Page 65 of Full Coverage (Boys of Fall)

She shrugged. “He tried working here. The distraction thing ruined the book.”

Coach shook his head. “Not possible.”

“I promise you, that’s exactly what happened. The book he wrote while he was with me isn’t the one his editor wanted.”

“Oh, well, that’s different from ruined,” Coach said. “The things a person does when they’re in love are the best things they ever do. Especially when it comes to being creative. How do you think romance novels and love songs and poetry happen? Without love, the most beautiful things in the world would have never been created.”

She shook her head, but couldn’t help her smile. She loved this guy. He was one of the toughest men she’d ever met. He could chew ass, yell, and rant better than anyone. She’d seen him yell at a ref, one inch from the other guy’s nose. She’d seen him throw clipboards, water jugs, helmets and a hundred other things halfway across a football field. But he was also one of the sweetest, most loving men she knew. Because he got people. He really got them. And he always believed the best of them.

“He’s in San Antonio, finishing the book, because he’s obligated to do it,” she said. “He has a contract and he’s not the type to back out. He made a promise to them and he’ll honor that. And he has to be there, because when he’s here with me, he wants to write something…different. I understand.”

“You understanding doesn’t mean he shouldn’t apologize to you.”

She swallowed. “Yeah. Maybe.”

“I want you to know, if you realized you didn’t really love him when you saw how he acts under pressure, I get it.”

Randi straightened away from the car. “No. That’s not it. I do love him. He was a jerk, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about him.”

“But he hasn’t said he’s sorry.”

“No. But…” She didn’t have an excuse for him. “No, he hasn’t.”

Coach nodded. “He will.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, cuz I’m gonna chew his ass and tell him to.”

Randi shook her head. “You can’t do that. He has to mean it.”

“Oh, honey,” Coach said, putting his hand on top of her head. “If I didn’t know he’d mean it, I wouldn’t tell him to do it.”

Randi pulled in a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Good.” Coach pulled his keys from his pocket and started around to the driver’s side of the truck.

He opened the door and Randi shook herself. “What? You came over here today and went through all of that just to tell me he was going to be apologizing?”

Coach turned back, his hand gripping the edge of the door. “No. I came over here to let you know that I love you for loving a jackass and that I know that ain’t easy.”

She smiled in spite of herself. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“But you know it anyway, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

He gave her a wink and got into his truck. But before he shut the door she called, “Those wiper blades aren’t free you know.”

“How much?” he asked with a grin.

She ran her gaze over the car. “Three hundred and fifty-two and thirty-one cents.”

He chuckled. “Wow.”

“That’s twelve thirty-one for the blades, forty for labor and three hundred for annoying me.”

He nodded. “Put it on my bill.”

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