Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 816(@200wpm)___ 653(@250wpm)___ 544(@300wpm)
Jean didn’t know how to handle or process these undeserved kindnesses; in no universe could he ask for more than what he’d already gotten. It was already unbearable—a coach was supposed to take, not give.
Aren’t they? he wondered, thinking of Wymack’s steadying presence this spring. It was enough to make his stomach ache. Were Rhemann and Wymack the exception to the rule, or were the Ravens’ coaches the wicked anomalies?
Rhemann was still waiting for a response. “No, Coach,” would only disappoint the man, and “You’ve done more than you should have, Coach,” sounded horrifically ungrateful. Jean couldn’t come up with a safe middle ground, so he stared at the dirt under his nails and said nothing.
Rhemann had no choice but to give up on him. With a weary sigh he changed topics and walked Jean through the layout of his vegetable patch. The garden was Adi’s idea, supposedly, and Rhemann had pushed back against it for years. He’d killed every single houseplant he ever brought home; why should he be trusted with a bigger project? But he’d eventually tried anyway, over and over and over until he finally figured it out. There were still setbacks, but Rhemann saw more successes than failures these days. The coach surveyed his crops with quiet pride, and Jean studied the greenery with new interest.
He’d never once considered growing anything, but as he turned a tomato between his fingers Jean wondered if there was enough room in the tiny backyard at home to try. Would it be too much trouble and effort in the long run, or would it be satisfying to tend something from seed to plate? Idly he wondered if peaches grew on vines or trees. He almost asked, but he didn’t know how Rhemann would react to his ignorance.
The back door creaked open then, and Jeremy stepped out onto the path to consider them. He hadn’t brought his crutch with him; perhaps he hadn’t been lying that last night’s coddling was mere precaution. The tense set to Jeremy’s mouth looked more like worry than pain as he studied Jean’s face. Jean let him look his fill, offering no greetings or reassurances, and finally Jeremy remembered his manners.
“Good morning, Coach. How’s my pumpkin coming along?”
“Haven’t killed it yet, but I’ve still got a few weeks.” Rhemann clapped dirt from his hands before turning back to Jean. He held the bucket of vegetables out in offering and said, “These are for you. Keep the bucket if you can figure out a use for it and toss it if you can’t. I swear we’ve got at least ten of them around here somewhere, so I don’t need it back.”
Jean hesitated before taking hold of it. “Thank you, Coach.”
“Go on, now,” Rhemann said as he got to his feet.
Jean stood and dusted his knees off one-handed. Rhemann walked the two of them to the side gate so he could unlock it for them, but he didn’t follow them through. He motioned to Jeremy and said, “Be careful if you stop by the stadium for his things. Security should be on high alert, but I’d rather not leave anything to chance.” He waited for Jeremy’s serious nod before glancing over at Jean and adding, “Keep an eye on each other, and let us know if you need anything.”
“Yes, Coach,” was the chorused response, and Jeremy led Jean away.
A narrow path took them to the front of the house. An unfamiliar car was side-by-side with Jean’s at the head of the driveway, and Rhemann’s creaky ride was parked behind them. There wasn’t really room for Jeremy’s car, but he’d done his best to fit. It meant most of his trunk was poking out into the road, but there didn’t seem to be much traffic around here. Sprawling houses and sculpted trees lined both sides of the quiet street.
Jeremy preceded him to the passenger door, but instead of opening it he turned to study Jean. Inevitably his gaze dropped to the bruises circling Jean’s neck, and Jeremy’s face fell.
“I knew it was a bad idea,” Jeremy admitted, so quiet Jean could barely hear him despite how close they were standing. “You’ve never really talked about Zane, but the careful way you avoided bringing him up made me suspect he was a problem. I didn’t trust him, and I didn’t want you to leave with him, but I didn’t think I had any right to refuse you. Then Lucas practically pulled Coach off his feet saying Zane was trying to kill you, and I—” Jeremy couldn’t finish it.
Technically Zane wanted to kill Lucas, but Jean couldn’t get into that. He knew what assumptions Jeremy would make about Grayson and Zane if Jean put that target on Lucas’s back, and he didn’t have the strength to deal with it right now: no stomach for the ugly truth, and no interest in a lie that would erase Zane’s sins. It was easier to focus on the rest of it: that Lucas had gone running for help after he escaped. Jean hadn’t stopped to wonder how Rhemann made it to them so quickly.