to the pharmacy. They’regoing to change one of my medications because it’s making me sick during the night.”
“Hopefully that’ll work. I can hang around until she gets back.”
“I don’t need a damn babysitter,” Coach snapped.
“Good, because running herd on teenagers is hard enough without adding babysitting to the mix. I just meant I’d keep you company.”
Coach sighed. “I appreciate that, son, but to be honest I’d really like to have
no
company for the hour or whatever it’ll take for Helen to run her errands. I’m tired of having people fuss over me.”
Sam didn’t want to leave him alone. He was right about that. But he could also understand Coach wanting a break from being watched like they were afraid he’d go heels up at any second. “You have the phone?”
Coach showed him the handset to the cordless landline, which was tucked next to his thigh. “I have the phone, a glass of water and the television remote. All I need now is some peace and quiet.”
“You better still be alive when Mrs. McDonnell gets back or she’ll never let me hear the end of it.”
Coach chuckled. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Oh, and one more thing before you go. You’re going to need this.”
When Coach held out the silver whistle on the blue nylon cord, Sam felt himself balk and couldn’t make his feet move toward the recliner. It wasn’t just a whistle. It was
Coach’s
whistle.
“Don’t be making that face,” Coach said. “I’ll take it back from you when I’m ready.”
Sam swallowed hard. “It means a lot to me that you called me.”
“Not as much as the fact you came means to me.”
A few hours later, Sam stood on the sidelines, watching the team run through some plays. Dan, the school custodian and new dad, had shown up a little late, but his mother-in-law had flown in from somewhere out west and he’d have more free time for a couple of weeks. Him being there to direct the action gave Sam a chance to stand back and watch the boys at work.
Jen had been right about Shawn Riley. When the quarterback was on the field, he was like a totally different kid. Still quiet, but with an air of confidence everybody on his team could feel.
When Dan called for a water break, Sam caught Shawn’s attention and called him over. “You look good out there, kid.”
“Thanks.”
“You may have noticed the coaching staff’s a bit of a shit show right now.” He was surprised when the quarterback chuckled. “I’m doing my best to nail down the playbook because I can’t depend on knowing who else will be with me on the sidelines, but Coach has a way of making football on paper look like advanced geometry.”
“I’ve got no problem with calling audibles on the line.”
Sam gave him an approving look. “I didn’t think you would.”
Back when he’d played ball, it had been important to Coach that the players out on the field could think for themselves. No amount of experience would sharpen a player’sinstincts if he looked to the sidelines for directions on every single play.
“So you and I will figure it out as we go along, then,” he said.
“Yup.”
“Okay. Back to work.”
While the team hydrated and took a breather, Sam ran through some of the things he’d noticed while watching. He had a short list of things he thought they could improve on, but he also complimented them on some plays they’d executed really well.
When they went back onto the field, Sam got a little more hands on. He moved around, focusing on different parts of the line with each snap. They were definitely one of Coach McDonnell’s teams, he thought with pride as he watched them. There was some laughter and some friendly trash-talking, but when push came to shove, these guys lifted each other up rather than putting each other down.
As he watched, Hunter Cass broke a tackle and headed for the end zone. It was a hell of a run, but the kid playing safety ran him down just shy of the red zone. Cass hadn’t
“Hopefully that’ll work. I can hang around until she gets back.”
“I don’t need a damn babysitter,” Coach snapped.
“Good, because running herd on teenagers is hard enough without adding babysitting to the mix. I just meant I’d keep you company.”
Coach sighed. “I appreciate that, son, but to be honest I’d really like to have
no
company for the hour or whatever it’ll take for Helen to run her errands. I’m tired of having people fuss over me.”
Sam didn’t want to leave him alone. He was right about that. But he could also understand Coach wanting a break from being watched like they were afraid he’d go heels up at any second. “You have the phone?”
Coach showed him the handset to the cordless landline, which was tucked next to his thigh. “I have the phone, a glass of water and the television remote. All I need now is some peace and quiet.”
“You better still be alive when Mrs. McDonnell gets back or she’ll never let me hear the end of it.”
Coach chuckled. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Oh, and one more thing before you go. You’re going to need this.”
When Coach held out the silver whistle on the blue nylon cord, Sam felt himself balk and couldn’t make his feet move toward the recliner. It wasn’t just a whistle. It was
Coach’s
whistle.
“Don’t be making that face,” Coach said. “I’ll take it back from you when I’m ready.”
Sam swallowed hard. “It means a lot to me that you called me.”
“Not as much as the fact you came means to me.”
A few hours later, Sam stood on the sidelines, watching the team run through some plays. Dan, the school custodian and new dad, had shown up a little late, but his mother-in-law had flown in from somewhere out west and he’d have more free time for a couple of weeks. Him being there to direct the action gave Sam a chance to stand back and watch the boys at work.
Jen had been right about Shawn Riley. When the quarterback was on the field, he was like a totally different kid. Still quiet, but with an air of confidence everybody on his team could feel.
When Dan called for a water break, Sam caught Shawn’s attention and called him over. “You look good out there, kid.”
“Thanks.”
“You may have noticed the coaching staff’s a bit of a shit show right now.” He was surprised when the quarterback chuckled. “I’m doing my best to nail down the playbook because I can’t depend on knowing who else will be with me on the sidelines, but Coach has a way of making football on paper look like advanced geometry.”
“I’ve got no problem with calling audibles on the line.”
Sam gave him an approving look. “I didn’t think you would.”
Back when he’d played ball, it had been important to Coach that the players out on the field could think for themselves. No amount of experience would sharpen a player’sinstincts if he looked to the sidelines for directions on every single play.
“So you and I will figure it out as we go along, then,” he said.
“Yup.”
“Okay. Back to work.”
While the team hydrated and took a breather, Sam ran through some of the things he’d noticed while watching. He had a short list of things he thought they could improve on, but he also complimented them on some plays they’d executed really well.
When they went back onto the field, Sam got a little more hands on. He moved around, focusing on different parts of the line with each snap. They were definitely one of Coach McDonnell’s teams, he thought with pride as he watched them. There was some laughter and some friendly trash-talking, but when push came to shove, these guys lifted each other up rather than putting each other down.
As he watched, Hunter Cass broke a tackle and headed for the end zone. It was a hell of a run, but the kid playing safety ran him down just shy of the red zone. Cass hadn’t
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