Page 7 of Hard Count (Newhouse University #4)

NASH

I park my car in a familiar driveway in front of a modest single family home. It’s one I’ve visited more times than I can count the last few years. Unlike for team meetings and barbecues, tonight I invited myself over. I need to talk to him about changing up how we run a few of our plays.

I’ve spent hours—days—watching game film.

After my ass chewing from Coach for fighting, I went straight to the media room and collected as many of our old games as I could find.

Her words sat with me for days. It took me watching, rewinding, and watching the tape again and again to see exactly what she was talking about.

I wanted her to be wrong. However, it’s clear as day in the way I move my hands.

Drew, the gorgeous girl from the bar and my nursemaid, who I now know has the most perfect set of tits. Fuck . It was funny at first seeing her stuck on the shelf. I was planning on teasing her about it. Then she readjusted her body to get a better grip and her shirt went with her.

I didn't like the idea of Eli or anyone else seeing her body exposed. Especially when it was out of her control. A switch flipped inside me and my protective nature came out. I’ve always looked out for my sister, even though she’s older. When I met her best friend, Lauren, I treated her the same.

This instinct I feel when I'm around Drew is different.

I wasn't just feeling protective. It was also something more possessive. It felt like she was mine, and mine alone to take care of. Putting aside her tendency to insult me, she was made to be in my arms. I know it was rude for me to rush off with no more than a goodbye but if I didn’t hide behind the shopping cart she would have seen how hard I was from her little peep show.

Shaking away the thoughts of Drew, I ring the doorbell.

I need to focus on the task at hand. Telling Coach that he’s failed to notice obvious missteps with how we’ve been performing won’t be easy.

I respect the man. He’s a good head coach.

A little set in his ways, but he knows how to lead and bring a team together.

The door opens and he greets me. “Right on time. Come in.” He steps back and gestures for me to enter.

“Good evening, sir,” I say as I pass him. He pats my shoulder. “Thank you for having me over.”

“The door is always open. You’re welcome any time. I’ll admit your message has me intrigued.” He raises an eyebrow.

I follow behind him through the living room and into the kitchen. “It’s not anything that can’t wait. Can I help with dinner?” I’m not much of a chef but I’ve always helped my mom when she'd let me in the kitchen. It was usually only to stir or mix something she already put together .

“Do you want to get the plates down? I’ll slice the tomatoes and pull the fries out of the oven. Everything is almost ready. I hope you’re hungry for burgers.”

“Burgers sound great.” Perfect actually. My stomach even growls in appreciation. I grab two plates from the upper cabinet over the dishwasher and place them on the island.

“Grab one more, will you?” he asks after taking a quick glance at the plates I stacked by the lettuce and onions.

“Is someone else joining us?”

He slides his hand into an oven mitt and retrieves the hand cut steak fries. “Yes, my,” he starts to say as the back door opens behind me. Does he have a girlfriend? Through the gossip mill I know he got divorced a few years after he became the head coach at Newhouse.

“Burgers are done,” a sweet, raspy voice comes from behind me. I know that voice. It's the same one I've imagined moaning my name once or twice. “Oh.” She stumbles over her feet when she notices me standing between the kitchen sink and island. “I didn’t know we were having a guest.”

“Nash, this is my daughter, Drew. She recently moved to town,” he says.

Drew is Coach’s daughter. Oh fuck, this is not good.

I’ve been thinking about her boobs all day.

Of course the girl that I find intriguing in a way I’ve never have before would be off limits.

This is a sign if I ever saw one that I need to keep my head in the game.

I'm not interested in messing around with my coach's daughter. But you are interested in Drew . Shit .

“She’ll be attending Newhouse.” I don’t miss the fact that he didn’t introduce Drew to me. Proving once again she’s known who I was before we ran into each other at the bar.

Her love of football makes sense. She probably grew up around the game since Coach Prescott lives and breathes it. I shouldn’t be surprised he passed that down to his kid. It still doesn’t explain her ability to break down stats the way she does.

She quietly sets the platter of burgers on the island next to the buns and begins straightening all the condiments. Her hair is twisted into a messy knot on her head. Sweat glistens on her forehead where stray hairs are now glued to the side of her face. It only adds to her appeal.

Her shoulders are bare except for the thin straps of her blue tank top. My eyes continue to drift over her body. She shifts uncomfortably under my stare. Pert nipples press against the cotton fabric of her shirt. Her body is either reacting to the air conditioned room or me.

Why do I want it to be from me? Fuck ! My eyes snap back to her face. It’s not much safer. Without a scrap of makeup on her skin, she’s gorgeous.

“Nice to meet you.” I hold my hand out over the island.

Her eyes narrow slightly before placing her palm in mine.

Anger radiates off her in waves yet a sense of contentment settles over me.

Having Drew here eliminates some of the anxiousness I was feeling.

She’s the reason I want to have this conversation to begin with. I could use her as an ally .

Coach isn’t one for change. If it isn’t broken, he won’t fix it. He also doesn’t have the same attention to detail his daughter does otherwise he would have seen all the places the team is falling apart.

“Likewise,” she grumbles. Coach’s back is turned as he plates up the fries. I round the island and slide next to her.

“You never mentioned you were Prescott's kid,” I whisper.

“You never asked.”

“I didn’t know he had a kid to ask about.” Coach isn't much of a decorator. There isn't a family photo to be found in his house. He has one framed photo on his office desk on campus but I've never bothered to see if it was his kid.

She bristles and rolls her lips. I wince regretting how that came out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…he…” I trip over my words. “We don’t talk about family.”

“It’s fine. He only has one when it’s convenient,” she snarks. “We should eat,” she announces, getting her dad’s attention, while I’m left slack-jawed. That doesn’t sound like the man I know. He’s a family man. That’s how he treats every player on the team.

“Yes. Nash, help yourself.” He hands me a plate. Drew drops her head and fiddles with her hands. What happened to the wildcat I met at the bar? The fierce girl who wouldn’t back down is shrinking before my eyes.

“Ladies first,” I say, passing the plate to her. Hesitantly, she removes it from my hand and spares her dad a glance. He gives the briefest nod. If you weren’t paying attention you would miss their small interaction. I have to remind myself she isn’t my concern.

Whatever is happening in their relationship is not for me to fix or figure out.

I’ve tried that once before and it backfired in my face.

I invaded my sister’s relationship with my best friend and ended up making everything worse.

When I tried to help them put their relationship back together, it was almost too late.

Silently, we grab buns, burgers, and add condiments. The air in the room is taut as they maneuver around each other like strangers at a salad bar. Polite enough but irritated when they have to wait for the other to finish with the ketchup. This is a family dynamic I’m not used to.

I grin as she piles pickles on top of her burger and a backup pile on the side. “Are you settling in at your new place?” I ask, as I load my plate with steak fries. The knife in her hand stills momentarily before she finishes cutting her burger in half.

“Yes. I still need a few more things but it’s livable now that I have the necessities,” she answers with pink cheeks.

Her eyes meet mine over the island briefly as she reaches for her dipping sauce of choice.

She nibbles at her lip while staying hyper focused on the ranch dressing she’s squirting on her plate for her fries.

“If you stayed with me, you would have everything you need,” Coach interjects, giving her a pointed look. “You have a room here for free,” he adds as he makes his way to the back door.

“Nothing is free. There’s always a price to pay,” she mumbles to herself. With a heavy sigh she backs away from the counter and strides over to a cabinet full of cups and mugs. “Sweet tea or water?” she asks, pulling down several mason jar glasses.

“Water’s fine. Is everything okay?” I stop her with a hand on her forearm as she fills one of the glasses with ice. She shifts her eyes to my hand. It seems she’s as affected by my touch as I am hers.

“Of course.” Her forced smile says otherwise. “Why wouldn’t it be?” she asks, lost in a trance watching the water slowly fill my cup.

“I don’t know. It got a little awkward for a moment.”

She laughs humorlessly. “Really? It felt normal to me.” She hands me my water then pours two glasses of tea for her and her dad. “We shouldn’t keep him waiting.” Balancing two glasses in the palm of one hand she glides past me, grabbing her plate with her free hand on the way.

I nod in agreement but it doesn’t ease any of the unrest I'm feeling. Not your problem , I remind myself. I have my own issues to bring up with Coach. I don’t need to pile Drew’s on top of them. Even though it’s unusual to me, it doesn’t mean there is something wrong with their relationship.