Читать книгу Dogwood Hill - Sherryl Woods, Sherryl Woods - Страница 9

3

In the end, despite a boatload of reservations, Aidan surprised himself and decided to take the job if he could win one big concession. He wanted a one-year deal, not five. He figured that would be long enough for him to prove himself as a coach and short enough for him to escape if it got too difficult being around Thomas. He’d take an option for another four years, but that was the best he could do.

He’d made the decision during dinner, after he’d had a chance to observe Thomas O’Brien from a distance at the crowded table. He’d concluded that despite his own simmering resentment, the man didn’t seem to be the devil incarnate he’d imagined. He was just a man who seemed crazy about his wife and who adored his little boy. In fact, watching Thomas with Sean had set off a flurry of mixed emotions with envy beating out resentment. He’d had a great life, thanks to his mom, but he couldn’t help wondering how much better it might have been if his dad had been in the picture.

Despite Mick’s suggestion that he speak to Thomas about preserving the Chesapeake Bay, Aidan deliberately steered clear of him. He never exchanged a single word with him beyond a polite hello when introduced. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what he might say when they inevitably met again.

By taking the job, he knew he’d have to face Thomas eventually. Perhaps getting to know him through his work would pave the way for a different kind of bond. Maybe he’d even come to understand the man his mother had loved and respected enough to release from any obligation to her or their child. Surely as an adult he could grasp such strong emotions and dedication in a way he hadn’t been able to as a young boy longing for a father.

With his mind finally made up, Aidan drew Mick aside as the family began to leave.

“May I speak to you?”

Mick studied him closely. “Good news or bad?”

Aidan smiled. “I hope you’ll think of it as good news. I’ve decided to accept the job, if you’ll agree to a modification of the contract. I’ll call Rob in the morning to talk that over, but I wanted you to know now.”

“What sort of modification?” Mick asked.

“I only want a one-year deal. I think that’s fair to the school, the town and to me. It gives us all time to evaluate how things are working out.”

“And then what?” Mick asked irritably. “You’ll get a little experience under your belt and cut and run? What’s fair about that?”

“I could be a terrible failure and you’ll be rid of me in a year without having to give me some huge payoff to go. Maybe that’s the way you should look at it,” Aidan suggested.

“Son, you can’t go into a job thinking you’re going to fail.”

Aidan smiled. “I’m certainly hoping not to, and I believe I can turn this team around, but nothing in life is a certainty. I’ll be a lot more comfortable if we all take the time to evaluate this carefully.”

Mick sighed. “I suppose I can’t argue with that logic, but people are going to want to know you’re committed to the job, that you’re a part of the community, that you believe wholeheartedly in the team. They won’t be happy you’ll have an out at the end of a year.”

Aidan leveled a look into his eyes. “It’s the best I can do, sir. I would certainly understand if that’s not good enough.”

Mick remained silent, clearly debating with himself. Eventually he said, “I suppose I should be grateful that I didn’t scare you off altogether.”

“No, if anything, meeting your family convinced me of the kind of values I can expect to find in Chesapeake Shores. It made me want to give this a try,” Aidan said. “I was an only child, so today has been a real revelation.”

“You’re close to your parents?”

“It was just my mom and me, and she died last summer.”

Mick’s expression reflected real dismay. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Well, you come here and you can consider us family,” he said generously. “There’s always room for one more. You ask Ma about that. Next thing you know, she’ll be dropping off food every time you turn around to make sure you’re eating properly.”

Aidan chuckled. “I wouldn’t say no to that. The meal was the best I’ve had in a long while.”

“You get a craving, you can get the same thing anytime at O’Brien’s, the pub on Shore Road. My nephew Luke owns that, but Ma has trained his chef. It’s a real friendly place, like a home away from home.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“How soon can you start?” Mick asked, returning to business. “It might be good to get you back here and in place before the end of the school year, so you’ll have time to assess your players.”

“I was thinking the same thing, if that suits you. I know sometimes contracts start in August, though.”

“They do, but don’t you worry about that. I’ll take care of it. We’ll set up something separate for these last couple of months of this school year. Now, let’s talk about getting you settled in town. There’s still some daylight left. How would you like to take a look at those houses I mentioned the other day?” Mick asked eagerly.

“I think an apartment might be better, given the terms of our deal,” Aidan said. “I thought I spotted a for-rent sign on one of those places above the shops on Main Street.”

“Renting is the same as throwing money down the drain,” Mick objected.

“Or into your pocket,” his brother Jeff commented dryly as he joined them. He turned to Aidan and explained, “Mick and I split the income on those rentals.”

“Which is why I’m telling him he should buy,” Mick argued. “You and I are doing just fine. We don’t need his rent money. He’ll have something to show for those monthly payments, if he makes them on a nice house.”

Aidan had a hunch the bickering was as much of a habit as these Sunday dinners. He knew it when Nell marched over and stood between her two towering sons.

“Enough!” she said sternly, winking at Aidan. “I’m sure the man knows what’s best for him. If you’re so sure he’s wrong, give him a month-to-month lease in case he decides later he wants to buy a home. Come to think of it, you could put that rent money in escrow toward his down payment.”

Aidan regarded her with astonishment. “That’s a very generous idea, but it’s not necessary.”

Mick’s expression, though, turned thoughtful. “Ma’s right. We could do that. It would give you this year you’re so dead set on to look around for a house and have money in the bank when you’re ready to buy. No need to make a snap decision. Jeff, you okay with that?”

Jeff laughed. “If Ma’s starting to make our business deals, it’s going to cost us money, but I’m not going to be the one to argue with her.”

“Then it’s settled,” Mick said happily, shaking Aidan’s hand. “I’ll meet you in Rob’s office first thing tomorrow and we’ll hammer out all the details, then we can go by the real estate office and sign that rental agreement.” He glanced at his brother. “You’ll have Susie make the appropriate changes about that escrow business?”

“Of course,” Jeff said. He turned to Aidan. “And just so you know, my wife teaches PE at the school and coaches women’s soccer. Jo couldn’t be here today, but she wanted you to know how excited the staff is that you might be coming.”

“I’ll look forward to meeting her,” Aidan told him, reminded yet again of how integral the O’Briens were to this town. Liz had definitely been right about that. “I’ll see you in the morning, Mick.”

“Did you have a chance to speak to Thomas?” Mick asked.

“Not yet.”

“Well, there’s plenty of time for that,” Mick said. “He’s going to be eager to put you to work, too.”

Aidan bit back a sigh. That was the mixed blessing in all of this, but the die was cast now. One of the lessons his mom had taught him was never to look back.

Make your choice and live with it the best way you know how, she’d said.

He recognized now that was exactly what she had done. She’d let Thomas O’Brien off the hook all those years ago and learned to live with it. If she’d had regrets, she’d never once let on to him. Now he had to do the same.

* * *

It had taken less than an hour in Rob’s office to nail down the details of Aidan’s contract. Though Mick had made one last pitch for a five-year commitment, Aidan had held out and Rob had backed him.

On the drive back to New York, he returned a slew of unanswered calls from his former teammate Frankie Losada, who’d been leaving messages for the past couple of days.

“What’s up?” Aidan asked when the call connected.

“Well, when I first called, it was to talk you into going to the big opening-night party at a new club in SoHo. A-list all the way. I figured we’d meet some very sexy ladies. When I called again, it was to tell you that model you used to date, Donatella, was asking about you. The last five times were to try to figure out why you weren’t taking my calls. It’s not like you to fall off the radar.”

Aidan smiled at the evidence of Frankie’s never-ending quest for pretty women and a front-of-the-tabloids social life. Aidan had rarely been interested in that scene. When he had shown up, it was usually because Frankie, who protected his blind side on the field, had twisted his arm.

“I told you I was going down to Maryland to look into a coaching job.”

“At some backwoods school that hasn’t won a game in how long? Five years or something?” Frankie scoffed. “I thought you had to be joking.”

“Not joking, Frankie. I took the job.”

His friend fell silent, then said, “Man, I think you need to take Coach up on that offer to get you counseling. That knee injury did something to your head.”

“I do not need counseling,” Aidan said. “I need to work. I need to feel as if I’m doing something worthwhile.”

“New York is chock-full of worthwhile causes,” Frankie argued. “Why do you think we’re up to our eyeballs in appearances when we aren’t at practice or playing games? Coach is all about good deeds.”

“My celebrity ended the day my career ended,” Aidan reminded him. “When I’m not throwing winning touchdowns, I’m just some normal guy who used to play ball.”

“Are you having some kind of pity party? Do I need to get you back out on the town, set you up with a new woman to prove you’re still the man here in the city?”

“Look, I’m on my way back to the city to pick up my stuff. How about dinner tonight? You can see for yourself I’m perfectly rational.”

“Dinner’s good. Want me to give Donatella a call, invite her along?”

“Only if you want to date her,” Aidan said adamantly. “I’m not interested in going down that road again.”

“Up to you, man, but she is h-o-t, if you know what I mean.”

“I always know what you mean,” Aidan said, his own thoughts going to a little blonde chatterbox, who was hotter without trying than Donatella ever dreamed of being. “See you tonight. I’ll call for a reservation at Luca’s.”

“Hot damn!” Frankie said. “I love that place. You can’t move without bumping into a real babe.”

“I like the food,” Aidan said.

“You keep telling yourself that,” Frankie said. “You might talk all noble, but you like the women just as much as I do.”

There had been a time, Aidan thought, when that had been true, right up until he’d realized how shallow many of them were. Not a one could hold a candle to Liz. Her presence in Chesapeake Shores was like a huge signing bonus, though he had a hunch he’d have to work awfully hard to earn her affection. And with his plan to stick around for only a year, maybe it would be best if he didn’t even try.

* * *

Two weeks later, Aidan had moved his belongings into a one-bedroom apartment overlooking Main Street. It had not escaped his notice that Pet Style was just downstairs, assuring routine encounters with Liz, who’d proven to be as disconcerting and intuitive as she was beautiful.

Now, on his second morning after settling in, he was standing by the open sliding glass doors in his living room enjoying the view across the town green and breathing in the clean fresh air. The green’s open space was surrounded by blooming beds of red tulips. He glanced into the distance and spotted Liz heading his way, juggling a purse and a couple of huge boxes. As she neared, the boxes tumbled from her arms, spilling out an assortment of pet toys. She dropped her purse in a misguided attempt to grab the boxes and, when everything scattered, a mild curse crossed her lips, immediately followed by a guilty expression and a quick look around.

Aidan grinned, set down his cup of coffee, jogged down the steps out back and around the side of the building. He reached the green before she’d picked up even half the toys. He found her cell phone several feet away in the dew-dampened grass, along with a lipstick and several brightly colored pens. He gathered them up and joined her.

She gave him a startled look. “Where’d you come from?”

“Up there,” he told her, gesturing toward his apartment and the open sliding doors that led to a tiny balcony.

“Oh, dear. You didn’t...” A blush tinted her cheeks bright pink.

“Hear you?” he said innocently.

“You did, didn’t you? I normally don’t use that kind of language. Really. I was just exasperated with myself for trying to haul all of this on foot. I should have driven to work, but it was such a nice morning, I decided to walk. I love this time of year when the air is soft and scented with spring flowers.”

Aidan continued gathering up the packages of squeaky toys and put them into the second box. “If this is store inventory, why didn’t you have it delivered to the store?”

“I did, but I ran out of time to price it yesterday. This coming weekend is the first of the season. I need to have everything on display today. Chesapeake Shores is always swamped for the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. The other store owners have told me that most of their income comes in between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when we’re crawling with tourists. This will be my first summer season, so I want to be sure I start off right.”

“Didn’t you mention that you’d opened just before Christmas?”

She nodded, then sighed. “Big mistake. I did okay over the holidays, but the winter was deadly. I should have guessed it would be, but once I made the decision to move here and open the store, I was anxious to get started. Plus, spaces on Main Street don’t come along that often. When I spotted one for sale, I grabbed it.” She shrugged. “No point in looking back, though. I just have to make this summer season count.”

“Or?”

She regarded him blankly. “Or what?”

“Will you quit? Do something else? Move away?”

She looked taken aback by the alternatives he’d mentioned. “I can’t let myself think like that. This has to work, and that’s that.”

“So failure’s not an option?”

“Absolutely not.”

He admired her determination. In an odd way, it reflected the lecture he’d given himself when he’d decided to take the coaching job. He picked up the last of the toys, then grabbed the two boxes.

“I can carry them,” she protested.

“So can I. Lead the way.”

After a momentary hesitation, she crossed the street and opened the door of her shop. Aidan took a quick glance around at the colorful array of everything from pet accessories to toys and some organic pet food. There was even a fancy Victorian-style doghouse, large enough for the adult Archie would become, in one corner.

“That is for a dog, right? It’s not a playhouse?”

Liz tilted her head slightly and studied it with a smile on her lips. “I suppose it would work okay for a toddler, but no, it’s meant for a dog. Believe it or not, it’s another one of those outrageously expensive items that seem to be selling. It’s a custom design by Mick’s nephew Matthew. I’m sure you must have met him at Sunday dinner. He’s an architect like Mick, but he started this as a fun sideline. I’m taking them on commission or he’ll custom design them for people if they want one that looks just like their home or something like that.”

“Good grief.”

She laughed. “I know. Crazy, isn’t it?”

Aidan glanced at his watch. It wasn’t yet seven-thirty, surely too early for the store to be opening.

“Do you have time for a cup of coffee at Sally’s?” he asked impulsively.

She seemed flustered by the question. “No,” she said a little too quickly. “I mean, I do, but I usually meet Bree there around eight-thirty.”

Something told him there was more to her refusal than a prior-standing commitment, but he shrugged it off. “No problem. Another time.”

She seemed to be struggling with herself before finally saying, “If you’re right upstairs and don’t have other plans, you could join us.”

“That’s okay. I don’t want to intrude.”

“You wouldn’t be intruding. Half the people who own shops around here stop in. Of course a lot of those people are O’Briens, so you’ll already know them from dinner at Mick’s. You’d be welcome.”

“I need to get over to the high school before nine,” he said. “I’m meeting with Coach Gentry and Rob Larkin to make some plans for next season. I want to do some unofficial spring training to assess the players before school’s out and assign their workouts for the summer. Maybe another day. See you, Liz.”

He was almost to the door when she called out. “Aidan, is it true what I heard, that you only signed on to coach for a year?”

He nodded.

“That doesn’t seem to give the team much of a chance to get its act together.”

So, Mick had been right. People were going to be upset by what they viewed as a lack of commitment.

“I think it’s long enough for both the school and me to see if we’re a good match,” he replied.

“Or is it a way to hold the town up for a lot of money if they want you to stay?”

Aidan frowned at the suggestion it had anything to do with money. “Any idea what a successful pro football player makes, Liz?”

She blinked at the question. “Not really.”

“Then let me reassure you, I don’t need to take advantage of the town. My career may have been cut short, but I did okay and most of what I made is doing just fine in investments. I took this job because I’ve always wanted to coach at this level. This seemed like a great place to start.”

“Then why not commit?”

He studied her closely. He sensed there was a lot more behind the question than the obvious. “Is commitment a particularly touchy subject for you, Liz?”

The direct question seemed to take her aback. “Isn’t it for everyone?”

“I suppose, but this seems to matter an awful lot to you.”

“I just think people should keep their promises.”

“No question about it, which is why I made a commitment for the amount of time I thought made sense for me and for the school. At the end of the year, we’ll both decide how it’s working out.” He gave her a knowing look. “Sort of like dating for a year before committing to marriage.”

The blush on her cheeks told him he’d hit the nail on the head. Somebody had run out on her, leaving her particularly sensitive to the whole commitment thing.

“You’re right,” she said tightly. “Sorry if it seemed like I was judging you. I’ll see you around. Thanks for the help just now.”

For the first time since he’d met Liz, Aidan realized that she wasn’t just a perpetually cheerful advocate for the joy of living in Chesapeake Shores. He recognized that there were things she was hiding, a skittishness he couldn’t explain. He couldn’t help wondering if her life was every bit as complicated as his. She might make his pulse race and his imagination take off in some steamy directions, but his life was unsettled enough right now without taking on her secrets, too.

* * *

“Was that Aidan I saw coming out of your shop a little while ago?” Bree asked, her curiosity in full swing.

“Yes, but you can wipe that look right off your face,” Liz replied. “He saw me spill some stuff as I was crossing the green. He came down to help.”

“Then the rumor’s true?” Shanna O’Brien, who owned the bookstore, said. “He’s taken one of the apartments upstairs?”

“I guess so,” Liz said.

“Your old one,” Bree told Shanna. “Much to my father’s dismay. Dad wanted him to buy a home.”

“Which is why the rent money is going into escrow for a house,” Susie chimed in. “I drew up the paperwork myself. Dad told me it was Gram’s idea and that Uncle Mick actually went along with it.”

Liz looked around at these women who’d become her friends, every one of them either born an O’Brien or married to one. Only Heather, Connor O’Brien’s wife and the owner of Cottage Quilts on Shore Road, was missing this morning.

“Where’s Heather?” Liz asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from Aidan and her connection to him. “Come to think of it, she wasn’t at Sunday dinner the last time I was there, either.”

Shanna glanced at Bree. “It’s not a secret, is it?”

Bree shook her head, but glanced worriedly at Susie before answering. “Morning sickness,” she finally revealed. “It’s apparently hit her real hard.”

“Don’t look at me like that when you mention morning sickness,” Susie grumbled. “People in this family are going to have babies. Just because I can’t doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for them.”

Bree reached over and squeezed her hand. “But we all know how hard it’s been for you waiting to hear if you and Mack will be able to adopt.”

“Sure it’s hard,” Susie said, “but please don’t tiptoe around the subject of babies and pregnancy. That just makes it worse. And, so help me, if you don’t ask me to be a part of planning for the baby shower, I’ll never forgive you.”

A devilish grin spread across Bree’s face. “Great! You’re in charge. That works out perfectly.”

“I guess that’ll teach me to open my big mouth,” Susie said with feigned dismay.

Liz laughed. “I’ll help,” she promised.

“We can get Jess’s chef at the inn to bake those scrumptious cupcakes with mounds of buttercream frosting,” Shanna suggested. She looked around the table. “That’s a hint for my baby shower, in case you didn’t recognize it.”

“Of course you can have cupcakes,” Susie said. “And Bree will do her magic with the flowers,” she added, giving her cousin a triumphant look. “Won’t you, sweetie?”

“Of course,” Bree said readily.

“There you go,” Susie said. “Two baby showers under control.”

“Since Heather’s not due for months yet, maybe we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves,” Shanna cautioned.

Bree’s expression sobered. “Especially after the miscarriage Heather had last year. I know she’s really nervous. She and Connor want so badly to give Little Mick a baby brother or sister.”

Again, a shadow of despair crept over Susie’s face. “At least they have Little Mick,” she said softly.

Bree swore under her breath at the unmistakable tears that threatened to overcome Susie. “I knew we shouldn’t have started talking about this. Change of subject, please. Anything.”

“I want to hear more about Aidan rushing to Liz’s rescue this morning,” Shanna said. “I’m so sorry I missed that. That man is some serious eye candy.”

Liz flushed.

“He is that,” Bree agreed, even as she held tightly to Susie’s hand.

Susie managed a watery grin. “So, give, Liz. What’s the scoop?”

“There is no scoop. We’ve bumped into each other a couple of times.”

“And the cozy chat I saw you two having at Mick’s before Sunday dinner a couple of weeks ago?” Shanna teased. “What was that about?”

Liz shot a poisonous look in Bree’s direction. “That was me trying to be friendly, per the directions of an O’Brien busybody. Nothing more.”

Bree chuckled. “Tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself. There’s not a woman here right now who wouldn’t like being the center of that man’s universe even for a couple of minutes.”

“Then I invite you all to take your turn,” Liz responded. “Aidan’s a friendly guy. I’m sure he’d love to get to know you all a little better.”

“I’m thinking our husbands might object,” Shanna said, then shook her head. “Nope, I’m afraid he’s all yours, Liz.”

“But I don’t...” Liz began, then frowned. “Oh, what’s the use? Not a one of you will believe me no matter how many times I tell you I’m not interested.”

And sadly, after the way her pulse had done a happy little hop, skip and jump at the sight of him this morning, she wasn’t entirely sure she believed it herself.

* * *

Aidan stood on the sidelines after school as Coach Gentry put his players through their paces. He’d included a couple of graduating seniors in the workout, explaining to Aidan that none of the younger men had yet demonstrated the sort of leadership skills needed to be the team captain.

“They’ve looked up to these boys for a couple of seasons now,” the coach said. “You’re gonna have guys who can pass, catch and block and a few decent tacklers, but they’re not a cohesive unit on offense or defense.” He gave Aidan an apologetic look. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this. It’s likely to scare you right off.”

Aidan chuckled. “Nope, it just adds to the challenge. I want any insights you can give me about their strengths and weaknesses.”

“Keep an eye on Hector Santos. He has good hands and good instincts, but he’s a pretty raw talent. As a freshman he didn’t get much playing time, but I suspect he could be a standout. Trouble is, he’s a shy kid, and it doesn’t help that he’s still struggling a little with English. His family’s only been in this country a couple of years.”

Aidan’s instincts went on high alert. “Legally?”

Coach nodded. “As far as I know. I didn’t ask for documentation. He’s enrolled in school and that’s good enough for me.” He leveled a look at Aidan. “I should probably warn you, though, that if he’s as good as I think and you decide to play him more, there’s going to be trouble with Porter Hobbs.”

“Which one is he?” Aidan asked, surveying the field.

“He’s Taylor Hobbs’s daddy,” Coach Gentry said, gesturing toward a lanky young man, who was throwing moderately accurate passes downfield. “The boy’s okay, but the father is a real piece of work.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Aidan said, making a note on his cell phone about that as he had with all the other tips the coach was sharing. He’d reach his own judgments over the next three weeks before school let out, but for now Gentry’s insights were helpful.

He took another look at Taylor Hobbs and spotted the serious-looking boy who’d been catching his wobbly passes talking to him. From their intense expressions, it seemed the Hobbs kid was getting advice he didn’t much like.

“Any idea what that’s about?” he asked the coach.

“Henry’s a real good friend of Hector’s, but he’s also like some kind of team mediator. He gets that Taylor’s the quarterback for now, so he keeps trying to give him pointers. Surprisingly, Taylor listens to him, but not without giving him some grief.”

“Still, it sounds like the boy might have that leadership quality you said was lacking,” Aidan suggested.

Coach Gentry nodded. “Could be. It’s up to you to make that call now.” He studied Aidan. “You seen enough?”

Aidan nodded.

“I’ll call ’em over, then, and introduce you. You can take it from here and I’ll take off.”

“That’s not necessary,” Aidan told him.

“Yes, it is. Some of them have been listening to me for four years now, for better or mostly for worse. They need to know you’re in charge from here on out. You need me for anything, though, you know where to find me. I won’t be leaving town.” He gave Aidan a solemn look. “I love these kids. I want to see them reach their potential. I truly believe you’re the man who can make that happen.”

“Thanks. I’ll try not to let any of you down.”

The coach blew a sharp blast on his whistle and waved the boys over. “Have a seat,” he instructed, gesturing toward the bleachers. “I know you all are aware that I’m retiring. This is Aidan Mitchell. Some of you will recognize him as the rookie of the year in the NFL a couple of years back.”

An enthusiastic cheer went up from the players.

“Well, you can start right now thinking of him as your new coach,” Craig Gentry said. “And I expect you to show him the same respect you’ve always shown me. I think together you’re going to turn this team into something special. Take it away, Aidan.”

He stood there a moment, clearly fighting some powerful emotions before adding, “I’ll be seeing you boys around. My door’s always open.”

He turned then and walked quickly away to a loud ovation, deliberately led by Aidan.

When silence fell, Aidan saw the young men regarding him intently. He took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to say.

“Hey, Coach,” the boy who’d been working with Hobbs called out. “Don’t look so terrified. It’s not as if we could do any worse.”

The comment was greeted by nervous laughter that broke the tension.

“Well, it’s my belief that we’re going to do better next year and even better the year after that,” Aidan told them. “To do that, though, you’re going to have to train hard, listen to what I tell you and play your hearts out.”

“We can do that,” the same young man said. “Can’t we?”

A surprisingly emphatic roar greeted his claim. Aidan grinned. “What’s your name?”

“Henry, sir.”

“Have we met?”

“At Sunday dinner a couple of weeks ago at Grandpa Mick’s,” he said. “He’s not my real grandpa, though. I’m not actually an O’Brien, but Kevin and Shanna adopted me after my real dad died.”

“What position do you play, Henry?”

“When the family plays on Thanksgiving, I’m a quarterback,” he replied, then grinned impishly. “Around here, though, I mostly sit on the bench.”

It probably made sense given his slight build, but Aidan sensed something in him that none of the other boys had yet demonstrated, a willingness to step up and a real ability to lead.

“Well, Henry, here’s the deal. I can’t say for sure what these practice sessions will reveal to me about each of you or how this fall’s team will shape up, but for the next few weeks until school’s out, you’re the team captain. How’s that?”

The boy’s face lit up. “Seriously?”

To Aidan’s relief, no one voiced an objection. In fact, there were a surprising number of high fives from the surrounding boys, proving that his instincts, at least for the moment, were right on target.

“Okay, then, here’s the plan. Starting tomorrow I want you here fifteen minutes after the final bell, ready to work your butts off. Nobody’s position on the team is guaranteed. You’ll each be earning the right to play next year. If you’re not strong now, you will be by the end of summer. Understood? I want you eating right, working out, acing your finals and on this field every single day doing your absolute best. I’m going to set up individual meetings with each of you so I can learn more about you. I’ll want your suggestions for making the team stronger. All of this may take more time than you’re used to putting in, but it’s mandatory.”

He’d expected a few grumbles, but heard none.

“Coach?” a boy asked hesitantly. “Are you going to cut any of us? My dad will kill me if I don’t stay on the team.”

“Then we’ll do our best to make sure you’re good enough to stay on here,” Aidan promised him. “But you have to do your part.”

A grin spread across the boy’s face. “I can do that.”

“That’s it for today, then,” Aidan said. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know each one of you.”

Henry was on his feet first. “Go, Lions!” he shouted.

Soon feet were pounding on the bleachers and the refrain echoed across the field. Aidan smiled. If that enthusiasm carried over to their play, he had a hunch he could turn these young men into a team with a fighting chance.