“Yes, Coach.” The lot of them parroted back.
“Let’s go then.” I grabbed a clipboard and walked outside with the boys who loaded the equipment and water onto the golf cart for the field. Andy was going to love this.
I grabbed the cart keys and drove out to the field with a herd of boys trailing after me. I parked by the field house wishing I had some sweatpants and sneakers but like Payne said, this would be temporary, I hoped.
“Hey, check it out! Girls are running the track.” I heard one of the senior boys shout and glanced behind me. Sure enough about dozen girls were on the track running laps while a certain familiar femme fatal held up her stop watch.
I nudge the senior named Seth, “Isn’t it cross country season?”
“Oh yeah, but Coach Roberts, she brings them to the track twice a week for a track workout. We kind of like it.” Seth remarked and I saw a blush bloom on his cheeks under his summer tan. Yeah, I bet this horny kid liked it. Too bad I wasn’t permitting ogling of the young ladies currently sprinting around the track.
“Alright, listen up guys. I want you to partner up and show me your long throws. I know Coach Calloway probably had ideas about things, but for right now show me what you got.” I sent the teenage monsters out to the field while I watched them from the fifty yard line throw the ball back and forth. There would be time to see them run plays tomorrow, but for now I needed to settle in to this impromptu situation. I had a feeling tequila was frowned upon for first days but I needed something stronger than coffee and cocaine was still illegal last I checked.
“Coach!” I swung my head around and watched the current train wreck leave the station in slow motion. Fuck. Shit. Fuck.
“Kia!” I yelled across the field watching the object of my obsession turn just as one of the freshman boys took her out running backward to catch the stupid ball. One that I had asked them to throw back and forth so I could judge their passing skills. Fuck. Shit. Fuck.
I don’t make it in time to prevent the accident from happening nor can I erase the look of shock from her face as the kid twice her size takes her out. “Shit!” I grunt pushing myself to sprint harder. Pretty sure I didn’t even run that hard in boot camp.
“Collin get off me, please.” Kiara grumbled, but doesn’t get up.
I slide down on the field next her in my dress pants and start checking her over for broken bones. Panting with worry, I held her shoulder down immobilizing her. “Don’t move Kiara. You could be hurt.”
“I’m fine, David.” She snapped, but I’m focused on making sure she’s okay that I don’t listen. Kiara huffed and remained laying down on the ground. Our eyes meet and I saw the fire in the depths. She’s pissed at me, but I’m not sure why other than the fact that I had the boys do the ball exercise. My stomach rolled, but I don’t think that’s the source of her anger as the kids surround us.
“Should I radio for the trainer?” My junior linebacker pushed through the crowd next to me.
“She’s fine Gage.” A girl grabbed his arm pulling him back. They argued behind us, but the sound of my heart thumping hard drowned them out.
“Coach, your leg.” One of the girls kneeled next to her and Kiara patted her knee attempting to sit up while glaring at me.
“Let me look, I trained as a medic.” Impulsively, I grabbed the leg of her track pants that had little snap buttons and I popped them open gripping the fabric.
“Stop!” Kiara moved to swat me away. I’m quicker, stronger, and dumber once I see what she’s been hiding.
“Oh, Kiara.” Shock didn’t cover the stalling of my heart mixed with confusion and something else I couldn’t name. A few gasps behind me broke through and I started snapping those button right back up like a properly outraged Victorian era idiot afraid to see a bit of ankle or knee.
For the most, the kids don’t react at all. The girls made a protective semi-circle blocking out most of the boys and the senior football Co-Captains were already pulling the underclassmen back to the field.
“Are you done?” She ground out taking my hand reluctantly to get on her feet with my help. I realized if we’d been alone she would have dismissed me all together.
“I didn’t know.” What I should have said was sorry and left it alone. I reeled from the uncharted territory I felt I’d been parachuted into unexpectedly. It wasn’t that I was bothered by her prosthetic leg. I’d been around plenty of Vets during my service and found this unfortunately more common than I wanted. I was upset she hadn’t told me on Saturday night. It wouldn’t have changed anything I felt for her, but I would have been gentler. Wouldn’t I?
“Girls, finish your cooldown with a one mile jog and then you’re dismissed.” Kiara grabbed her clipboard and the girls did as she asked heading back out to the track.
“Can I drive you back to the building?” I jogged next to her and waved the boys off who stood between us and center fi
eld watching. They hadn’t taken a golf cart out to the field since they didn’t require additional equipment.
“What you can do is give me a moment.” She glanced behind me and I followed her line of vision. We were being watching by both the boys and girls intently.
“I’m really sorry. Clearly the freshman have some work to do.” I looked down at my wrinkled, grass stained pants and then back at her beautiful face. A smirk edged on the corner of her kissable lips and my gaze strayed there as I swallowed the dry lump in my throat.
“I should apologize also. It’s obvious things are awkward and we should probably talk about them at some point.”
I completely agreed with her. I had so many questions. All the intrusive inappropriate questions like when, how, and why.
“Boys!” I yelled and they came over surrounding us.