and he gradually grew louder and louder.
“K.C.!” we shouted, laughing. “K.C.!”
Higher up in the stands, Tara, Phoebe, Whitney, Felice and Erin joined in. Then the other girls on the squad, peppered throughout the stands, got their neighbors into it as well.
As we chanted, K.C. turned bright red on the bench. He shook his head and grinned, trying to ignore us, but we made it completely impossible. The Clearwater guys looked up at us in irritated awe, but we just kept chanting and chanting and chanting. Finally, K.C. stood up and raised his arm to the crowd sheepishly. Everyone cheered and shouted and stomped.
“Thanks. Thank you,” K.C. mouthed, waving.
Then, finally, he dropped back on the bench again and ducked his head. I would have felt bad for him if he wasn’t grinning like a little kid on Christmas morning.
“Now, if I had ever gotten that kind of reaction, I would probably miss wrestling more,” Daniel said as we sat down and the crowd finally quieted.
“See? It’s fun, right?” I said. “Making people feel that good?”
Daniel grinned. “I could get used to it.”
I smiled triumphantly at Mindy. We were going to turn this kid into a real cheerleader yet.
5
The basketball teams had Mondays off, so we had all gathered in the bleachers of the gym after classes for our first boy-girl practice. We had been sitting there for five minutes or so, gabbing away about our weekend activities, but we all fell silent at Coach’s entrance. Basically because she had the most chiseled man ever to walk the face of the earth trailing behind her.
At least that was why the girls fell silent.
“Whoa. Who’s the hottie?” Sage asked.
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine!” Coach Holmes announced as the pair stopped in front of us. “This is Coach Rincon.”
“How is everyone today?” Rincon said, clasping his quite large hands together. Instantly his biceps bulged.
“Damn,” Chandra muttered.
I might have echoed that sentiment if Daniel hadn’t been sitting right behind me. Coach Rincon was Calvin Klein model gorgeous, with deeply tan skin, jade green eyes and dimples you could swim in. He had brown hair with golden highlights and long bangs that fell perfectly over his brows. A single diamond stud sparkled in one ear. And his arms? Don’t even get me started. All I’ll say is, that tight T-shirt should have been outlawed on an upper bod like that.
“Rincon was my stunting partner at Penn State,” Coach said.
“Lucky girl,” Lindsey whispered, earning a few giggles.
Rincon winked at her. I was impressed when she didn’t have a heart attack—both from being caught and from being winked at.
“He has graciously offered to spend the next couple of weeks helping me teach you guys some stunting skills,” Coach continued. “So let’s give him a big Sand Dune welcome.”
We all applauded and a couple of the girls threw in some hoots and hollers. Rincon placed his hand to his chest and gave an honored little bow.
“That guy could throw me to France if he wanted to,” Sage said.
“Why don’t you take a second and let them get to know you?” Coach suggested to her new partner in crime. “I’ve gotta get something from my office.”
“Sure,” Rincon said with a nod. His nod was even hot. How that’s possible, I have no idea, but I saw it with my own eyes.
Coach walked out and Rincon smiled slowly at us. Hearts broke all over the bleachers. Daniel shifted uncomfortably and I wondered if the rise in my body heat was palpable. Had to get control of that.
“Well, as your coach mentioned, my name is Leo Rincon—”
“Oooh . . . Leo, ” Lindsey whispered all huskily.
“I grew up in Miami and I cheered at Penn State,” he said.
“K.C.!” we shouted, laughing. “K.C.!”
Higher up in the stands, Tara, Phoebe, Whitney, Felice and Erin joined in. Then the other girls on the squad, peppered throughout the stands, got their neighbors into it as well.
As we chanted, K.C. turned bright red on the bench. He shook his head and grinned, trying to ignore us, but we made it completely impossible. The Clearwater guys looked up at us in irritated awe, but we just kept chanting and chanting and chanting. Finally, K.C. stood up and raised his arm to the crowd sheepishly. Everyone cheered and shouted and stomped.
“Thanks. Thank you,” K.C. mouthed, waving.
Then, finally, he dropped back on the bench again and ducked his head. I would have felt bad for him if he wasn’t grinning like a little kid on Christmas morning.
“Now, if I had ever gotten that kind of reaction, I would probably miss wrestling more,” Daniel said as we sat down and the crowd finally quieted.
“See? It’s fun, right?” I said. “Making people feel that good?”
Daniel grinned. “I could get used to it.”
I smiled triumphantly at Mindy. We were going to turn this kid into a real cheerleader yet.
5
The basketball teams had Mondays off, so we had all gathered in the bleachers of the gym after classes for our first boy-girl practice. We had been sitting there for five minutes or so, gabbing away about our weekend activities, but we all fell silent at Coach’s entrance. Basically because she had the most chiseled man ever to walk the face of the earth trailing behind her.
At least that was why the girls fell silent.
“Whoa. Who’s the hottie?” Sage asked.
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine!” Coach Holmes announced as the pair stopped in front of us. “This is Coach Rincon.”
“How is everyone today?” Rincon said, clasping his quite large hands together. Instantly his biceps bulged.
“Damn,” Chandra muttered.
I might have echoed that sentiment if Daniel hadn’t been sitting right behind me. Coach Rincon was Calvin Klein model gorgeous, with deeply tan skin, jade green eyes and dimples you could swim in. He had brown hair with golden highlights and long bangs that fell perfectly over his brows. A single diamond stud sparkled in one ear. And his arms? Don’t even get me started. All I’ll say is, that tight T-shirt should have been outlawed on an upper bod like that.
“Rincon was my stunting partner at Penn State,” Coach said.
“Lucky girl,” Lindsey whispered, earning a few giggles.
Rincon winked at her. I was impressed when she didn’t have a heart attack—both from being caught and from being winked at.
“He has graciously offered to spend the next couple of weeks helping me teach you guys some stunting skills,” Coach continued. “So let’s give him a big Sand Dune welcome.”
We all applauded and a couple of the girls threw in some hoots and hollers. Rincon placed his hand to his chest and gave an honored little bow.
“That guy could throw me to France if he wanted to,” Sage said.
“Why don’t you take a second and let them get to know you?” Coach suggested to her new partner in crime. “I’ve gotta get something from my office.”
“Sure,” Rincon said with a nod. His nod was even hot. How that’s possible, I have no idea, but I saw it with my own eyes.
Coach walked out and Rincon smiled slowly at us. Hearts broke all over the bleachers. Daniel shifted uncomfortably and I wondered if the rise in my body heat was palpable. Had to get control of that.
“Well, as your coach mentioned, my name is Leo Rincon—”
“Oooh . . . Leo, ” Lindsey whispered all huskily.
“I grew up in Miami and I cheered at Penn State,” he said.
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