respect. It’s commendable. I know you could’ve gotten picked up easily last year with Andrew.”
“Thank you, Coach. I appreciate that.”
Andrew, a tall—fuck, we’re all giants playing basketball—blond guy with hair to his shoulders did not look anything like your typical basketball player, more like he should be on the runway. Some opponents took to calling him Supermodel but the easygoing guy never let it get to him. But he’s the most talented player I’ve ever shared a court with. Far ahead of me and I know I’m good. There are very few players with as much raw talent as he has. The fact Coach has me ranked with Andrew in his eyes means a whole fucking lot.
He dismisses my thanks with a wave of his fingers.
“Anyway, I was talking with one of my old friends. You might’ve heard of him. Jason Caswell.” He waits, letting the name sink in.
“He used to play for Atlanta, right?”
“Yeah.” He smiles, pleased that I know. “He’s a scout for them now and he wants to meet you.”
“Meet me?” My voice squeaks embarrassingly.
“Yes.” He shuffles some papers on his desk. “He wants to meet for lunch when he’s in town in December. I wanted to let you know so you have time to prepare. Don’t overthink it. It’s just a casual getting to know you, feeling you out to see how you might fit with the team.”
In other words, don’t get my hopes up that anything will come from this.
“Thank you, Coach.” I know he must’ve put a good word in for me.
He shakes his head. “Stop thanking me. You’re talented and a hard worker. Own your accomplishments. You work hard for them.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to thank him again, but I manage to bite back the words. “I appreciate this so much,” I go with instead, which is basically the same thing.
Coach eyes me, suppressing a chuckle. “I’ll call you with the details when I have them. Now get out of here, you smell.”
I laugh. “See you next week then.”
“Mhmm,” he hums, but he’s already no longer paying attention to me. Instead, he’s looking at the photo I noticed, a sad and contemplative expression on his face.
Leaving his office, I head to the locker room and grab my stuff changing back into my jeans and cotton t-shirt with the school’s mascot—a wolf—on it.
Shrugging my backpack over my shoulders, I stride out of the athletic building, heading for the café to grab a coffee before I go home. My steps feel light, buoyant from the excitement of my prospective meeting with Jason Caswell. It’s a step in the right direction.
My phone rings and I smile before I even answer. “Mom, what’s up?”
“You haven’t called me in a week, Cole. A week. Is this how I raised you? I don’t think so. Your sisters remember to call me. But not you. Not my baby boy. My one boy. Have you forgotten where you came from? The seventy-two hours of back labor I endured to push your ten-pound chunky ass out?”
Laughter bursts out of me. “Laying the guilt trip on thick, aren’t we? I’ve been busy with classes, Ma.”
“And you couldn’t spare five minutes to call your mother?” she harrumphs. “I see how it is. I’ll remember this.”
“Ah, don’t be like that.” Even if she has a point. “I’m sorry. I’ll be better.”
“That’s right, you will, or else I’ll get myself on a plane and come down there.”
Fuck, I know she will too. She did it freshman year when she was worried I wasn’t adjusting to life away from home. Newsflash, I was fine and she’s a worrywart. But she’s still my mom and I love her.
“Sorry,” I say again. “I’ll call you every day from now on.”
“God, no. Not every day. I don’t like my kids that much.” She laughs on the other end like she’s told the funniest joke ever. “Have you spoken to Jessa?” she asks, referring to my youngest sister. Before I can answer, she goes on, “Daniel proposed.” I swear, I hear her swoon through the phone. “It was so romantic. He had your father and me hide, along with his parents, so we got to watch it and take pictures with them after. I cried so much. When are you going to find a girl to settle down with?”
I sigh, dropping onto a bench beneath the shade of a tree across from the café.
“I don’t know, Mom.” I rub the back of my head, my mind going unbidden