Page 84 of Just One Kiss

“Do you have a number for him or something?” Josh asked.

“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t give out that information.”

The door to the office swung open and Cole strolled in. The woman behind the counter stood. “Hello there, Coach Turner. Been hearing great things about your team this year. And about you.”

Josh did a slow turn toward Cole, doing nothing to hide his amusement at this woman’s blatant admiration for his friend.

“Thanks, Joni. They’re shaping up,” Cole said. He stuck a hand out toward Josh. “Saw you through the window. Shouldn’t you be at the hospital?”

Josh shook his friend’s hand and glanced back at Joni, who clearly only had eyes for Cole. “Got a bone to pick with the ski coach.”

“The article?”

Josh nodded toward the door and Cole tipped his ball cap toward Joni. “See ya later,” he said, following Josh out into the hallway.

“What do you know about this guy?” Josh asked.

“Nothing,” Cole said. “He’s new.”

“I don’t know much, but I know Jaden’s pretty good on the slopes. How can he just write the kid off without any facts?”

“Calm down, slugger,” Cole said. “Nobody’s writing anyone off.”

“The article said the coach isn’t relying on Jaden to get the team where they need to go this year because with his current medical condition, it is unlikely the former phenom will ever be able to compete again.”

“Did you memorize it?”

“Look, the guy doesn’t have all the facts. I’ve done a lot of research, and there are lots of athletes competing with Jaden’s condition.”

“The doctor said—”

“Doctors can be wrong. Even good ones.” Josh shoved his hands in his pockets and caught a glimpse of Joni, inside the office, craning her neck for a better look at Cole. “What’s her story?”

Cole glanced at her then back at Josh, moving him farther down the hall and out of Joni’s line of sight. “She’s got a crush. So much worse now that Gemma left and I stopped wearing my wedding ring.”

“I think it’s cute,” Josh teased.

Cole rolled his eyes.

“I just want to have a little chat with Ted. Do you know where he lives?”

“That’s a bad idea,” Cole said. “Coaches hate that stuff. Just wait and see how it all plays out.”

“Look, I’m sitting over in that hospital staring at the wall. I need to do something. And Jaden needs a coach who believes he’ll be strong enough to compete this year.”

“It’s months away, dude,” Cole said. “There’s time for all that.”

“Just tell me where to find the guy, would ya? I just want to explain a few things that the doctor left out.”

“He’s in the athletic office,” Cole said after a long pause.

“Now?”

“Yeah, we have a fundraising meeting.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“Because you look like you’re about to do something stupid,” Cole said.

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