Page 82 of Worth the Try
Frankly, it’s impressive, and I can’t decide if her ability to make it happen is something I should be terrified of or not. What Idoknow is that, despite me being nervous as hell to explain about Lauren, she took the news pretty well, all things considered. She’s known that most kids have two parents, and that we were different because the woman who had her decided to give her to me. Which is a hard enough message to send without making Rosie feel unwanted. I took it farther this time, explaining that I’d heard from the woman who’d given her to me, and that she wanted to know how Rosie was doing. Rosie, of course, wanted to know what I told her, and I responded that I’d been truthful: that Rosie was a monster who ate bugs for breakfast. She seemed to take it in stride, and with each new question she’s lobbed at me about it, I’ve been able to answer.
We haven’t seen or heard anything from Lauren, though, and if there’s anything to truly be worried about, it’s that. It’sinfuriating. I should be happy. I should be fuckingecstatic.Instead, I can’t stop the low-grade anxiety that runs through my every waking moment.
It gets worse when Coach texts me for a Sunday afternoon meeting at the Granite headquarters. He won’t tell me what it’s about, only that I need to be there.
When I walk into the conference room he told me to go to, I’m faced with an entire team of people: not just Coach, but the assistant coach Craig, the president and owner of the team, a woman who looks suspiciously like a lawyer, and Kari and her boss.
“Ansel, have a seat.” Coach gestures to the table.
“What’s going on?” I don’t bother sitting.
“It’s not bad,” Kari says, ignoring the look of consternation her boss gives her. She inclines her head to the empty chair.
I approach it like I’m coming up on a wounded animal, swiveling it out and easing into the cool black leather. “Is anyone going to start talking?”
“Coach Boden is leaving,” Scott Bland, the owner, says.
I frown in confusion and surprise.
“And I’m taking Craig with me,” Coach adds. “We’re heading to Europe. Team over there made me an offer I can’t refuse.”
“You telling everyone on the team individually?” I try to joke.
Mr. Bland folds his hands on the table, and I realize that all of them are in suits. Even Kari is polished, her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and she’s wearing a deep yellow suit jacket.
“We’d like you to be the interim head coach,” the owner says.
I lean back in the chair and bark out a laugh. “Me? That’s hilarious. You can’t possibly be serious.”
“They’re serious, Miles,” Coach says.
But there’s no way. “I’ve never coached,” I tell the table. “Ever. I don’t know the first thing about it.” My head pounds,uncertainty pumping through me. A glass of water is pushed my way, and I take it, gulping it down.
“I’ll get you up to speed,” Coach continues. “We’ll spend the next week going over everything before I leave.”
“You’re leaving in a week?” I nearly yelp the words. “How long have you known?”
Kari’s boss, Frank, leans forward. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that everyone at this table believes you’re the man for the job.”
“But—” I start.
“It’s just until we find a replacement.” Mr. Bland raises his palms as if he’s trying to calm me down. “It won’t be too long. Maybe a month.”
“No way,” I protest. “This is ridiculous.I don’t coach.I have never been a coach. I am the last?—”
“We’re at a critical point here. Contracts are going out in a couple of days, and we need to keep the team focused while we get someone in place. You’re the team captain. You’ve run practices. You know the drills. You can coach the team in your sleep, even if you don’t know it.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. Since when does the team president know this much about me? Since now, I suppose.
He keeps going. “Everyone looks up to you.”
My head is spinning. And even though I think this is the dumbest thing they could possibly do, I’m already strategizing. Looking for a way to maximize this opportunity for the team. “Have you decided who’s getting renewed? Which tryouts are staying?”
“We thought you might want to have a say in that,” Coach offers. “Since Craig and I won’t be here.”
My eyes nearly bug out. “There’s an exhibition game in two weeks. You truly haven’t put anyone oncontracts?”
“It’s been…things have been up in the air,” Mr. Bland says. “We made sure to pay the boys for the summer intensive you’re single-handedly responsible for,” he intones, as if it’s my fault, “but we’ve been tied up with other pressing matters.”
