Page 11 of Crazy for the Coaches

My mind, usually whirling with a million worries and to do items, was quiet. I couldn’t wait to see what came next with these two amazing men. I had a hand on each of them and never wanted to be apart from them again.

Chapter Six

Aaron

A leg cramp woke me up the next morning and I hopped up, putting the blanket back over Mandy as I tried to stretch it out.

“Cramp?” Steve whispered.

Mandy lay between us on the makeshift bed from the two couches. At any rate, I could separate the couches without waking her and move to stretch my leg.

I would have to find a good PT place here now, to keep up the healing from my injuries the year before. The team trainer might have references. I sighed quietly as the cramp finally eased.

“I’ll start coffee,” I whispered, heading into the kitchen. It felt right, having her here in the morning. I thought we needed a bigger bed, though. And what if she took us up on our offer to move in here? I started whistling as I made coffee.

“Bro, shut up.” Steve said from the living room, then I heard Mandy giggle.

“Good morning.”

“It is a good morning indeed, beautiful,” I said, bringing her a mug.

“That’s the first time he’s gotten up to make coffee. I usually do it, and will do it the next time you stay,” Steve said.

“I woke with a leg cramp, but I’m not sorry it let me get up to make your coffee, lovely Mandy.”

“Bro. I need coffee if you are going to keep on, though you aren’t wrong.” Steve rubbed a hand over his head, and I realized he was still shirtless.

At some point, I’d gone up to get a t-shirt and shorts for me and for Mandy. Steve never seemed to be cold. Or self-conscious.

Mandy winked at me over her coffee mug. “I could get used to waking up like this,” she said.

I hope she meant that.

Later that day, I’d overseen a weights training with several players while Steve had others outside. Many already knew how to train. I needed to guide the position some held while lifting, and got others to change their workouts so they wouldn’t end up with strains.

To my surprise, Martin and Eli were also working out. The weight machines and treadmills were all there, though not all the free weights and therapy equipment had arrived yet. Several guys were shirtless, though the trainer was female and was working through a shoulder stretch with one vet the team had signed from another team. I knew that stretch, and I sympathized with his wince.

“You’re next,” she said to me.

“Carrie, come on. The players are the ones who need it.”

“I know all about your injuries. It wouldn’t hurt for you to stretch, too.”

I thought about the leg cramp and agreed. As I got into position near her, I could overhear Martin and Eli near their weight machines.

“It’s no problem for us to have her with us,” Martin was saying. “You have a townhome, right? There’s likely not room for your sister.”

This again? I thought. “Javier, 25 pounds less on that one. Do two more reps of 10,” I called out to one of the overly zealous players.

Carrie lifted my arm.

“I don’t need to be in player shape!” I said, only half joking at the painful stretch.

“I’ll talk to her again,” Eli was saying.

“No.” I said without thinking. “She’s moving in with us.”

It was one of those times when the room was quiet and several people looked up at us.

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