Page 49 of Crossing the Lines for Love

“I know, but that doesn’t mean you had to hire me. Thank you.”

“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, but you’re welcome. Now, let’s get outta here.”

“You did all that damn sneaking around, and the head coach already knew?” Montrell asked.

“Not the whole time, but he was on to us at some point. I would’ve never guessed that him and his wife had a similar experience.”

Before I made it home after leaving my office, Montrell called and asked me to meet him at Soulful Diner. I refused, but I figured it would be safe when he confirmed with one of Niko’s co-workers that he wasn’t working.

“You never know what others have been through. What do you plan to do now that you’ve kinda gotten the okay?”

“Coach wants me to chill until the end of the season. Niko’s play has been next level, and he wants him to stay focused.”

“Oh, so he basically said you’re a distraction.”

“That’s not what he said. Niko hasn’t had a bad game this season. He’s just playing with a little more…I don’t know…grit.”

“Are you gonna ask him about the woman you saw him with?”

“Coach thinks it was his son’s mother.”

“Interesting. Are you concerned?”

“Not really.”

“I guess nothing but the end of the season is standing in the way of you and your man having your happily ever after.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

We wereone point and forty-five seconds from moving on to the championship game. The score was tied, and I cradled the ball as I ran down the field, dodging defenders on my left and right. When I made it to the crease, I shot the ball. The goalie dived, but it whipped right underneath him, and I scored the goal.

“Yeah!” I shouted as my teammates cheered.

The opposing team ran out of timeouts, but we were only up by one, and anything could happen in thirty seconds. We faced off and, unfortunately, didn’t gain possession of the ball.

“Let’s go, defense,” I shouted.

We moved down the field toward our goal, and I body-checked the player cradling the ball. He tried to feed the ball to one of his teammates, but it didn’t connect and fell to the ground. Reid scooped it up and changed directions.

The clock seemed to move in slow motion, but we used the time left to move down the field toward the opposing team’sgoal. I’d never been more relieved than when the clock struck zero, and the referees blew the whistle.

To the championship game we go.

“We still have one more game to go, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t give Coach Randi her flowers,” Coach Crawford announced, eliciting cheers from the team.

It had been almost two hours since we’d won the semifinal game on the road. Everyone was still on a high as we waited for the pizzas to be served. Luckily, we were the only customers in the restaurant because we were loud and obnoxious.

“Coach Randi, you’ve been a wonderful addition to the team. I mean no disrespect to Coach Lisle, but you’re exactly what this team needed. Give it up for the missing link, fellas!”

I kept my eyes on Aranda as cheers and applause surrounded her. Even after being on the sidelines for hours, coaching us into the championship game, her beauty shined bright.

“Speech, speech, speech!” everyone urged until she stood.

“Y’all are singing a much different tune than you were the first few weeks of practice,” she began.

“Aww, come on, Coach Randi. That’s old news,” Patrick said.

“And fortunately, I don’t hold grudges. However, while I appreciate the love, I won’t be giving any speeches until we win the championship.”

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