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“That’s nice, Kendra,” Everly said.

“I’m going to ask her out officially. Or, maybe, she’ll ask me out; I don’t know. I just know that I want to try with her, and really try this time.”

“You didn’t try before?” Wyatt asked.

“You’re going to do that thing where you can tell that I’m lying somehow, right?”

“I can’t turn it off, so, yes.”

“It’s best just to lean into it,” Everly said.

“Well, I’ve been doing some thinking recently, and Aspen’s the main reason for that, but no, I don’t think I tried all that hard with anyone I’ve dated. In my previous relationships, as soon as the topic of me being gone most of the time came up, it was like, this was going to be a problem. And I can’t change it – or, at least, I wasn’t willing to do it for them – so it was just over.”

“And with Aspen, if it were a problem with her, you would?” Wyatt asked.

“Not exactly. I don’t think it would be a problem for her. She’s got another decade of travel herself, if she stays healthy and keeps playing, so she doesn’t exactly have room to talk, and I’m also there a lot because of the USPBV tour, so I only miss some of her events, which means we’d have more time together than I’ve had in previous situations. I also never planned on doing this job forever, you know? It was something that kept me close to the sport I loved, and I got paid to do it, so it was a win-win. Now, I’ve got a house that I own, and I want to be there more to finish painting it or work on the backsplash in the kitchen. Plus, Aspen is there, and I miss her when we’re not in the same place. I’ve been going to her practices, too, and helping them with my advice and strategy, and it’s been working. They had a bad match with Norway, I guess, but other than that, it’s been helping them, and I love that.”

“You’ve been coaching them?” Wyatt asked.

“No, just tips and stuff that I’ve noticed from my time on tour, mostly, and what I see that they can improve.”

“Um… Kendra? That’s coaching,” Everly said with a smile.

“Not really. She and DJ were actually talking to a coach today, so I’m sure I’ll have to stop doing that because I don’t want to interfere with whatever that person is telling them.”

“If you had to stop, would you be upset?” Wyatt asked.

“Not upset, but maybe disappointed, I think. I love helping her. And I love being a part of the game in a different way than I have been before.”

“Have you thought about a career change?” Wyatt asked. “Maybe you’d make a good coach.”

“Oh, no.” Kendra shook her head. “I have a reliable paycheck, and if I wanted to make a change, I could probably move into a different role, like an analyst or something more full-time, to be home more.”

“Well, it’s an idea. You’re already basically coaching the number one team in the world, and if they’re successful, you could probably keep coaching them or coach another team.”

Kendra looked down at her purse when she heard her phone ding and pulled it out of her bag.

“Let me guess… Your mom?” Wyatt teased.

“No, it’s her.” Kendra smiled wide.

“You really like her,” Everly said sweetly. “It’s written all over your face, and I don’t have to be Wyatt to figure that out.”

“She’s amazing. And, yeah, I really like her.”

Aspen Ashley: Hey. When will you get back to your room?

“She just wants to know when I’m in for the night. Probably knows the match is over. She usually watches if she can.”

“That’s adorable,” Everly said.

“We’ll let you go eat that late dinner and probably FaceTime with your new girlfriend,” Wyatt added.

“She’s not my girlfriend. We have to go out on a date first.”

“No, you don’t. How many long-distance relationships are there in the world where they haven’t even met yet, but they’re doing whatever you and Aspen are probably doing, and they call each other girlfriend?”

“She meant to say, ‘Have a good night,’ and that she’ll see you tomorrow. I won’t because I’ll be flying home, but I’ll send you that link,” Everly said with a smile aimed at her wife.