the town. Was I cocky? Maybe. But that had nothing to do with my family’s money. That was just me as a teenager.”
Her eyes scanned me. “You still look cocky.”
This was why I never liked Joanne.
“If you don’t want to hire me, let’s make this less painful and end here.”
She took a deep breath. “The last coach was all in. Would you be?”
“You know I would.”
“He took care of all the behind-the-scenes work, and his wife ran the pep club. She also did the after-game parties. I’m not taking on any of that. How are you going to deal with that, being as single as you are?”
“I’m not single. I just got married.”
Her brow rose in surprise. Was it really a shock that I’d get married? “Is your wife going to take over those responsibilities?”
I swallowed. “Can I talk to her?”
She peered at me through her glasses. “I don’t have time. This needs to be settled right now. Is she in or out?”
I pictured Sadie asking me not to make it real.
“In. She’s in.”
“Great. You start Monday.”
“Monday? Don’t I have to meet with the district?”
“No.” She looked a little irritated. “They said to hire you if you were willing.”
I nodded. That meant the district had faith in me. Or no one else was interested. That was probably it.
“Your wife can start Monday as well.”
“Start what?”
“Pep club meets after school. Three sharp in the gym.”
I’d just gotten my dream job. And possibly wrecked my brand-new marriage in the same sentence. What was Sadie going to say? I’d just volunteered her for free labor. What if she hated pep club? I sure did. And after-game parties?
This was the kind of thing my sister Lainee would thrive on. It didn’t feel like Sadie, but what did I know? Alyssa said Sadie had changed a lot in the last year. Maybe she would find her fun side again.
I was trying to make myself feel better. Sadie might hate me for volunteering her.
When I got home, everything was quiet. I walked around trying to find anyone.
“Hey, Neil,” I said when I found him in the hall. “Any idea where I can find… anyone?”
“Tiffany took Alyssa to get her nails done, and Sadie is upstairs, I believe.”
“Thanks.”
I ran upstairs and found her in my room. She sat on the bed reading.
“How did it go?” she asked, putting the book down.
“I got the job.”
She smiled. “Congratulations.”
I tried to smile. “Thanks.”
“What’s wrong?”
I sat next to her. “There was a condition to getting the job.”
“Oh?”
“I guess the last coach’s wife used to run the pep club and the after-game parties.”
She blinked, and her smile disappeared. “Oh.”
“I might have volunteered you to do the same.”
“Uh, isn’t the pep club the wannabe cheerleaders who chant at games? Because I’m the farthest thing from a cheerleader there is.”
“I’m sorry. I wanted the job so badly, and—”
“No, no. It’s fine. I might not be good at it, but I might as well. I mean, I don’t even have a job at the moment.”
The panicked feeling left my chest. “If you need pointers, Nayvee might help. She was a cheerleader once upon a time.”
She smiled again, but it wasn’t hitting her eyes. She didn’t want to do it. Being willing and wanting to do something were two different things. But I needed her. If she helped me until she found a job, that might be enough. That might give me time to settle in, and then I could take over for her.
The thought of leading the pep club cheers made me shiver.
“Are you sure this is okay?” I asked.
She grinned. “Sure. A few assemblies and parties, not a problem.”
“You aren’t lying to me and secretly plotting my demise?”
She laughed. “Not at all. I want to be helpful. I’m not really one to sit around doing nothing.”
Relief flooded me. “Thanks Sadie. You’re the best.”
“I know,” she teased.
“You didn’t go to get your nails done?”
She cringed. “Nope. Your mom and Alyssa have become fast friends.”
“That’s so weird. Mom doesn’t usually take to people.”
“She wants us to move into the house next to Dax and leave Alyssa here.”
My eyes narrowed. “She wants her to live here?”
“No, just to stay for a week or two until we get settled. I guess she wants us to have time alone…” She glanced out the window. “I didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t sound suspicious.”
“If Alyssa’s okay with it, I think that’s fine.” Did I want alone time with Sadie? Of course I did. It might make the ‘friends first’ time go faster, and boy did I want it to go faster.
“I feel funny leaving her,” she muttered.
I sat on the bed next to her and put my arm over her shoulders. “She’ll be fine. And if she isn’t, she can call you.”
Sadie nodded. She also didn’t lean into me, which I was a little disappointed about. Forget the little. I was completely disappointed. Even more so when she stood.
“What about the gym?” she asked.
“Gym?”
She raised her brow. “You trying to buy the gym?”
“Oh! Right. I need to make some calls, but let’s go check out the house first. See if we actually want to live there.”
“Sounds good.” She sat on the floor and pulled on her shoes. “How are you going to teach school and run the gym?”
“I’m thinking of hiring a gym manager if I’m able to buy it.” I smiled as an idea came to me. “Do you want to manage it? I mean, you already know how to do a lot of the stuff. Then you would have something to do when you weren’t doing pep club stuff.”
She seemed very focused on her laces. “I suppose I could do that. I’m not sure I’m qualified, though.”
“I can help you get it all figured out.”
“Great.”
This was perfect. It was as if all my dreams were materializing at once.