Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 106772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“I hate being unprepared.”
“Maybe he’ll stay on the bench,” Jerome surmised.
He didn’t, and by halftime, we were down fifteen.
We gave the boys a minute to get to the locker room. I checked the stats in the home book, and then we were on our way. When I entered the team room, all heads were down. It was clear they weren’t in the right mindset.
“Guys, we have seven minutes to talk it out. What do we need to do to turn this around?”
“Execute our plays,” Malik said. “Hit the slashers before the defense can adjust.”
“We’re not helping on defense. Our posts need help because they’re just lobbing it into that big kid,” another added.
“We need paint touches. If the shot isn’t there, we’re open on the outside,” Cutter said.
“Hard, crisp passes, and they need to be fast,” Jayden added. “We need to move their defense.”
I made eye contact with each of my players, nodding as they spoke to what they were witnessing on the court and how they were playing.
“The only thing I want to add to what everyone’s saying is to play hard, play with confidence, and play the game you know how to play. If you play your game, you’ll be victorious. But you can’t hang your heads because we’re down by fifteen.”
We gathered in a huddle and then broke off. Jerome and I followed the boys upstairs and mentally prepared for the second half of the game.
When I came through the door and into the gym, my eyes sought out Antonia. I’d done a damn good job of ignoring her, but now they were homed in on her.
Nova sat on her lap, and they danced in their seat to the music. Antonia directed Nova’s arms in every which way while she bopped her legs up and down.
Samira, Edith, and Vera sat around Miriam, almost as if they were creating a barrier around her. It was nice to see and honestly expected. The Grove Hill community took care of their own.
I desperately wanted to go over and visit, but doing so would raise a lot of eyebrows, and my sole focus needed to be on the boys and the game, not the woman across the way whom I wanted to get to know better.
The horn sounded to start the second half, and within three minutes of play, the game was tied. For the rest of the game, I coached my ass off, changing defenses on a whim to throw the other team off. I’d throw on the press, only for them to call a time-out to make the adjustment, and then I’d have my guys pick up at half-court.
For two quarters, the score went back and forth, but the only one that mattered was the one at the final buzzer. Grove Hill won by two.
This evening, when it was time to leave, I didn’t hesitate to walk back into the gym, knowing Antonia would be waiting for Cutter.
She smiled at me as I walked toward the exit, even though I fully intended to stop and chat with her.
“Nice win,” Miriam said. I wanted to give her a hug but refrained. She had a mask on, and I figured it wouldn’t be smart.
“Thanks. Cutter played a great game.”
Miriam beamed and walked with Samira to sit down and wait for Cutter to come out of the locker room.
“You won,” Antonia said. “Sorry, but that’s all I know.”
“Fair enough. I could teach you about the game if you want.”
She nodded. “That’s probably best, considering . . .”
“How about dinner tonight?” I hadn’t meant to ask, but now that I had, I felt like a teenager all over again.
Antonia smiled. “In town, right? I don’t want to go too far.”
“Absolutely. I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Bring Scout. He can stay at the house while we’re out.”
Now it was me who was grinning. “He’ll love it. See you in a bit.” I winked and left her there before I said something stupid like asking her to move in or marry me.
I drove home as fast as I could, showered, fed Scout, and put him in the truck to be on time for my date with Antonia. I didn’t care if it was to the diner—we were going out and were going to spend some quality hours in each other’s company.
The front door opened as I pulled into the driveway. I didn’t bother shutting my truck off as Scout and I made our way to the porch. Scout greeted Nova with a barrage of kisses, causing her to giggle. The sound brought a smile to my face.
Antonia appeared in the doorway, still dressed in the jeans she’d worn earlier. Gone was the Timberwolves shirt, having been replaced by a white collared shirt and burgundy sweater. I held the screen door for her as she stepped onto the porch.