Coach grabbed the top of the car door. “Just the person I wanted to see.”
For a second, I assumed he was talking to me until he bent down to regard Kade. “Can I have a word, Kade? I need your help with something.”
“Sure,” Kade said to Coach. “Let me park. Oh, and Maiken, remember what we talked about. I would recommend getting that done today.”
I hiked my backpack over my shoulder then made my way into school, thinking about how I was going to break the news to Coach. But when I spotted Quinn talking with Celia, my grades didn’t matter.
Quinn beamed up at me as though her day had been made.
Mine sure had. I drank in every inch of her, from the skinny jeans that accentuated her petite body to the way the jersey fabric of her shirt hugged her breasts. I didn’t know if her clothes were new, but they were more formfitting than I remembered. But her curves weren’t what had my stomach spinning and my pulse racing. It was the way she looked at me with love stamped in her amber eyes, and I couldn’t deny I was beginning to feel the same way.
All I’d been doing for over an hour was practicing my jumps then falling on my butt. Frustration rode me hard. If I kept falling, I wouldn’t stand a chance at beating Tessa.
I dipped back to what I’d learned when I’d been skating. My warm-up routine had been forward and backward crossovers followed by forward and backward edges then jumps and spins. I hadn’t competed long enough to perfect every jump or spin, but I knew the basics. My goal was to get my old routine down pat then add a new jump to the mix. Tessa was probably thinking I didn’t have anything new up my sleeve.
With Mozart in my ears, I started my warm-up routine again. The more I skated around the ice, the more the memories of when I’d competed returned. Suddenly, anxiety wormed its way into my stomach, churning and turning.
Breathe. Don’t think about when you fell twice in your last competition… or how Tessa laughed at you.
Shaking my wrists, I continued around the ice, breathing deep and pushing the past and Tessa out of my head.
Okay. Just let yourself go.
I turned up the music on my phone, getting lost in Mozart, and went in for a jump, my arms tucked into my chest. As I came out of the jump, my left foot landed at an odd angle, causing pain to ricochet up my leg as I fell on my butt.
No. No. No. Please don’t let anything be wrong.
I sat there with my eyes closed, rubbing my ankle as I prayed. I moved my foot around in a circle, one way then the other, wincing as sharp pain crawled up my calf.
Okay, girl. Stand up. Put pressure on it. That will tell you the real story.
I pressed my gloved hands on the ice and slowly pushed myself upright. I bit my lip, willing the pain and throbbing to go away as I skated over to the perimeter of the rink.
Ow. Stupid girl. You shouldn’t have made a deal you had no business making.
Once I was leaning against the boards, I wiggled my left foot again. Maybe I could work out the kinks. After another wiggle, I tried to skate around the ice, or at least out to the middle and back just to be sure the pain wasn’t all in my head. But as I put pressure on my left foot, I wobbled. Something was wrong.
You’ve been in this situation before, and it was a minor sprain that didn’t interfere with your competition at that time. Ice your ankle and wrap it when you get home. It’s probably just bruised.
My hour was almost up anyway, so it was best to call it quits for the moment. I didn’t have the ice again until Sunday after church. So I had four days to rest my ankle.
After I managed to get off the ice, I pulled my earbuds out and dropped down on a bench close to the entrance.
“Excuse me.” A baritone voice made me flinch. “Are you done for the evening?” A bearded man in a navy-blue uniform with a name tag that read Stewart stood before me.
“Yes, sir. I’ll be just a few minutes.”
“Give me a shout when you leave,” he said. “I’ll be in the office right by the entrance.” Then he walked away.
I texted Liam to come get me. Then I proceeded to untie my skates when my phone beeped with a reply from Liam.
I’ve asked Maiken to pick you up. Carter and I are not back from Newton yet. We had to pick up some supplies for Dad. Maiken should be on his way.
My stomach dipped as the door creaked opened. I was expecting to see Maiken not Brianna.
She removed her slouchy knit hat then mussed her bangs with her fingers. “Hi, Stew. Is my dad here?”
Stew fiddled with the keys in his hands. “He left five minutes ago. I’m closing up for the night.”
“I won’t be long, then,” she said. “So, Quinn, how was practice? Are you ready?”
After one practice? Far from it.
I rubbed my sore ankle. “I’m getting there.”
She leaned against the backboard that surrounded the rink. “My dad said we could have the rink one week from this Sunday around one.”
I counted the days in my head. Eleven wasn’t enough to perfect my routine. But if I asked for more time, Tessa would take that to mean I was scared, and she would use my fear to get in my head.
“That should work,” I said.
What about your ankle? I hoped it would be fine by then.
“Good.” She typed on her phone. “I got the date on the calendar. I’m sending Tessa the date too.”
I traded my skates for my boots then packed up. “Can I ask you a question?”
She lowered her phone, giving me her undivided attention.
“Why are you doing all this? I mean why are you so set on seeing Tessa and me get along?” Brianna Masters had never been nice or involved in anything that didn’t benefit her. To a certain extent, she and Tessa were alike.
“Honestly, Tessa needs to stop treating people like dirt.”
I could feel creases forming on my forehead. Surely Brianna wasn’t just coming to that realization. If she is, why now?
Her glossy lips split into a smile. “I know what you’re thinking. How come I haven’t done anything about Tessa before?”
I hiked a shoulder. “Yeah.” I didn’t know how to tell Brianna that she had been like Tessa as long as I could remember.
Her throat bobbed. “I need Tessa on the squad. We’ve got a great chance to go to the national cheerleading competition. I can’t have her suspended or kicked off the squad.”
Ah. Her motives were all her own. And I thought she’d changed from being a snob to a person who wanted to help.
I picked up my phone, which was on the bench next to me.
“Quinn.” Brianna’s voice was soft. “Did you not like my answer?”
At least she was intuitive and honest. Pay her the same respect.
“Your answer was fine.” That was the truth. “I’m just wondering why you’ve decided to do something about the feud between Tessa and me now. You’ve been head cheerleader for a couple of years.”
She sat down next to me. “I’m embarrassed to say I was like Tessa. I was a bully. But since Alex died, I’m trying to be a better person.” She let out a sad laugh. “He hated when I was mean to people.” She sighed. “I don’t want to be like that anymore.”
“Alex was an amazing guy,” I said softly.
“We had so many plans.” She picked at her glove. “Look, I’m going to do what I can to make sure I get through to Tessa. But my advice to you is, the more you stand up to her, the more she’ll back down. She preys on the weak. Again, I know because I was like her.”
I hadn’t run from her since well before her party. So maybe I had changed. And the skate-off was just the thing to show her I wasn’t afraid to compete with her as well.
“Even your brother Carter agrees,” Brianna said.
I did a double take. Sure, Brianna and Carter were seniors. They knew each other. But I didn’t know they talked about me. “Why would you talk to Carter about me?” And why would my brother talk about me to her?
She giggled. “I guess you should know, Carter and I have bee
n hanging out as friends.” She was quick to add the last word.
Well, one thing was certain—Celia would be happy that Brianna wasn’t interested in Liam. I didn’t have feelings about Carter and Brianna hanging out or dating for that matter. My brother deserved someone who was nice and caring, and if Brianna had in fact changed, then I was cool with her.
“He told you to help me. Didn’t he?” That would explain Brianna’s sudden interest in Tessa and me.
“Oh no. Not at all. I was serious in everything I just told you.”
Brianna didn’t strike me as the type of girl to take orders from anyone. So ninety-nine percent of me believed her. Then again, it didn’t matter. What mattered was getting Tessa off my back, and if Brianna wanted to help, I wasn’t going to say no.
The entrance door creaked before a cold wind swept in followed by Maiken. As soon as I set eyes on him, my brain turned to goo.
Brianna rose. “We’ll talk soon.” She said hi to Maiken as she left the rink.
Maiken swaggered in, his hair sticking out that navy-blue knit beanie I loved. “Hey, babe. How was practice?”
I quivered at not only his Southern drawl, but at how he called me babe. “I think I might’ve sprained my left ankle.”
He hurried to kneel in front of me as though he were a doctor. “No way. Let me see.”
I giggled. “Okay, doc.”
Before I could protest, he took off my boot. “I’ve sprained my ankle twice in basketball. Wiggle it for me.”
I did as he said, hoping my foot didn’t stink.
With a light touch, he pressed his fingers all around my ankle. “Does it hurt when I touch it?”
At the moment, I felt no pain. Instead, my heart was beating to a different drum as I concentrated on his magical fingers and the way he smelled of the great outdoors. “No.”
He slipped my boot back on and stood, holding out his hand. “Try to walk on it.”
Once I was on my feet, I felt a weak twinge of pain, but it wasn’t as bad as earlier. “It’s okay.”
“It might swell tonight,” he said. “Keep it elevated as much as you can and put ice on it.”
I saluted him. “Yes, doc.”
His arm went around my waist while the other swooped around my thighs. “Just in case, I’ll carry you to the car.”
I busted out laughing. “Are you my knight in shining armor?”
“I’m your prince charming.”
He sure was, and as he carried me out and into the cold night air, I knew I could beat Tessa, sprained ankle or not.
The thirteen members of the basketball team were scattered around the locker room, getting ready for practice. Guys chatted about the NFL football playoffs, others dressed, and some texted on their phones.
A thick wall of tension hung in the stinky air, suffocating me. I felt like we were getting ready for some type of war, and all of us were afraid of the outcome. We hadn’t practiced in two days, so maybe that was the reason for the somber mood.
We had to come together as a team. We had to show Coach that we were good players and that we could win games. We’d certainly worked together on the Thompson farm the morning prior. But a farm and the basketball court were two different playing fields.
I bent over and tied my basketball shoes. After Coach Dean’s speech the other morning about scouts, teamwork, and college, I knew that I would do whatever it took to make the team work, even if that meant biting my tongue on the court when Chase got on my nerves.
As I stood and glanced around at the gloom on everyone’s faces, I decided I needed to say something. I felt, as the newbie, that I was the one who was causing all the problems with the team. After all, I was trying to play point guard and not doing a very good job.
I cleared my throat. “Can I have everyone’s attention?”
Some of the boys came around from the back side, where more lockers were situated, and the rest stopped what they were doing except for Chase.
No surprise there.
Liam nudged Chase, who was putting on his socks.
“What?” Chase asked. “I don’t have to listen to him.”
Chase had been one moody SOB since we’d returned from Christmas break. One day, he and I were at each other’s throats, and the next, he was clamping his mouth shut and walking away. But if I really thought about when he was nice and when he wasn’t, his mood changed when Quinn was around.
Whatever.
I growled so loudly, I swore the lockers shook. “What the fuck is it going to take for you to wise up, Stevens?”
He rose, hands fisted, chest out, ready to take me on.
Liam pushed him down. “Listen for once in your life.”
“Or maybe you want to continue to shovel manure,” Woods fired back. “No offense, Liam.”
Liam raised his hands. “No worries, man.”
Chase glanced around, his face red and his eyes narrowed.
Miller, who was beside Chase, slapped him on the back. “Man, look. We’re a team. Give Maxwell a chance.”
I hopped up on a bench, pinning a look on each player. “I know I don’t deserve for you to listen to me. I know I’ve been just as much of a jerk as Chase has.”
Chase made a sound that I ignored as I continued. “I can play this game. However, I am having a rough time with the point guard position only because I was a shooting guard for a long time. But I know this game.” I took a breath as some of the players nodded my way. “I’m sorry for my actions during the first home game, and Chase, I’m sorry I hit you.” That last part was easier than I’d thought it would be. “What I did was unprofessional and uncalled for.” I smoothed a hand over my hair. “I want to win games. I want scouts to look at me. I want them to look at each one of you.” I waved my hand around. “But I can’t play this game without you. Starting today, we play as a team.” I paused at their nods. “Starting today, we leave our differences off the court.” They nodded more vigorously. “I promise all of you I will hustle and give everything I have when I’m out on the court. What say you?”
Hoots and hollers zipped around in agreement.
I jumped down and extended my hand to Chase, who was quiet. “Truce, man.”
The locker room went completely quiet. A pin drop could be heard.
He gnawed on his lip.
I didn’t know if what I’d said resonated with him or not, but it sure made me feel good. I probably sounded like a weirdo, but I was sincere, honest, and I was tired. Something had to give in my life. Something good had to happen, because I’d been feeling all doom and gloom for too long. The only person who’d shined a light in my life that I could honestly say took away the depression I had been feeling was Quinn. All I had to do was set eyes on her, and I felt like the weight of the world wasn’t pushing me down.
Chase sighed heavily before he took my hand. “We’re never going to be friends, Maxwell. But I do want to win games. I do want scouts to notice me, and I never want to work on the farm again.” He grinned as we shook hands.
A rumble of laughter erupted as Chase and I sealed our deal.
As the voices quieted, someone clapped. I turned to find Coach Dean and Kade standing near the entrance that led to the showers.
What’s Kade doing here? Maybe Kade was there to talk about my grades. Maybe that was the topic of their conversation yesterday after Kade had dropped me off at school.
Coach swiveled his head at all the players then back at Chase and me. “I’m very pleased at what I heard.” If I weren’t mistaken, Coach had tears in his brown eyes. “So let’s get out there and show me how to play as a team. But first, today is the day we vote for a team captain. The ballots are in the gym. Before you warm up, cast your vote and slip it in the box.”
Liam leaned into me. “I think you should be captain.”
I didn’t make the speech to be captain. Frankly, I’d forgotten that we were even voting that day. I had no desire to be captain, not this year anyway. My life was up in the air with Mom and he
r sister, and somewhere deep inside my gut, I had a feeling that Ashford wasn’t going to be our permanent home. Maybe that was because my mom seemed a little more relaxed in Georgia than in Massachusetts. Plus, she was closer to her sister than my aunt and uncle.
I prodded Kade with my eyes, trying to find out why he was there.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Coach said. “I want to introduce you to Kade Maxwell. He’s going to be my assistant for the near future.”
“Are you going somewhere, Coach?” one of the freshmen asked.
Coach slipped his hands into his pants pockets. “You’re going to find out soon enough, but my wife just found out that she has to have major surgery. It’s a procedure that will keep her off her feet for a few weeks. I’m going to try to be at games, but family comes first. So Kade will be filling in. The floor is yours, Kade.”
Kade, who was slightly taller than us six-footers, nodded. “I played basketball in my freshman year. So my knowledge of the game is a little rusty. I’m going to rely on all of you to help me with plays.” He swung his copper gaze around the room. “My expectations are simple and align with Coach Dean’s. No mouthing off. No fighting.” He nailed Chase and me with a stern look. “And above all else, I want to see respect for each other, respect for Coach and me, and respect for the game.”
Ten seconds passed before Coach clapped his hands again. “Get out there.”
The team scattered, buzzing with excitement as lockers opened and slammed shut before the room began to empty.
I started for the door when Coach snagged me. “Maxwell, can I have a word?”
Chase and Liam, who were just about to walk out, hesitated.
“Go,” I said. “I’ll be right there.” I had an idea what was about to take place or what Coach was about to say. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him about my grades because practice had been canceled for the last two days and he’d left school early the day before.
Nevertheless, when the door clicked shut, leaving Kade, Coach, and me alone, I held my breath. I’d just given the speech of the century, asking my team to give me a chance, telling them I would hustle and give everything I had when I was out on the court. Yet I couldn’t give anything if I was benched.
My Heart to Hold: A Maxwell Family Saga - Book Two Page 5