Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 122219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
My heartbeat quickened as those words left his mouth, knowing I was the one who taught him the Footloose technique all those years before. It was something I learned from my mom when I was a little girl and anxiety would swallow me whole. When life was too much, we would take a break to shake off the pressure that was building up. I hadn’t used that technique in such a long time, but to see Nathan use it on Cameron did something to my soul that I couldn’t quite describe.
I tried to push the feeling away and went back to my focus on Cameron.
I held my breath the whole time I watched him get into position.
The pitcher was in his zone.
The players were ready on base.
The ball was released.
Cameron swung.
And he hit!
Not only did he hit, but he freaking smashed the heck out of the ball. It soared, too, going over the stadium, which meant Cameron Fisher just hit a grand slam.
A grand freaking slam!
And he made it look easy.
I started shouting and jumping up and down, with Nathan doing the same beside me as each player rounded the bases, hitting their home runs. The moment Cameron made it around, the whole team rushed over and started jumping all over him, cheering like wild.
We won…
We won!
Without thought, I wrapped my arms around Nathan as we continued to leap up and down in pure shock from Cameron knocking it out of the field!
I didn’t know I could feel so damn happy from one hit. My happiness was more than winning the game, though. It was about Cameron finding his confidence, finding his strength in the midnight hour, and showing up not only for the team, but for himself, too.
That was why I did what I did.
That was why I loved this sport so much.
The crew all shook hands with the opposing team, and their coaches shook hands with us.
“That was damn impressive, Coach K,” Coach Riley said from the opposing team. “It seems you and Coach P have a good thing going on over here. The other teams you have coming up should be prepared for challenging runs with your team. Great game.”
I thanked him, still feeling as if my heart was going to explode from my chest. The amount of pride I had swirling in me was almost all-consuming.
After the game, I had all the guys meet in the stands to tell them how proud I was of them. The energy burst shooting through everyone was something worthy of the movies. I knew it seemed like a basic win to the outside world, but for us, it stood as a shift. Things were changing for us, and I knew if we kept moving forward, we could go far this year.
It had been a long time since I’d felt so hopeful.
After the team headed home, I went to my office, still high as a kite. Not long after, Nathan came in, clapping his hands together in celebration. “Can you believe that?!” he exclaimed, his energy still an eleven out of ten. I couldn’t blame him because I was also still bursting at the seams.
I walked over to him and shoved his shoulder. “What the heck?” I laughed in complete awe, shaking my head. “That was fucking phenomenal.”
He playfully shoved me back. “I can’t believe it. Those guys were on fire.”
I shoved him back, and he playfully fell backward, landing against the edge of my desk. “It was like they were high. Jackson, Caleb, Tommy, Cameron! Freaking Cameron! I can’t believe it! What in the world did you say to him? I saw his energy lift before the dancing happened. What did you say?”
“I told him what I wish I would’ve heard during some games when the pressure felt so high and all on me,” he explained, placing his hands against the edge of my desk. “I told him that he was good enough, no matter what happened, and that the world wasn’t resting on his shoulders.”
My breathing slowed as I stared at him in complete awe.
“Nathan?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re a fucking remarkable coach.”
His smile reflected our shared triumph that afternoon, and for what felt like the first time, we were coasting on the same wave, feeling the same feelings as one another, completely in sync.
“Avery?” he said.
“Yes?”
“You’re a fucking remarkable coach.”
And just like that, everything began to shift.
In the afterglow of the electrifying baseball victory, the air in my office felt supercharged with excitement and relief as I studied Nathan. His biceps were on full display as he held the edge of my desk with a wicked smile of bliss plastered against his mouth. My eyes danced around and peered at the walls adorned with strategies and team rosters, signs that spoke of the countless hours of dedication Nathan and I had put in over the past few weeks. This wasn’t just my win. This was ours.