CHAPTER 16

FLUFFY CORGI BUTTS

DAVID

David paced the hallway outside of the locker room, fidgeting at the scratch of the sweater he’d decided to wear for the game.

The dark green knit crewneck was a bit out of his normal fashion wheelhouse, but his mom had bought it for him and it made him feel a tiny bit better about disappointing her with the news that he wouldn’t be coming home for Christmas.

He wasn’t sure what the hell he’d been thinking when he told Sage that he was planning to stay in Charleston for their short holiday. In the thirty-five years that he’d been alive, he’d never not gone back to Atlanta to celebrate with his family.

Christmas was very much their thing.

But his goddamn mouth had run away from him, and he’d found himself fumbling through the excuse that a few of his players were staying around and didn’t have a place to go. Of course his wonderful mother had immediately understood, and promised to send a box of sweets in the mail for him to share.

He hated lying to her, but he hated the idea of Sage spending Christmas alone even more.

“We’re ready, Coach.” Jordan poked his head out of the locker room door.

David nodded, taking a moment to gather himself before following him inside.

The whole team sat on the benches, already dressed in their uniforms and warm ups even though it was still a few hours before the game. He’d called them in early, and there was a part of him that was still surprised to see that they’d actually listened to his request.

He could feel the heaviness in the air — their opponent tonight was Greenville University, a team who’d won almost all of their games so far this season. No matter how well they played, it was going to be a tough game.

David stood before them, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks and rocking back on his heels. He thought of the speech he’d planned, about playing hard and working together, about finishing their final game before Christmas on a strong note.

But the words wouldn’t come.

He took a deep breath. “So, as you can probably tell, I need a haircut.”

The room was silent. The players looked at him before looking at each other, obviously unsure of how to respond to him.

He reached a hand up and tugged on the hair that was undoubtedly tufting up around his head. “Come on, guys. It’s nuts, isn’t it?”

Monty was the first to break. His huffed laugh ignited the rest of them, and soon the whole team was doubled over with laughter as they looked up at David.

“Coach,” Patrick Eno, one of the freshmen, managed to get out. “It’s like one of those fluffy corgi butts.”

“What?” Jenks elbowed him in the side as he shook his head. “Corgi butts are white, dude.”

“But doesn’t it kind of have that fluffy tufted thing going?” Patrick argued, waving his hands around his head.

Monty jumped in. “I think he looks like Doc Brown from Back to the Future .”

“Hey!” David glared at the point guard as the rest of the team howled. “That man was balding up top! I’ve got this big floppy mess up front. That’s at least one thing I’ve got going for me.”

“So you gonna get a haircut?” Zephyr asked.

“Honestly, everytime I go, they screw it up so badly that I’ve been avoiding it.” David shrugged. “But it’s getting to the point where it can’t get much worse than this, you know?”

“Jordan cuts hair,” Jenks offered, glancing over at his co-captain.

“Seriously?” David turned to Jordan just in time to see him shoot a scowl down the bench toward Jenks.

“I mean,” Jordan said, his voice barely above a mumble. “I’m alright at it.”

“Got any scissors with you?”

Jordan’s blonde eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Don’t we have to warm up?”

David checked his phone. “We’ve got another twenty minutes before you need to get out there.”

Jordan’s brows furrowed as he looked at David, like he was trying to figure out what his angle was. Honestly, David wasn’t entirely sure what he was trying to accomplish by letting one of his players cut his hair. All that he knew was that the second the team had started arguing about corgi butts, the feeling in the room shifted.

“Fine.” Jordan reached into his locker, grabbing a leather dopp kit and looking up at David. “Where are we doing this?”

The team jumped into action, dragging a folding chair into the group shower. Someone produced a towel, and next thing he knew David had stripped out of his sweater, leaving him in an undershirt with a towel slung over his shoulders.

“Alright boys,” Jordan said, looking around at the guys that had crammed into the shower to surround David. “What are we doing with this mop?”

David grinned as the guys laughed. It was the first glimmer of humor he’d seen from the senior, and something that felt a lot like pride warmed his chest. He didn’t give a shit that he was the butt of the joke. He’d take it any day if it meant seeing these guys come together.

Ten minutes later, he was looking at himself in the mirror, shocked into silence as he turned his head back and forth.

“Damn,” he said, unable to believe what Jordan had been able to do.

The sides were trimmed enough that the hair sat neatly, and he’d left the top long enough that it fell back from his face but wouldn’t fall into his eyes. The back was also trimmed up from his neck, and already he felt more comfortable without the constant itch of hair on his skin.

He looked good. Objectively good. Like a man who had his shit together and who people would listen to. Who knew the power of a goddamn haircut?

“Coach, you’re looking good for an old guy,” one of the younger players called out. There was another ripple of laughter that ran through the room, and David chuckled as he pulled his sweater back on.

He walked over to Jordan, who was putting his things away in his locker. “I owe you lunch,” he said, extending a hand. “Best haircut I’ve ever had.”

Jordan blushed, but shook David’s hand. “It’s no problem, Coach.”

David returned to the middle of the room, watching his guys settle back into their spots.

They weren’t his in the sense that he hadn’t chosen them. He hadn’t watched their high school games or recruited them. He hadn’t been the one to share the news that they’d get the chance to fulfill the dream of playing college basketball.

But they were his now. They were his team, and he was reminded of what an honor it was to get to be here in the room with them.

“I’ve been tough on you this year,” he said, making sure to keep his eyes roving over the group as he spoke. “There’s a lot of talent in this room, and it’s hard to watch us not pull out wins when we have so much going for us. But that’s not how this sport works. You can be the best shooter in the world, but if your confidence is shaken, you can’t make a shot to save your life.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry if I’ve taken that confidence from you. You were all chosen to be in this room because you’re talented players who have earned your spot on a college roster.”

David focused his gaze on Jordan, who was looking down at his tightly clasped hands in his lap. “This is our last game before you all go home to spend a few days with your families. I want you all to go into those days without the weight of past games on your shoulders.”

Shifting back to the rest of the group, he realized that, for the first time that season, every single one of them was hanging on to every word he said.

“The only way I know how to do that is to go out there and share the weight. Share the responsibility of stopping the ball. Share the need to get every rebound and the determination to get the ball in the hoop. If you do that, then regardless of the outcome, all of us here in this room will leave tonight knowing that what happened out there was our best.”

Every player was looking at him, and a few nodded along as he wrapped up his speech. He looked over at Jordan and then at Jenks, who both watched him with obvious determination on their faces. “Captains,” he continued, speaking to the two seniors. “Come up with a game plan for tonight. You’ve seen the tape. You know who these guys are. Take ten to talk with the team, and then bring the plan to me.”

With one last nod at the group, David turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

“What the hell did you say to them?” Tim asked, leaning over into David’s space as the home crowd cheered when Jordan hit another three.

“All I did was let them give me a haircut,” David replied, unable to keep the huge smile from his face. He looked up at the scoreboard. They were only down 35 - 30 coming up to the end of the half.

They were playing their asses off, making Greenville fight to earn every point. At Jordan and Jenks’ suggestions, they’d dropped any attempt at half-court pressure and focused instead on protecting the basket and getting their bigger guys into position to rebound.

And then there was the fact that Jordan couldn’t miss a shot. He didn’t celebrate his makes; his face remained stoic and almost expressionless as his teammates celebrated around him, but he returned their high fives and even shouted an occasional “Let’s go, boys.”

It was the shift that the guys needed.

As the clock counted down to the half, Monty and Matty scoring brought them within a point of Greenville, who couldn’t get a shot off before the buzzer.

The team couldn’t help but celebrate as they ran into the locker room. A part of David wanted to remind them that they were still losing, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. The fact that they were so close with a team like this was worth celebrating.

As had become customary, David, Tim, and Sage hung back in the hallway outside the locker room to give the players a minute and to give the coaches a chance to talk over their game plan.

“Must have been a hell of a haircut,” Tim said, a grin on his face as he leaned against the wall opposite of where David stood. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jordan play like that.”

David glanced over at Sage, who’d had that crooked smile on her face for the entire first half. Even as her fingers had tapped away on the tablet, the smile never wavered.

She looked incredible in the blue blazer and pants that she frequently wore to games. Combined with the ponytail and heels, she looked like she should be the one sitting at the head of the bench.

“He’s 5 for 6 from the three,” she said, looking down at the tablet she held in her hands. Her eyes jumped up, meeting his gaze head on as she addressed him. “They’re playing out of their minds tonight, Coach.”

For some reason, hearing those words from her meant more than he could quantify.

“I don’t think I’m going to say much,” David said, looking over at Tim. “Just to keep doing what they’re doing.”

“Sounds good.” He gave a nod to David before going into the locker room.

David stood there frozen. Had Tim just given him a nod of approval? He rubbed a hand over his beard, a combination of embarrassment and pride warring in him as he berated himself for being so affected by the older man’s praise.

“Nice work,” he heard her say, and he blinked to see Sage standing in front of him with her fist extended.

He bumped his hand against hers. “Thanks, Lefty,” he said, remembering what it had been like to dance with her.

Dancing with her had been a mistake. Up until then, so much about her had been a product of his imagination. Was her skin soft? How would her body fit against his? How would she respond to his touch?

Now he knew too much.

He knew that her skin was soft like silk and yet cool to the touch. He knew that her body tucked perfectly against his, her height bringing her close enough that it was easy to whisper against her ear. He knew that she softened like butter in his arms.

He should have known better. Everyone knew that dancing with someone was the only foolproof way to suss out chemistry. If you moved together well on the dance floor, well, then chances were you’d be fucking electric in bed.

And damn if they hadn’t moved like they’d been dancing together for years.

Shaking his head, he realized he was alone in the hallway. He had a team to coach, and a goddamn game to win.

* * *

The sound in the locker room was deafening. Sweaty bodies leapt up and down, shouts and cheers filling the humid, sweat-stenched air.

They’d won.

It had been down to the wire, but in the final seconds, they’d managed to pull ahead, earning a 58 - 57 win. His post-game speech had only lasted about three seconds: “I’m incredibly proud of what you guys did out there together,” followed by a few more words from Tim calling out the players who’d had a stand-out game.

Now, in the wake of it all the guys were celebrating, bouncing around like puppies, and David watched, not even trying to keep the wide, relieved smile from his face.

“You staying around here for the break?”

He glanced over at Tim, who stood beside him. “Yeah, I’ll be sticking around.”

“The wife and I would love to have you over for dinner,” Tim said, keeping his gaze trained on the antics of the players. “Just let me know what night would work for you.”

David cleared his throat. Damn the old man throwing curve balls tonight. “Sure,” he managed to choke out, feeling a bit overwhelmed by whatever emotion was causing his chest to tighten. “That’d be great, Tim. Thank you.”

Tim nodded, clasping him on the shoulder with one of his weathered hands. “See you soon then,” he said, before shouting one last ‘Good work’ to the boys and heading out the door.

David’s eyes caught on Sage, who was weaving her way through the guys, snatching up the discarded warm up shirts and tossing them into the laundry cart in the corner. “Make sure all your stuff goes in the cart,” she shouted over the noise. “Just because you’re winners now doesn’t mean you get to be all sloppy.”

“Come on, Sage!” Monty called. “You know we’ll keep the young ones in line for you.”

Zephyr balled up a towel and tossed it at Monty’s head. “Stop talking like you’re one of the old guys, kid.”

Monty caught it and threw it right back. “I’m only five months younger than you, ass-”

“Language!” David called out, his voice croaking and broken like it always was after a game.

“Asshole can’t be a bad word, Coach,” Patrick said, scratching at his blonde hair. “It’s anatomical.”

Sage snorted, shaking her head as she walked over to join David. One hand reached into her pocket and produced the paper wrapped throat lozenge that he’d come to expect after every game. She threw it to him and he caught it easily, unpeeling the wrapper and then popping it into his mouth.

“Thank you,” he said, offering her a smile.

She returned his look with a grin of her own. He noticed her gaze lingered on his hair.

“What do you think?” he asked, pointing to his head.

Sage took a moment, her bright green eyes darting from side to side as she took him in. Her cheeks flushed as she looked him in the eye. “You look good,” she said, keeping her voice quiet enough that her words were very clearly intended just for the two of them. “Way too good.”

He wished they were alone. He wished that he could draw her into his arms and tell her just how relieved he was that they’d won, how his eyes kept seeking her out during the game, how just seeing her at the end of the bench made him feel stronger.

“You’re going to do Christmas with me,” he heard himself saying. He probably should have phrased that like a question.

Sage blinked, her lips parting. “Uh, okay.”

“Good.”

“I get to cook though,” she added, raising a brow at him.

“Sure. Whatever you want.” David smiled down at her, feeling so damn lucky that he’d stumbled into an existence that included Sage Fogerty.

So goddamn lucky.

* * *

“What are we cooking for Christmas?”

Sage braced her elbows against the handle of the shopping cart, and it took monumental effort for David to ignore the way her black leggings stretched over her ass and thighs.

He shook himself. “We’re going to do the thing you talked about, where everyone cooks their favorite thing.”

Sage stood up, turning to face him. “Really?” Her expression tightened as she looked at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to do whatever your family does?”

“No,” David said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie to keep from reaching for her. “I don’t like cranberry sauce, so it’s all good.”

Snorting, Sage turned back to the cart, starting to walk slowly down the aisle. “So what are you going to make?”

“Loaded tots.” It was an easy decision. David was a simple man, really. Tater tots, Daisy and a woman in leggings were all he needed to be happy.

“Nice. I’m going to make burgers.” She paused, as though thinking. “And something green. You need to eat more green stuff.”

David scoffed. “There was lettuce and onions on the sandwich I ate yesterday.”

“That barely counts,” Sage replied. “You said your friend was coming too, right?”

Right . He’d invited Chuck, who had the same shortened break due to the swimming team’s schedule. His friend had teased him ruthlessly at the fact that they were going to be spending Christmas at his intern’s apartment, but David brushed it off. He and Sage were friends, and he stood by the fact that it wasn’t weird for them to be spending the holiday together.

Not weird at all.

“Chuck will make something good,” David said, grabbing a bag of marshmallows and tossing it into the cart. “He’s a good cook like you.”

Sage looked between him and the bag.

“What? I like my hot chocolate with marshmallows.” He scratched at his beard. “And sometimes I eat them plain when I’m feeling especially festive.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and grinned.

Sage laughed another one of her snorting laughs, shaking her head as she steered them up another aisle.

“I was also thinking,” David started, “that, depending on what you have going on, maybe we could hang out on Christmas Eve and do the book exchange thing you were talking about.”

The cart stopped, and David turned, trying to gauge Sage’s reaction by the expression on her face. She looked carefully blank in that moment, her lips parting as she stared at him.

Immediately, he tried to backpedal. “Sorry, that’s probably too much. We’re already doing Christmas, and I shouldn’t assume that you want to spend more time with me than you already are, I…shit, I’m sorry, and —”

“David.” Sage reached out and grabbed his wrist. Her skin was so cold against his, and he had the irrational urge to take her hand in his until some of his warmth transferred to her. “Spending time with you is honestly the best part of my week.” She smiled, and David’s chest ached. “Trust me, if I don’t want to hang out, I’ll tell you.”

David swallowed. “Okay.”

“So that’s a yes to Christmas Eve. We can do it at my place, and then Christmas at yours?”

“Deal.”

* * *

“What should I wear?” David shouted from his closet. It was midmorning on Christmas, and he was still wearing the sweats and t-shirt he’d slept in the night before.

He’d gone to Sage’s place, where they’d exchanged books — a new mystery by a British author he’d never heard of for him, and a Western romance set in Canada his mom had sworn was amazing for Sage. She’d made tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, just like she’d said, and they’d posted up on opposite ends of the couch to eat and read.

It was probably the best Christmas Eve he’d ever had.

“Wear that sweater your mom got you!” Chuck called out. He’d shown up early with coffee and doughnuts, and they’d spent the morning watching Sports Center and taking Daisy for a long walk.

“And pants?”

“Jeans, or those brown corduroys you never wear would be good.”

David grabbed the corduroys. “Seriously, what would I do without you?”

“Dress like a seventeen year old gym-rat,” Chuck shouted.

Chuckling, David finished pulling on his clothes before joining Chuck in the living room.

“You look good, man,” his friend said from the kitchen. Chuck was making some sort of baked mac and cheese casserole, and had already started cooking.

“Are the decorations okay?”

David had spent a day or two trying to make his apartment look somewhat festive and seasonal. He’d bought the tiniest live tree they’d had at the store, along with some red and gold balls and lights. He’d also bought a few candles that were supposed to smell like a pine forest, and had Christmas music going on his phone.

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“The place looks great,” Chuck reassured him, before letting out a low laugh. “You need to chill out.”

“I am chill!” Of course David shouted in the least-chill way possible right as someone knocked on the door.

Chuck’s laughs rang out from the kitchen as he walked to the front door.

“Jesus,” David muttered, running a hand through his hair. He still wasn’t used to the fact that he could wake up in the morning and not fight a losing battle to tame his hair into submission. “Get your shit together.”

He opened the door.

“Merry — holy shit.”

Sage stood on his doorstep, looking like something out of a personalized David Hughes Christmas fantasy.

Her hair was pulled back from her face in one of those braids that started on the top of her head and then went all the way down her back. Something sparkly was brushed onto her eyelids, making the green of her eyes shine like the color was something living.

She wore a silky red dress that left most of her bare legs exposed, and when he glanced down, he almost choked. There was no missing the two tight buds of her nipples pressed against the red fabric, and he felt the heat of arousal flare low in his belly. A red and orange flannel shirt hung open on her shoulders, and of course she was wearing her Nikes.

Of course she was.

“Hi,” she said, almost hesitantly.

“You look beautiful.” The words spilled from him before he could remember that those were the thoughts he was supposed to keep to himself.

She held his gaze even as her cheeks flushed and she smiled. “You look pretty beautiful yourself, Coach.”

David realized he was still posted up in the middle of the doorway like some sort of hulking bouncer, and shuffled to the side to let Sage in. “Please come in.”

Sage carried at least two of those cloth reusable grocery bags, and she paused only to toe off her shoes before carrying them to the kitchen.

“Hey,” Chuck said, waving from where he stood behind the counter. “You must be Sage.”

“And you must be Chuck,” she replied, going to join him in the kitchen. “Swimming coach, right?”

“Yeah. It’s nice to meet you,” Chuck said. “I should thank you, you know.”

Sage had already started unloading her bags and making herself at home. David hovered just outside the kitchen, unsure of how he was supposed to help. “And why’s that,” she asked.

“Thanks to you, this idiot has stopped showing up at my house every other day with groceries.”

“Hey!” David protested. “You like it when I bring you groceries.”

Chuck rolled his eyes as he tossed his head to get his hair out of his eyes. “I like it when you come to hang out, Hughes. I just don’t know how to handle it when you bring a year’s supply of toilet paper.”

“That was once! You’d mentioned you were almost out.”

“Dude, we’re over thirty. I can mention that I need something without you jumping onto your white horse to save me from potential bathroom disasters.”

“So you’re saying you want me to stop bringing you olives?”

Chuck’s eyes snapped up. “No. You can keep bringing the olives.”

“I like this guy,” Sage commented, obviously amused, as she rummaged through the cabinets.

“Me or him?” Chuck asked.

“Both,” she replied, but she smiled at David in a way that made him hope that, just maybe, her words meant something different when it came to him.

Conversation and banter flowed easily as they finished cooking, and soon enough they were sitting down to the best combination of foods David had ever consumed in a single sitting. There were burgers, tater tots loaded with cheese and bacon, a mac and cheese casserole, roasted broccoli, a salad with goat cheese and fruit on it that was surprisingly delicious, and then a huge variety of holiday cookies that his mom had sent. Chuck had brought some dark beers, and Sage had brought a bottle of peach wine.

Afterwards, they sat sprawled around the living room. David had tried to offer Sage the couch, but she’d insisted on sitting on the floor. Of course, Daisy immediately curled up with her head on Sage’s thigh, and David smiled as he watched her scratch absently at Daisy’s ears.

“So what do you guys have planned for the team when they get back?” Chuck asked from the other end of the couch.

David shrugged. “Practices. Maybe some community service.”

“Dude,” Chuck said, giving David a look like he was missing something obvious.

“What?”

“You’ve got to make it fun,” Chuck explained, shifting his beer from one hand to the other. “They’re leaving their families to come back to school early, and you can only practice so much in a day. I always make them do team bonding stuff, like cooking meals at the older swimmers’ houses, or doing silly scavenger hunts around the city. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what they’re doing as long as they’re doing it together and it leaves them too exhausted to get into trouble at the end of the day.”

David glanced over at Sage, who was nodding along with what Chuck was saying. “What do you think?”

“It’s a good idea. The team doesn’t have that tight-knit vibe yet.”

“Will you help me plan some stuff?”

Sage smiled at him. “For sure.”

Chuck pushed up to standing. “Hughes, Sage, refill?”

David shook his head. “Nah, I’m good.”

Sage nodded, handing her glass off to Chuck before turning back to David. “I got you something.”

“Me?”

She exhaled a soft laugh. “Yeah, you.” She got up from the couch, and he couldn’t help but watch her long legs as she went over to her stuff and pulled out a brown paper bag with a piece of red ribbon tied around the handles.

She handed the bag to him before returning to her spot on the floor.

David looked down at the bag and then back up at her, sudden regret curdling his stomach. “I didn’t get you anything,” he admitted. Why the hell hadn’t he gotten her anything?

Sage looked up at him with an indulgent smile. “David. You gave me a book last night and now you’re hosting me for Christmas. That’s more than enough.”

It wasn’t. It wasn’t even close to enough.

“Open it,” Sage prompted.

Still stuck on the fact that he’d failed to get Sage a Christmas present, David tugged the ribbon free and took out the green tissue paper that covered whatever the bag contained. Reaching a hand in, his fingers met a hard, smooth surface. A mug? He pulled it out.

It was a little ceramic pot that was shaped like a dachshund. It was small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, and set into the top was a plant with two glossy, green leaves.

He exhaled a soft, low laugh. “It’s adorable,” he said, looking up and catching Sage’s pleased smile. “I can’t promise I’ll keep it alive, but I’ll sure as hell try.”

“Oh, David’s for sure going to kill that,” Chuck said, walking back in with Sage’s wine and another beer for himself.

Sage crossed her legs under herself. “It’s really not that complicated. You already keep a dog alive!”

Chuck laughed loudly. “You’d be amazed at how tragically inept he is at taking care of green things.”

“Thank you,” David said loudly to Sage, pointedly ignoring Chuck. “I really do love it.”

“You’re welcome,” Sage replied as her cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink, and David wondered if maybe she’d come over every day, just so he could feel the way that the tightness in his chest loosened whenever she was around.

Chuck cleared his throat. “So are we watching Elf or Bad Santa first?”

David jumped up, grabbing the cookies and a few extra blankets as Chuck and Sage bickered about the merits of watching one movie first or the other. He settled back on the couch as the — correct — decision was made to start with Elf .

Chuck got the movie queued up while Sage moved from her spot on the floor so that she could see the TV. She looked up at David before glancing down at the open spot of carpet in front of his spot on the couch.

Wordlessly, he nodded, spreading his legs so that there was space for her.

He caught her floral scent as she settled in front of him, leaning her back against the couch between his legs. Her shoulders were pressed to the inside of his calves.

David closed his eyes. Settle down , he tried to command his traitorous body, but she was just so goddamn close. He wanted to reach out and grab her braid, tugging her head back until her lips were tilted up like an offering.

It would be so easy.

But then there was Chuck, looking over at him with absolute delight in his eyes as he muffled a laugh.

He took back everything he’d ever said about Chuck being a good friend.

As the opening credits began, David tried to relax as much as he could while resigning himself to battling the overwhelming sense that he was supposed to be touching the woman in front of him.