Page 65 of Just Like Home

“I’m not sure I want to know,” Hildy said.

But Charlotte definitely did. She raced outside and into the yard, wondering if whatever was going on might finally give her a peek into the man who had proven to be a mystery.

* * *

Cole hadn’t expected Asher to take the game from friendly to serious, but maybe the kid had more aggression to work off than he let on.

They’d been in the middle of a play when Asher barreled into Cole out of nowhere, knocking the wind out of him. Cole pushed Asher off of him and stood.

“What was that about?” he asked—and not quietly. “We’re not playing rough with the other kids around, Ash.”

Asher stood and scrambled off in the other direction, not responding.

“Asher.” Cole followed him.

“What’s the matter, Coach, you can’t handle it?” Asher shoved him square in the chest.

Cole stumbled back but quickly righted himself. “You’re forgetting yourself, son.”

“What do you want, Coach? Why are you here? You think you can bully me into coming back to the team—I told you I’m done.”

Cole frowned. “That’s not why I’m here.”

“Asher, knock it off.” Steve put a hand on Asher’s arm, and the kid shook it off.

“Watch it,” Cole warned.

“Or what?”

Cole reminded himself that Asher was angry—and not at him—not really. He’d seen this kind of behavior a hundred times. Heck, he’d had the same mad-at-the-world attitude when he was Asher’s age.

“What are you doing?” Cole took a step closer to him, and Asher moved away. “What’s this really about?”

“I’m sick of you, that’s what.”

“That’s fine,” Cole said. “I can go. But if I hear one word of you treating Steve and Hildy like you’re treating me right now, you will live to regret it.”

Asher scoffed. “You don’t scare me.”

Cole grabbed him firmly by the front of the shirt. “Well, I should.”

Asher pulled away from Cole’s grasp, breathing heavy. “What do you care, anyway? I’m off the team. I’m not your problem anymore.”

“You think that matters to me?” Cole shouted. “The only thing that matters is that you’re doing what’s best for you, and right now, this isn’t it.”

“Yeah, right,” Asher said. “The only thing that matters to you is that I come back and play so you have a chance of winning games.”

“Wrong,” Cole said. “Do I think you should? Yeah. I think you’re making a huge mistake. I think you’ve got potential. I think you’re a leader—and I know you could be a great quarterback. But that’s not the only thing that matters to me.”

“Yeah, so what is?”

Cole’s heart worked overtime in his chest. He willed his breathing to steady. “You, Ash. Look, I get it. I know how hard it is to ask, but sometimes we all need a little help.”

“Like you do, Coach?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Asher turned away, then shook his head. “Forget it.”

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