Second Dive (Kings of the Water #3) - Jasmin Miller Page 0,75

the birthday girl’s dad. Dang it, I’m one rude ass, sitting here with my friends and ignoring them. Especially since they wanted to talk to me about something important.

“Yeah, sorry.” I hold Ryan’s gaze, even as his brows pull together tightly. “Just distracted.”

“No worries.” Jace shakes his head. “You’ve had a lot going on lately, and we can talk about our offer another time.”

This time, I shake my head. “No, I’m good. You already wanted to talk to me last time and it didn’t work out, so hit me.”

I can give my best friends a few minutes of sole focus. It’s already bad enough I haven’t been around a lot lately.

Ryan nods. “You’re still not sure what you want to do going forward, right?”

Easy answer. “Nope. Not a clue.”

I haven’t even really had a lot of time to think about things. Chloe has fully infiltrated my life and brain.

Even though I’ve been wondering lately if she ever actually left?

My thoughts wander again, but I push them aside for now.

Jace shifts in his patio chair, stretching his arms above his head before leaning forward and fixing me with a serious gaze. “We want you with us.”

I blink. My mind going utterly blank for a moment.

They want me? With them? “For your swim school?”

They both nod in unison.

“Seriously?”

Ryan cracks a smile. “Of course. Why are you acting so surprised?”

I shrug. “I don’t know.”

Jace pops a piece of donut in his mouth before washing it down with water. “You love swimming and you’re good with kids.”

He’s got a point.

Ryan and Jace’s plan to open a swim school close by is still fairly new, but I know they’ve already been able to rustle up some reputable sponsors. It will take a while to get a new aquatic center built that offers more than the local one does.

My brain’s on fire, imagining what life would be like with a coaching future. Would I like it? Sharing my knowledge with the young ones and making them better swimmers? “And the plan is still to use the current aquatic club for lessons until the new building is done?”

Ryan’s head dips in a quick nod. “Yeah. We just got all the details finalized after we figured out a schedule that works for everyone. But we need more people to help. You’re clearly at the top of that list.”

“Thanks.” My thoughts wander back to Chloe.

I take in all the info. Weigh the pros and cons in my head. Am I ready to give up my own career? I definitely had a good run. A really good run. And coaching would also allow me to be more flexible with my time. To be able to spend more time with my family. And with Chloe. To use the time she has left.

Fuck. Don’t think about that.

She’s okay for now. Strong and healthy. Taking good care of herself.

Unable to help myself, my gaze flickers over to her. Now playing with the kids on the lawn. Her ponytail swinging around as she chases Tanner, who’s become a carbon copy of Jace in so many ways. With his blue eyes, his easy attitude, and affinity for water.

Ryan clears his throat. “We know you have a lot going on, so take your time. We still have a long road ahead of us until we can offer the whole schedule anyway. We’ll need a lot more hands on deck for that. Until then, we’ll rotate with the classes and different ages. See what works best for all of us.”

Jace tilts his head toward our women. Our women—like Chloe’s already a part of the group. “Em and Harper have been helping too, making suggestions about classes that can be more than just a sport for kids. Something that can help them, either with their health, or to get them off the streets. Offer them an alternative. We’re in contact with local charities and organizations to see what we can come up with together.”

My chin dips in approval. “I like that.”

Hunter drops down next to me on the two-seater. “Hey, man, is Chloe okay? Daisy said she didn’t feel well earlier.”

That’s Hunter. Dropping in at a party and cutting straight to the case. “How do you—”

“I ran into Daisy inside when I got here.” He looks away from me to the other guys and holds out his fist for them to bump. “Sorry for being late. That dang campaign will be the end of me. How many ways can you possibly hold a sports drink toward the camera