Page 50 of Coach Me (Boston Blues #2)

Lucie

Miles has pretty much been glued to my hip since we left the hotel. Not that I’m complaining—I did consider glue several times this morning while we got ready for today’s game. Thankfully, he got the metaphorical sense of what I was going for.

Sitting on the benches to the side of the bullpen, we watch a couple of the guys throw some pitches. Dex stands close by, watching and correcting when needed. I’m not sure if he got the glue memo too, but he hasn’t seemed to venture too far from us either.

Miles wiggles on the bench. His eyes narrow on Tripp and Beck in the outfield.

I nudge him with my shoulder. “You know, if you want to go catch some balls, you can.”

Miles scrunches his nose. “Well, I kind of do…” He peers up at me, and I can practically see the hesitation to even finish the sentence in his eyes.

“I know yesterday was scary, but we shouldn’t let it ruin doing something we love.” I boop his nose. “Not to mention, Miles, I think the entire team will be keeping a close eye on you today. You’re a very loved boy.”

Miles gives me a toothy grin. “You’re right, I’m gonna go get my glove!”

He shoots off the bench, nearly colliding with Dex on the way out. Pulling myself from our seats with less enthusiasm, Dex pulls me to him when I get close to plant a kiss on my forehead. “He gonna go shag some balls?”

“Yeah, it took a little convincing, but not much. Something tells me we might be able to get today to replace what happened yesterday.”

A smile tugs at Dex’s lips. “I thought it might.”

“I’m going to help him get his glove and go out there with him. You have fun coaching.” I step around him, but turn back and send him a wink. “Maybe if you watch them throw enough, you’ll change your mind about retirement.”

Dex tilts his head back, that smile growing ever so slightly. “How long until you and Miles let that go?”

I shrug, walking backward toward the door Miles just went through. I don’t want to give Dex too much opportunity to rebut, so I take a few more steps before I toss back, “I don’t know…shall we find out?”

Dex tries to hide his laugh as he runs his hand over his face. When he looks at me, I can see the smart aleck remark on the tip of his tongue, but I turn around and step into the hall.

I’ll give it until the end of the season. Miles and I will wear him down.

Before I can pull open the locker room door, Miles swings the door open. “I got my glove! Let’s go!”

“Hold up, Hotshot.” I catch him before he races around me. “Let’s put on a little sunscreen first.”

Miles’s arms practically drop to the floor. “Ah, man.”

“That’s funny, Lucie used to make the same face when I’d tell her to put sunscreen on when we were kids,” Will says, walking down the hall…with my sister. Will looks to Reagan. “You remember that pout, don’t you, Rea?”

Reagan gives me a soft smile. “Lucie would pout, and I’d just run away from you.”

Miles lifts his head with the thought. I might be a little taken aback with Reagan making a random appearance, but I don’t miss that mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Don’t even try it,” I say before he can even attempt an escape.

I turn back to my siblings now standing right in front of me.

I want to ask what’s going on, but I also don’t want to freak Miles out again.

I need my family members to stop ambushing me.

“Miles, this is my sister Reagan. I don’t think the two of you have officially met yet. ”

“Hi, Miles, I’ve heard a lot about you. Specifically, that you give Will a run for his money with Callie.”

Miles tilts his head to the side. “I don’t know about money, but I do love Callie.”

Reagan laughs while Will whispers a curse. “I swear, Lucie, you were supposed to help with this.”

I hold my hands up. “I made no such promise. You said it, I never acknowledged it.”

Will pinches the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “Well, Casanova, let's get you sunscreen, and then, for some reason, I’m going to take you to see Callie in the outfield.”

Miles jumps and bolts back to the locker room. “Yay! Hurry up, Will.”

My brother goes to follow him, and I catch his arm. My brain feels like it’s in slow motion. “I didn’t plan on leaving him today. ”

Will’s face softens. “You had my back yesterday. I think my pride can handle a five-year-old trying to steal my girlfriend for a bit. I’ve also already talked to Dex about it, so no arguments.”

Reagan leans her head around the back of Will to meet my face. “Come on, Luce, I drove all the way down here for you to yell at me.”

“I don’t want to yell at you.” Okay, maybe a little bit of a lie. I don’t have the energy to yell at her.

Will opens the door to the locker room. “I’ve got Miles. You guys talk. My only request is that you don’t burn the stadium down.”

I barely get Will’s name out in protest before he shuts the door. Dang it, I guess getting the last word in is an Anderson sibling thing.

“So, you want to yell at me in the hall or somewhere else?” Reagan twirls her finger at me. “You know you want to.”

I smack at her hand. “I don’t want to yell. I’m not exactly happy with you, but I don’t need to yell at you to feel better.”

Reagan’s teasing smile turns down. “What if I need you to yell to make myself feel better?”

I want to laugh, but I bite it back. “Hate to break it to ya, but you’re not going to get that from me. Did Will make you drive down here?”

“It didn’t take too much convincing after I got all the details. It was just a four-hour drive. A little audiobook action, and it flew by.”

I press my lips together. In a way, I’m happy to see Reagan. I miss her. Even before I started working for Dex she was standing me up. “Come on.”

I step to the other side of the hall and go in the extra equipment room Dex pulled me into yesterday. “So, Will told you about Dad too?”

The door clicks behind Reagan. “He did. I think I’m feeling somewhere in the middle of you two. Not afraid of a conversation, but not entirely sure how much of a relationship I want… That’s not why Will wanted me to come down here, though. I know he told you about all the guys I’ve run off.”

“He did.” I swallow a bit of pride. “I’m not going to yell, and really it feels a little redundant to be angry at you considering I’m here now with someone who’s actually good to me.

That being said, I have a right to make my own choices, Reagan.

I love you and Will both so much. I know what you did was with a good heart, and Will keeping it a secret until now—I get it.

What’s done is done, but I had a right to those bad choices.

You deciding to tell those guys to leave me alone instead of telling me only leaves me to assume that you thought I was incapable of handling them myself.

I can be a kind and caring person who doesn’t want to yell, while still having a backbone and moral compass. ”

She hangs her head with a small nod, and I know my words land.

“I know. I could use the excuse of just wanting to look out for you, but I’m not trying to undermine this.

It wasn’t my intention to make you feel that you couldn’t handle it or doubt that you would make the right decision…

It was more that I could just take care of it for you. It’s still unfair—I know. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. I know that’s what you were trying to do with Dex too, but this is different.”

Reagan's mouth draws into a thin line. “You’re right. Will told me that. I could see that in the office. I know I overstepped. We’re usually together constantly, and with both of our moves…

I don’t think we’ve truly ever spent that much time apart, even through college.

Then I saw how close you and Jensen had gotten…

It’s silly, I know, but the shift in our dynamic got in my head.

“I could practically feel what Will meant when he said you had the potential of a real relationship. I didn’t want to run Dex off, but I needed to protect you in any way I could.

I know I left you hanging with my own move.

I thought I was overcompensating for it, but really I was just being a bitch. I’m sorry.”

My nod comes slow as the weight of her words rolls off my back. This isn’t about forgiving her. I’m not sure there’s much my siblings could do that wouldn’t come with my automatic forgiveness, but I want Reagan’s respect.

“I’m not going to say it’s okay. As my older sister, I appreciate that and accept the apology. I truly do. We were dealt a difficult hand when Dad left. I want a chance to play my own cards for once. Just me.”

Reagan huffs an amused breath. “I like your metaphor. It feels very Reagan-themed. I’m sorry I cheated you a bit.”

“Thank you.”

A knock comes as Dex opens the door. “Hey,” he says softly. He steps around to me, wrapping his arms around me, then pulling my back against his chest. “Will told me to check on you guys in five minutes for proof-of-life.”

I tilt my head up to him. “Did he specify which sister he thought needed the life check?”

Dex places a kiss on my temple. “I’m not answering that.”

Reagan hums. “I know it’s for me, but alas, I think we’ve made our amends. Granted, I would have liked some yelling to see I’ve rubbed off on my sister even just a little bit.”

Dex’s arms squeeze around me. “Nah, Lucie doesn’t need to yell when her calm reasoning hits a lot harder.”

A baseball-sized ball of emotion forms in my throat.

“That it did.” Reagan chuckles, then looks at me. “Mind if I hang out with you and Miles today?”

“Actually…” Dex starts before I can even open my mouth. “I think you interrupted something last time we met. Will could probably use your help with Miles for a minute.”

My stomach does a little flip and I look up at him with my jaw dropped.

“Did you just tell me to leave so you could make out with my sister? In the equipment room?”

Dex looks at Reagan, not a single hint that he’s joking shows on his face. “Yep.”

The corners of Reagan’s mouth tip up as she tries to bite back a smile. “Alright, fair. I’ll go find Will on my own.”

My jaw hangs until Reagan disappears behind the door. “Dex, did you really?—”

My sentence dies off as Dex spins me around, and his lips find mine. His hands thread through my hair. “I did and I’ll do it again.”

He leans back in for one more slow kiss before pulling my hand against his chest and simply holding me to him. “Talk to me, Luce. Did seeing her help? I wasn’t too sure about it, but Will said he knew what he was doing.”

Of course he’d say that. “It was good. I had let all of her hurtful words go after yesterday. I know I wanted some space, but not like that.”

“I get it. I’m glad that helped.” Dex brushes his fingers through my hair. “You know…I have been meaning to bring something el se up.”

A pain comes straight to my chest. “I can’t take any more drama, Dex. I don’t have it in me.”

I feel Dex’s laugh vibrate against his chest. “Well, this is pretty serious.”

When he pauses, I look up at him—my heart in my freaking stomach. Despite his playful tone, I don’t know where he’s taking this right now.

A sly smile plays at the corner of his mouth. “We’ve got to talk about your cursing. I mean, after yesterday’s f-bomb—it’s getting out of hand, baby.”

I bury my face back in his chest. “Dex.”

Dex tightens his hold around me. “I don't know if there's a place you can go for that. A class, maybe. I can’t have my son’s teacher cursing. It just won’t work.”

My laugh comes out easy now. “It’s a good thing I’m not just his teacher then, I guess.”

Dex leans back to cup my face. “No, you’re definitely not. I think I want to hear you curse again, baby.”

My eyes roll before locking with his. “Then earn it, Coach.”