Page 95 of Ready to Score

She tightened her arm around his waist, hoping to provide some type of support during his emotional moment. He smiled down at her—eyes watery and so sincere it took her breath away.

“Hell,” he huffed, laughing to himself. “This team has given me more than I have the words to speak about and damn sure more than I deserve. But it’s time for me to move on… It’s time for some new blood to come in and shake shit up.”

There was a sudden whoop that came from the crowd, and Jade recognized it immediately. Cutting her eyes to where her small group was standing, she saw Miri screwing her face up in some type of goofy, contrite look. Next to her, Aja looked mortified. It was an incredibly ridiculous exchange, but something about it immediately made Jade relax a little. In an instant, she was reminded that she wasn’t actually up there alone. Not physically or spiritually. Her people were right there, all around her. Her eyes flitted around the room, full of faces that she may have only been vaguely familiar with butwho looked at her with nothing but pride in their eyes. The man with his arm around her most of all.

“I know y’all have spent months speculating on my retirement, trying to guess who was going to fill my spot when it happens. But what are the kids saying now? If you know, you know, right? Anybody who’s paid any attention the past few years can see the choice clear as day,” he said, looking down at her again. “The second Jade Dunn walked into my office and told me she wanted to coach football, I knew she was going to do great things. And once I saw her on that field with those players, I knew she was going to take my job one day. She’s strong and driven, she commands respect, and most of all, she loves those kids. It’s been an honor to mentor her and an even bigger one to pass my torch along.”

By now, Landry was clearing his throat in an effort not to cry in earnest, and Jade was blinking her own tears back rapidly.

“Thank you, Coach,” she said through shaky breaths. “Thank you so much.”

“Give us a speech!” someone yelled in the crowd, prompting everyone else to chant, “Speech, speech, speech!” until she sighed deep and conceded.

“Um, I’m not good at giving speeches,” she said. “Definitely not as good as Landry is, so don’t expect too much from me, please.”

“We believe in you!” This time, it was Franny’s voice that rang out through the crowd.

Jade immediately locked eyes with her girlfriend. Her gaze was lusciously brown and deeper than anything else in the world, and Jade let herself get lost in it until her heartbeat began to slow and her hands stopped shaking. Even when she finally started speaking, she kept her eyes on Franny. Using the other woman as an anchor.

“Honestly, I don’t even know what to say. My heart is so full right now, I just… I can’t possibly express it all. I’d be lying if I saidI haven’t been working toward this. Anybody who knows me knows that I’ve been trying to take Landry’s job for years now.” Thankfully, that garnered her more than a few laughs. “But wanting something can only do so much when there are systems at play not built with you in mind. Or maybe even ones that are built to keep you out. I’m the first woman to ever hold a coaching position on this team, and I’ll be the first Black woman to hold the title of head football coach in this county. That means something to me. It means everything, really.

“I used to think that it was enough for me to get what I wanted, but I’ve realized recently that it isn’t enough. Not nearly. It means the world to me to be given this opportunity. And I’m going to seize it by leading our team to many more wins. But I’m also going to foster an environment where the good ol’ boys club doesn’t dictate who participates in this beautiful sport. I don’t know exactly what that’s going to look like yet, or even how we’re going to get there. But I see the vision, and I believe in it. And one thing you should know about me is I’m stubborner than a mule and a harder worker by far. I’m going to work hard for these players and this team, and I expect you all to hold me accountable to that. That’s… that’s all.”

She went to move to the side but remembered herself. “Wait, one more thing… Francesca, I know you think I don’t know, but I cannot wait to keep sharing those sidelines with you. You’re a hell of a coach, and watching you work inspires me every day. You always have a place with me on my team.Ourteam.”

When Jade finally dragged her gaze away from Franny’s so she could see all the faces in the room, she noted plenty of apprehension along with joy. That was to be expected. She’d just announced some big shake-ups, and even the people who weren’t necessarily “good ol’ boys” tended to feel more comfortable with the way things had always gone.

That was all right. She’d already shown them once that she could get the job done. She had no problems showing them again. And again. And again. And again, if that was what it took. She was here now. She had her team, and she had her title. Which meant that she also had plenty of time.

In an instant, she was up in Landry’s arms, taking in the scent of Old Spice and Astroturf.

“Who said you were bad at giving speeches, huh?” he asked when he finally pulled away. “You might have missed your calling. You could write for the president or something.”

Jade curled her top lip. “I’d rather clean cleats for the rest of my life than do that.”

“Oh, trust me, girl, you’ll spend plenty of time doing that too with this job.”

“I’ll just make one of my underlings do it now that I’m in charge.”

Landry laughed deep in his belly. “Good luck with that. You’re going to get someone just like you who won’t let your shit slide.”

Jade peeked over her shoulder to spot Franny talking to her parents. Her heart filled even more, and the smile on her face grew to show it. “I might have already found her.”

“Mm-hmm.” Landry smirked. “I’m so proud of you, kid. You have no idea.”

“I think I do, Coach. I wanted to thank you again for holding me accountable, for giving me all the support I could possibly handle. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to do this without your guidance.”

“You won’t have to,” he said, tone firm. “I’m right here, Jade, right across town. I may not be a coach anymore, but I’m still Greenbelt’s biggest fan. I told Carla we had to hold off on the schooner until we know what we’re doing, but we got ourselves a little dinghy we’re taking up to Rhode Island in a few weeks. I don’t know whenwe’ll be back yet, but if you need me, call me. I mean that. You hear me?”

“Yes, sir,” she said. “I will. I promise. Just try to enjoy being retired, all right?”

“Enjoy being retired, my ass,” he scoffed, putting a hand on the side of her head. “Go kiss your girl, Coach. You’ve earned it.”

She didn’t need to be told twice either. Ten steps forward and she was taking Franny in her arms, dipping her at the waist, and laying one on her that was a mite inappropriate for mixed company.

And who could blame her? She was on top of the world.

Epilogue

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