Sarah greeted the newcomers and offered to start a fitting room for the other two while they browsed. So much for a quiet Tuesday afternoon, she thought, hoping Juliet’s little guy would be well enough to stay with his grandma so his mom could come to work.
But an hour later, after ringing up purchases for all the tour bus customers, including the teal-blue grandmother-of-the-bride dress, and thanking them for shopping at To the Nines, there was still no sign of Juliet. Sarah slipped into her office, took several thirst-quenching gulps from her water bottle, and checked her phone. She had a text message from Casey, reminding her about soccer practice after school, and a voice message from Juliet. Alexander had an ear infection and was still running a fever and she needed to stay home with him. Sarah texted her back, assuring the young woman that she needed to stay home until her son was feeling better, and that everything at the store was under control. If there was one thing she was used to doing, it was managing on her own.
JON BLEW THE whistle for the kickoff and watched two team members rush for the ball. He’d called this a practice but he really just wanted to meet the girls and check out their skill level so he could start assigning positions. A number of them had been playing for several years and demonstrated a lot of potential. Several were new to the game but already showed promise, and several more would need a little extra coaching.
This was the part of the job he loved best. He didn’t believe in tryouts at this level. As far as he was concerned, a willingness to play was the only prerequisite for being on the team. Rather than leave weaker players sidelined, though, he encouraged the more experienced players to work with the newer ones, and share their knowledge and love of the game. It was the best way to promote a positive team spirit, and invariably each girl was a better, stronger player for it.
He’d started coaching girls’ teams when Kate was little, always with the thought that someday she would play, too. That day had never come, and he knew now it never would, but that was okay. He wasn’t one of those parents who forced kids into activities they didn’t want to do, and he had always encouraged Kate to explore as many new things as she liked. Recently that had dwindled to two main interests—drawing and photography. She excelled at both and he was proud of her for that, but he sure wished she would devote the same passion to academics. Last year he’d had to hire a tutor to get her through the year. The divorce plus having her mother leave the country had hit her hard, that was a given. Now he hoped the change of scene and some new friends, especially kids like Casey, would influence her in a way that he hadn’t been able to.
Speaking of Casey, he watched her streak down the field with the ball, which sailed into the net in spite of the goaltender’s aerodynamic attempt to make a save. She swung around, grinning widely, blond ponytail flying, fist pumping the air. He blew the whistle and jotted “forward” next to her name on the team roster on his clipboard. Then he waved them all into a huddle in center field.
“Great job today, everyone. I’ll post the lineup outside the girls’ locker room tomorrow afternoon. Our next practice will be after school on Thursday.”
“Is that when we find out if we made the team?” a girl by the name of Melissa Merriweather asked.
“Everyone’s already made the team.” That announcement generated a loud cheer and a round of high fives. “On Thursday we’ll also vote for a team captain and an assistant captain, so between now and then I’d like you to think about who you’d like to nominate.”
“When’s our first game?” a girl named Alycia asked.
“The schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, but it won’t be for a couple of weeks. That gives us lots of time to practice, work on some plays, build some confidence. Any other questions?”
There weren’t.
“Then I’ll see all of you on Thursday.”
Some of the girls set off toward the school gym at a leisurely pace; others ran ahead, Casey in the lead. The girl was an incredible athlete. After Saturday night pizza, Sarah had talked about her daughter’s career aspirations, which were impressive for a kid her age. He had no idea what their financial situation might look like, but he would make a point of mentioning to Sarah that she and her daughter should keep athletic scholarships in mind. If the girl could get her undergraduate degree funded and still planned to pursue higher education, she’d be set.
He flipped through his notes as he followed his team back into the school. It had been a good first practice and he looked forward to working with these kids this year. In his office, he sat and put his feet up on the desk, crossed them at the ankles and wove his fingers together at the back of his head. His first day at Serenity Bay High had exceeded his expectations. It was a good school, the kids he’d met so far were great, and from the few glimpses he’d caught of Kate throughout the day, he’d been encouraged to see her talking with other students, mostly Casey and several others.