Page 65 of Banter & Blushes #1

ETHAN

I t’s her…Mia. I’m certain of it.

Desperate for another glimpse, I stare at the glass window, willing her to come back because I can’t abandon Coach’s daughter in the middle of her presentation. I’m also wearing my skates, so it’s not like I could easily chase after her, either.

Kaia points to my shoulder and elbow pads. “They wear all this padding under their jerseys to keep them safe, but it also makes them look bigger than they are.”

She grins at me with a hint of a schoolgirl crush sparking in her eyes. Now I get why I’m her favorite player. I stare at the door again, hoping Mia’s there, smiling at me. She’s the one I’d rather have crushing on me at the moment.

Kaia tugs my long-sleeved shirt. “She asked you a question?”

I drop my gaze to her. “Um, sorry. What was the question?”

A girl with dark brown braids in the second row rolls her eyes. “Why do you have to wear a shirt under your jersey?”

I rest my hands on my chest. “It makes wearing all the padding more comfortable.” I pinch the fabric. “It also helps keep us cooler. And you can imagine, we sweat a lot out there.”

Several of the girls contort their faces with disgust. Someone in the back says, “Gross. ”

Kaia continues to point out various pieces of my gear with detailed descriptions of their functions. The kid definitely did her research.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to stay focused for Kaia’s sake, but all I can think about is Mia. Is she a stay-at-home mom? But that would likely mean she’s married, right? My skin crawls at the thought.

Or she could be a single mom. I can understand her hesitation to mention she has a child, but that doesn’t explain why she kept avoiding the topic of her profession. Maybe she works here at the school, but why would she avoid telling me?

Kaia tugs on my sleeve again. “Can you turn around?”

“Oh, sure.” I face the blackboard, checking the door again as I do. Still no sign of Mia.

“And this padding here protects his back.” Kaia pokes at the padding on top of my pants and over my upper back, then catches my gaze. “You can put your jersey back on.”

I nod, then tug it back over my head as I face the class again.

Kaia brings her presentation to a close by explaining our team colors, pointing to the Sun Kings logo on the front of my jersey and explains the difference between our uniforms for home and away games.

The rest of the class claps as their teacher steps forward.

“Let’s show our appreciation to Mr. McKennan for joining us today.”

Thank yous ring out in random fashion with a mix of genuine interest and pure boredom.

I grab the stack of T-shirts Coach gave me to give to the students and help Kaia hand them out.

The kids go nuts for them, chattering with excitement as they hold them up.

Kaia has it under control, so I sit back down on the small chair I used earlier to demonstrate lacing up my skates to take them off, all the while anticipating the possibility of seeing Mia gain.

After I stow my skates in my duffel, I offer the puck I brought to their teacher. “Thought you might like a puck.”

She smiles. “Thank you. My son will love it. He’s a big fan.”

“Great. Next time you come to a game, flag me down so I can say hey to him.”

Her eyes light up. “He’d love that, too.”

I nod. “Mind if I ask a question?”

Her expression turns puzzled. “No, of course not.”

“I thought I saw someone I know earlier. Her name’s Mia. She has blonde hair and blue eyes.”

“Yes, Mia Popovic. She teaches second grade here.” She tilts her head as she studies me.

A rush of anticipation shoots through me. That means she’s here somewhere. I glance at the clock on the wall. “What time does school get out?”

“Three.” She gives me a knowing look. “But I’m almost certain Mia has bus duty today. ”

Heat rides up the back of my neck as I flash her a sheepish grin. “Thanks.”

After I tell Kaia goodbye, I grab my gear and head out to my car. I have exactly an hour until school’s out—enough time to go home, change, and pick up some items for an idea I have.

And then I’ll come back and wait for Mia so we can finally have our face-to-face.