Page 140 of The Path to Loving Him
I fold my arms across my chest and nod. “Yes, I know this isn’t what you expected when you signed up for sixth-period baseball, but this is what we’re offering. We want to finesse your skills and build you up so when spring comes, we can be ahead of everyone else. Which means putting in the work every day like you did today. Bring it in.” We all put our hands in a circle, and I say, “Almond Bay on three. One. Two. Three.”
“Almond Bay,” everyone chants. The boys take off, and the seniors dictate who has to pick up the equipment. I remain on the field with Gabby standing next to me.
“How did I do?” she asks, sounding unsure.
I keep my eyes on the boys and their trailing backs.
“Fucking phenomenal,” I say. From the corner of my eye, I can see her bright smile.
“Seriously?”
I turn this time to look at her and stick my hands in my pockets so I don’t do something like . . . touch her, hug her, kiss her. “Yeah, Gabby, that was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Were you doing that with Bennett?”
“Yeah. Constantly.”
“No wonder his goddamn feet are so quick.”
She laughs. “Yeah, it was important for me to show him how vital it is at third base to have quick feet, quick reactions. I think that serves all positions.”
“Well, you really impressed. And the boys, you could see it in their eyes how much they respected you. I wasn’t sure how they were going to accept a female coach, but you didn’t even take a second to let them establish an opinion. You were in their face, telling them what to do right off the bat and then sandwiching that in with positive feedback. Hell, I think I could learn a thing or two from you.”
“Now you’re just reaching.”
I shake my head. “I’m not. I mean it.”
She fully turns to me, her eyes studying me up and down. “Are you just saying nice things because I’m mad at you?”
“Are you still mad at me?”
“Annoyed is more like it.”
I nod, understanding. “Trust me, Gabby. I’m annoyed with myself as well.”
“Great, that makes two of us.” She starts heading toward the dugout, but I grab her arm to stop her.
When she looks over her shoulder at me, I say, “I wouldn’t say shit just to make you happy with me again. I meant every word I said.”
“Okay,” she says, freeing herself of my grip. “Thank you.”
Then with that, she takes off toward the dugout without another word.
Chapter Twenty-One
GABBY
Knock. Knock.
I look up from my desk, where I’m eating lunch today, and see Christian standing in the doorway.
“Is it okay for me to come in?”
“Of course,” I say.
He holds up his lunch. “And join you?”
I smile. “You don’t even have to ask. Pull up a chair.”
With that cute smile, he grabs my spare chair and moves it over to my desk, where he takes a seat and starts unpacking his lunch.
