Page 1 of Blocking Her Love

one

Sean

“Again.”

The two women groan, give each other ‘who does this guy think he is’ looks, then move into position. I bite back my grin of satisfaction. “First to finish will be allowed a rest break.”

We’ve been going at it hard today, and both deserve a break. Which I will give them. A little encouragement to up the competition before a rest period should push them and their techniques to a new level. I study their positioning and give each a nod of approval. Determination to do well and exceed past efforts fill their expressions. Good.

I lift my stopwatch. “Go.”

A cloud of sand bursts behind each woman as they attack the training course. Each has a set of cones they need to circle low in order to slap the sand at each marker’s base. Then a sprint to the next cone. After a third they run back to the starting point.

I’ve been coaching my sister and her best friend for a few years and they’re on track to be chosen as one of the beach volleyball teams for the next Olympics. An honor for them, and for me. I know I’ve been pushing them hard, but a newcompetition has been added to the schedule and we need to be ready sooner than originally planned.

Early next week we’re headed to the first Love Beach Invitational in South Carolina. That will give us a couple weeks to experience the new venue and become accustomed to the practice sand before the actual matches begin. The first time a site hosts a tournament is often fraught with complications as the host city adjusts to the influx of teams, support personnel, and the amount of competition approved sand required.

“That’s it,” I call when they cross the line a split second apart. “Good work, ladies. And…” I chuckle when my sister, Maya, groans. She’s expecting me to give her another skill to work on since she came in behind Ellie.

“And that’s it for today. Cool down. Hydrate. I’ve got the list of entrants for Love Beach so we’ll start working on strategy after lunch.”

While they gather their towels and collect the cones, I attempt to focus on recording their times in a small notebook. I’d rather be watching Ellie. Keeping my head lowered, I lift my gaze against the glare of the sun on the sand.

Ellie has been my sister’s bestie since they met in college. Together they helped the university’s team win back to back national titles. At that time I was already playing on our national men’s volleyball team but tried to get to as many of their matches as I could.

When the university began to offer sand volleyball opportunities, it was natural for the two of them to team up. Shortly after their graduations, I decided to retire from playing and start coaching. The three of us hit the beach together. It’s been a rough, uphill battle and we’re on the edge of being considered one of the top, elite teams.

Unfortunately somewhere along the way, I’ve fallen for Ellie. As time passes it’s become increasingly more difficult to remainin my coach or best friend’s big brother roles. I physically ache with the need to change our relationship from friends to lovers. That’s a fucking bad idea while I’m her coach.

But I can’t stop watching her whenever she’s near. Watching and imagining what it would be like to hold her slim, athletic body against mine. How it would feel to kiss her. I shift my stance. My gym shorts aren’t good at disguising my physical reactions so I focus on mentally reciting a list of stats. I’m only partially successful. Thank god it’s enough.

Done with their cool down stretches, Ellie slips an oversized tee over her sports top and I hold back my sigh. Even covered in a shapeless garment, I can’t stop looking. Dreaming. Shit, I feel like a damn stalker.

I’ve gotten myself fully under control by the time they join me. I grab the cones from each of them, make one tall stack, and carry the load to my truck. After they toss in the bag of practice balls I lock the hard cover and we pile into the cab. Ellie takes her usual place in the back of the extended cab and I contemplate if there’s a subtle way I could get Maya to switch seats with her.

At least Ellie sits where I easily see her in the rear view mirror, making it difficult to keep my eyes on the road.

Fuck, I am stalking her.

“Lunch? Where to?” I ask before pulling out of the parking area.

Maya shakes her head. “We need to cut back spending since we don’t know how expensive everything’s going to be in Love Beach. We’ve got a ton of leftovers. Let’s work on those for lunch.”

Thankfully, Maya is a whiz when it comes to the financial concerns of the team. As much as I’d like to argue with her at times, she does make sure we always have a nice place to stay,proper nutrition, and of course the money for entry fees and training spaces.

Leaning forward as far as she can with her seat restraint, Ellie says, “I claim dibs on the pasta from Val’s.”

Ellie is the more easy going of the pair. Although she does have a mouth on her at times—which I adore. You never have to guess how she feels about something. She can be quite the tiger when she believes the refs made a wrong call and that’s gotten her a green card a few times. Unfortunately with that reputation, she’s called out for excess communication more than her fair share.

I give her a grin. “Good thing I didn’t eat that for a midnight snack then.”

She slaps my shoulder playfully. “You wouldn’t. I know you wouldn’t. Getting you to eat leftovers is almost as hard as getting Maya to shell out money for new uniforms.”

Maya crosses her arms. “We don’t need new gear. At least not this early in the season. Once we’ve moved up the rankings a little more…”

“I’m just teasing,” Ellie replies with a soft sigh. “A couple of sponsorships would help, too.”

Volleyball, beach or classic, is gaining in popularity and the scramble for sponsorships can be brutal. “Maya’s got that under control, don’t you, baby sister?”

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