Page 76 of Catching the Coach
I make my way to the island and grab a pretzel out of the bag. Kessler holds the peanut butter jar out to me and I take a healthy scoop out of it and shovel it into my mouth.
“Oh, hey, did you see the new pictures Mom put up?” Hudson asks Kessler before shoving another pretzel in his mouth.
“Mo. What ‘ictures?” Kessler says around a mouth full of food.
Hudson hops down from his chair and walks over to our picture wall. There’s three new additions to the growing collection. He points at the pictures I added last week. “These ones.”
Kessler follows him over and looks at the ones he’s pointing to. The first one is of us at Hudson’s tournament, the one Kessler surprised us at. The second one is the picture we took of all three of us when we announced our relationship. And the third, well, that one is my favorite. It’s the picture I didn’t know was being taken, and it’s gone a bit viral. Someone put a caption with the picture saying “Get you a man who looks at you like you’re his last meal.”
Kessler’s eyes land on the last picture and he looks back at me, heat in his gaze. I drop my gaze, feeling my cheeks heat. “I, uh, gave your mom copies of them when we were there Sunday.”
Hudson and I went to Sunday dinner at Kessler’s parent’s house, even though he wasn’t there, and it wasn’t awkward one bit. Marlene welcomed us with open arms and never looked back, unlike my parents.
As if he knows what I’m thinking, Kessler comes over to where I’m standing, my eyes shoot to him, following his movements. He stops next to me and leans his hip on the island. Grabbing a handful of pretzels out of the bag, he pops one in his mouth. He finishes chewing and swallows. “I’ve noticed I haven’t seen any pictures of your parents anywhere,” he says quietly.
I look over his shoulder at Hudson, who has made his way into the living room and is starting up his game system, then back at him and shake my head. “I’ll talk to you about that later,” I whisper back.
Kessler nods and leans down, giving me a peck on the cheek. He heads over to the couch and plops down next to Hudson, grabbing the extra controller off the coffee table and challenging Hudson to a race.
“Oh hey, I forgot to mention, I’m taking you out tonight. Hud, you ok with hanging out with your Aunt Kara and Kade for dinner tonight?”
Hudson shrugs and gives a mumbled answer too immersed in his game. Kessler gives me a wink while I stare at him dumbfounded.
“I already cleared it with Kara. You have an hour to get ready, but you’re so beautiful you won’t need an hour.” He gives me a wink before turning back to the screen.
I shake myself out of my shock. “Uh, what. What should I wear?”
Kessler looks over his shoulder at me from the couch. “Whatever you want, Coach. It’s casual.”
I laugh and shake my head. Men are always so helpful in that department. Grabbing my phone I hit Kara’s contact.
“Girlfriend,” Kara says in greeting.
“Girl, casual date night clothes–aaand go.”
* * *
We’re in Kessler’s truck heading downtown, but that’s the extent of my knowledge of where he’s taking me.
After talking to Kara we decided on a cute pair of cream safari shorts and a sage green tank top, since it’s finally getting warm enough to wear such things and not freeze my tits off. I decided to finish it with a simple pair of strappy sandals. Kessler is dressed similar in a pair of dark-gray cargo shorts that make his catcher’s ass look biteable and a soft-gray shirt that make his moss green eyes pop.
“You gonna tell me where we’re going yet?”
He looks over at me and gives me a wink. Reaching across the console, he grabs my hand and places a kiss on my knuckles, sending shivers up my arm. “Nope. But we’ll be there soon.”
I take my hand back and cross my arms giving him a little hmph, pretending to pout.
Kessler chuckles. “As much as I love seeing those pouty lips, I’d like to see them somewhere else, but that’s not on the agenda right now, Coach.”
I can feel my cheeks heat at the suggestion. Even though he’s talked dirty to me several times, I still blush when I hear them come out of his mouth.
We make a turn and I notice we’re at the exit to the stadium. Turning, I look at Kessler. “Are we going to the field?”
He replies with a smirk and nothing else.
We pull into the player’s lot and Kessler hops out of the truck. He walks around the front and opens my door, holding out his hand. I take it and hop down. Hitting the lock, he keeps my hand in his and leads me towards the entrance. “Why are we here? Did you forget something in your locker?”
“You’ll see.”
