Page 34 of Keeping the Single Dad
Skylar dumped her carryall by the lockers and swiveled to weigh me with narrowed eyes. “I heard you’re not playing on Saturday. I need you on the pitch. What did you do now?”
My throat tightened. I turned my attention back to my locker. Of course Skylar would assume I’d done something. “Talk to Claire. It’s her decision.”
Skylar pounded her fist against the locker. The harsh clang against metal made my teeth grit. “This is bollocks. We can’t do it without you.”
“Get used to it. If Claire gets her way, she’s going to put me on the transfer list.”
Skylar’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
My chest ached. This is where it was ending, wasn’t it? Claire wanted me out of here. “Claire’s pissed off about the argument I had in the stadium. It was some idiot kicking off, and it got out of control. It looks bad for the club.”
Skylar fiddled with the silver bar in her eyebrow then tossed her purple hair in a gesture of defiance. “If you go, then I go.”
Despite the situation, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the stubborn tilt of Skylar’s chin. “Don’t be ridiculous. This doesn’t affect you. It’s my mess. They’ll get someone in to replace me.”
“No one could ever replace you.” Skylar placed a hand on each of my shoulders and pressed her forehead to mine. “We’ll sort this out. I’m not going to lose you, okay? We got into this league as a team and we stay a team through thick and thin.”
A warm glow lit me. Sometimes it felt as though things with Skylar would never go back to normal, but it wasn’t true. She still had my back. I sighed and tied my damp hair into a ponytail. I couldn’t leave this team. I’d never find another captain like Skylar. We’d been through so much to get here. How could I prove to Claire that I was worth keeping around? I had to make this right. Alex’s words drifted to my mind. He’d talked about showing my commitment through actions. Maybe there was something I could do.
“Do you know anything about the club outreach work? How would I get involved in that?”
Skylar laced her purple football boots. “There’s a guy that runs it. Geoff, I think. You can ask him.”
“I might give it a go. What do you reckon?”
She beamed and squeezed my shoulder again. “Sounds like a plan. I’ve got your back all the way. Don’t give up. I’m not letting you go. I can’t do any of this without you.”
Chapter 18
Lana
Abarrageofchildren’slaughter hit me on the approach to the school gates. I pulled my coat tighter and hovered at the entrance to the playground. The little brick school lay beyond a tall iron fence. My stomach churned with a rush of unexpected nerves. Part of me wanted to turn around and run. Why was I nervous about talking to a bunch of kids? It could be fun, couldn’t it? What if I didn’t know what to say? What if it was a total disaster?
“Lana?” The deep Scottish voice sent a tremor through me.
Alex towered over me. He eyed me with trepidation and pulled his team jacket tight against the wind.
I swallowed hard and boldly met his gaze. “What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?”
Alex raised an unimpressed brow and peered through the school gates at the noisy chaos in the playground. “I’m running a PE session. The outreach team sent me. This is my third visit. For all I know, you’re the one stalking me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You wish.”
He pressed the intercom at the gate. A low hum. Then, a beep and a click. He pulled the gate open, and I followed him into the playground. Kids swarmed around us from every angle, like piranhas scenting flesh. A pulse beat in my temple. This could be a total disaster.
Alex greeted some children and chuckled, darkly. “Try not to look so nervous,” he whispered under his breath. “The kids sense fear like attack dogs.”
Shit. Was that true, or was he teasing me? I stiffened my spine and tossed my hair over my shoulder. “I’m not nervous.”
“Good. You’ll be fine.”??
We wound our way through groups of children toward the school office. Alex threw me a sidelong glance and raked a hand through his hair. “No matter what’s going on between us. Let’s keep things professional while we are here. We’re representing the team.”
“Nothing is going on between us.”
He frowned. “Right.”
We entered the school hall full of kids, and I pasted a smile on my face. I was here to inspire little girls to play football, not to worry about Alex Mac. This was a chance to show them that women could do anything that men could. Warmth lit my chest, and I drew a deep breath.
