Page 13 of The Coach

“Ellis!” I hear from behind me, and Lincoln thankfully stops mid insult, turning to see who’s calling him. Cassie rolls her eyes at me.

“Coach,” Lincoln says respectfully as I turn to see Tanner walking up to our little group. “Coach, this is my sister, Micayla.”

Tanner smiles politely at me and holds out his hand. “Micayla, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I’m probably the only one who noticed an emphasis on “pleasure,” but I keep my expression polite and place my hand in his calloused one, catching a twinkle in his eye when I do. “Coach, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Please, call me Tanner.”

Lincoln pipes up, “Can I call you Tanner?”

“Absolutely not,” he replies firmly, not even sparing my brother a glance and holds his hand out for Cassie. “Tanner.”

“Cassie,” she replies before looking at me. “Ready to head out? I can spare time for one beer at the Mill before I need to head home to study.”

“Deal, let’s do it.” I turn back to Tanner and say, “Nice meeting you. If you’ll all excuse me, I’d like to go watch the Phantoms kick some Blue Jay ass.”

“Mickey, Coach Mitchum worked for the Blue Jays just before coming here,” Lincoln says, something of a warning in his tone.

“Hmm, did you?” He nods his head, and I smile. “Well, let’s hope you can keep this team in line a little better then, huh?”

A challenge if I’ve ever seen one rises in his irises, and I keep my reaction to myself, wanting to gloat with the excitement it brings to openly flirt with the man when no one knows what’s really happening.

This could either be dangerous or really, really fun.

“Is this seat taken?” a deep, husky voice comes from behind me as I take a sip of my beer and smile as I set it down.

As promised, Cassie stayed for a beer before abandoning me to ‘study’, though I knew it was really to read one of her books. The girl could pick up a six-hundred-page fantasy novel and be done with it within a day. It was insane.

I spin in my seat and take in the T-shirt and jeans that fit Tanner so perfectly well. I lean an elbow on the bar. “I suppose I’d be willing to give it up. To the right person, that is.”

“How about someone who would pay for your drinks the rest of the night?”

“Oh, Coach.” His eyes darken when I use the name. I think I’ll stick to it for now. “You must think I’m easy, huh?”

He laughs and leans down into my space. “Nothing about you is easy, but I’m up for the challenge.”

“We’ll see,” I retort and tip my head to the empty barstool beside me. Before he sits, though, he leans closer and presses a quick and gentle kiss to my lips, taking me by pleasant surprise.

It’s such an easy, effortless move that makes my heart flutter in my chest.

I clear my throat as a blush rises to my cheeks and watch him order himself a beer. He glances at the one in my hand and orders another for me. I smile at him.

“So, I didn’t keep the Blue Jays in line, huh?”

Oh, the male ego. Even at thirty-nine, they can still act like little boys.

I roll my eyes at him. “Were you even their leader?” I loved watching pro hockey, but I had only recently allowed myself to start watching it again, having quit for personal reasons that I didn’t want to dive into just yet.

“I put a lot of effort into the team,” he replies, his eyes roaming over my face. “But no, I wasn’t the head coach.”

I shrug and say, “My brother thinks you’re great. The consensus seems to be in your favor.”

“I’m glad they think so, it can all be a little…” He frowns as he thinks over his words, so I give him a little help.

“Overwhelming?”

He turns in his seat so his knees touch the outside of my thigh. I admit, some part of me would rather abandon drinks and find my way back to his place, but that’s something I’ve done in the past, abandoning the chase. And something about Tanner tells me that that’s not what this is.

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