Love's Sporting Chance: Volume 1: 6 Romantic sporting novellas Page 2

  Rusty put his hands up in the air, a clear sign of defeat. “Okay, okay. No more matchmaking—from me or my gal. And I promise not to try to pair you up with that new figure skating coach, either.”

  “Wait…what?” Kevin stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze firmly planted on his uncle’s face.

  “You know. The coach. The one I told you about.”

  “I know you recommended a new coach, Uncle Rusty, but I assumed you meant for the guys. A hockey coach.”

  “Why would we need one of those?” His uncle slapped him on the back. “You’re the best in town. We could never replace you.”

  “Wait. Go back. Let’s talk about the figure skating coach. Tell me it’s a mistake. You couldn’t possibly mean that—”

  “She’s great. Pretty, too. I saw her picture. Serious competitor. Almost made it to Nationals a few years back. I think you’re gonna like her.”

  “Uncle Rusty, we don’t have a figure skating program.”

  “Right. We don’t.” His uncle released a slow breath and gave him a lengthy stare. “But we’re going to. And it’s going to be the best program anyone in the city of Houston has ever seen. Got it, son?”

  Yeah, he got it all right. His uncle had finally snapped…and all because of a woman.

  Chapter Two

  The following Tuesday afternoon J.J. pulled her car into the parking lot at The Big Skate. After slipping the vehicle into Park she glanced at the building, surprised at the level of deterioration. Wow. In just a few short years this place had gone from bad to just plain awful. Not that The Big Skate had ever compared with the Galleria’s top-of-the-line rink, but…really? Couldn’t the owner paint the exterior? Gussy the place up a little? Replace the torn aluminum siding, maybe, or at least prop up the pieces that were hanging? Did he have to let it fall down around him?

  She hesitated to get out of the car but a text message from Ann-Marie propelled her to action. J.J. grabbed the bag that held her skates and coaching gear, then headed toward the door.

  Before she could enter, the dingy glass door swung open and a handful of foul-mouthed teenage boys lumbered out. She recognized the wet-puppy smell right away. Ugh. Stinky hockey gear. Sweaty uniforms. Gross.

  “Oh, sorry, Ma’am.” A lanky kid with blonde hair held the door for her in dramatic fashion and a couple of the other guys paused to stare. One even whistled. Terrific. Obviously they didn’t get a lot of females around here.

  “Dude, that’s a girl,” one of the boys said, his jaw hanging down.

  “Ain’t seen one’a them in ages,” the one with curly red hair added. “Less you count Chrissy.”

  “She don’t count,” the blonde said. “She’s married.”

  “Divorced. Remember?” The redhead jabbed him with his elbow, then extended his hand in J.J.’s direction. “I’m Frankie.”

  She took his hand for the shortest handshake in the history of the world, then muttered her name and took off inside, their catcalls and whistles echoing behind her.

  J.J. passed through a cluttered, smelly lobby and into the opening that led to the rink. Seconds later she came face to face with Ann-Marie, who greeted her with a big hug.

  “I thought that must be you, J.J. The guys gave you the official welcome?”

  “Guess you could say that.” She did her best not to roll her eyes. “Someone needs to tell them I’m nearly twice their age.”

  “Please.” Ann-Marie laughed. “You’re twenty-five.”

  “Twenty-six next month. But who’s counting? And it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a hockey rink.” She wrinkled her nose. “But one never forgets the smell.” A quick glance around revealed a beaten-down framework with broken plexi-glass walls surrounding choppy ice. “Wow.”

  “Yeah, I know. Welcome to paradise…or at least one little corner of it.”

  J.J. caught a glimpse of a hockey player headed her way. Great. Another one.

  No, this one was older. Looked to be about her age, not a teen. And wow…what a looker. Dark hair. Gorgeous blue eyes. Solid build, too, and great stride. This guy could be on the cover of a sports magazine. If only he would smile.

  He took one look at her and his brow furrowed. “Can I help you?”

  Before she could respond, Ann-Marie jumped in. “Kevin, this is J.J., the figure skating coach we told you about. She’s here for her first lesson with Libby.”

  He grunted. “I don’t know what you and Uncle Rusty have up your sleeves, Ann-Marie, but keep your figure skaters out of the way of my boys or they’ll get plowed down.”

  “Before they even walk in the door,” J.J. muttered under her breath. She extended her hand. “I’m J.J. Williamson. And you are?”

  He gave her a curt nod then reached to grab a set of shoulder pads instead of taking her hand. “Kevin Harrison.”

  Before she could say, “Nice to meet you” he took off toward the locker room.

  She glanced at Ann-Marie and sighed. “Warm welcome. I really think I’m gonna like it here.”

  “You will, I promise. After a while.” The older woman’s lips turned up in a smile.

  “That warm welcome makes me want to head back to my apartment and run my coaching gear through the shredder. I’m happy to stick to my day job and forget we ever had this conversation.”

  “No, please stay. Libby’s mom just texted. They’re pulling into the parking lot now. Let’s just focus on her, okay?”

  “Sure. Excited to meet her.” A couple of minutes later, J.J. turned as she heard a girlish voice behind her. A beautiful young woman greeted Ann-Marie with a big hug and a squeal. The girl’s green eyes sparkled with merriment and her blonde ponytail bobbed as she bounced up and down. What really got to J.J., though, was the outfit. Talk about sequin overload.

  “You ready for a competition right here and now?” Ann-Marie asked after giving a little whistle. “This is some get-up, Libby.”

  A woman who looked like an older version of the youngster stepped into place alongside them. “She has been driving me crazy, wanting to wear this competition dress her dad bought at the Galleria. I told her I’d let her wear it if it made her want to work hard to achieve her goals.”

  “I’ll work so hard.” Libby squared her shoulders. “I promise.”

  Ann-Marie patted her on the back. “Well, good. I know another young skater who once promised to work really hard so that she could compete, too. And she went on to win lots of medals. Would you like to meet her?”

  “Mm-hmm!” Libby’s eyes widened.

  “Libby, meet J.J. Williamson. J.J., meet Libby Yarborough.”

  The youngster gave J.J. an admiring smile. “So, you used to compete, too?”

  “Yep.” She gestured at Ann-Marie. “This sweet lady here was my coach when I was your age. She’s been coaching for ages.”

  “Wow.” Libby looked back and forth between Ann-Marie and J.J.

  “I know, I know…I’m old.” Ann-Marie laughed. “You don’t have to tell me.”

  This garnered a chuckle from everyone.

  “So, let’s hit the ice, shall we? We’ll go through all of your basic jumps.” J.J. slung her bag onto a bench and reached inside for her skates.

  “Doubles?”

  “Eventually.” J.J. sat, pulled off her shoes, and grabbed the first skate. “We’ll start with singles. And spins. Basically, all of the moves you’ve learned as you’ve progressed up, level by level.” She continued working on the skates, surprised by how natural they still felt on her feet, even after all these years.

  “Why? I already know most of that stuff. I’ve got most of my doubles, too.”

  “I’m sure. But we need to lay a good foundation.” J.J. laced her first boot, then the second. “What good is a house if its foundation is rocky?”

  “Okay, got it.” Libby pulled off her skate guards and set them on the bench, then hit the ice, her body position solid from the minute she took off toward the center.

  J.J. watched the girl in action, fir
st showing off her spins and next advancing to jumps. She landed every single one with great precision, including her Axel. Then came the hard stuff. The double flip. Excellent. Double Lutz. Not bad. Double toe loop. Lovely. Double Axel. Hmm. Needed a little work, but nothing they couldn’t iron out in some private lessons.

  On the other side of the wall a couple of younger hockey players looked on. J.J. couldn’t tell if they were admiring Libby’s abilities or her over-the-top dress. Still, there was much to applaud, especially when one considered the girl’s young age and her strong work ethic.

  With the boys still watching, J.J. began to give Libby instruction for her spins. She ignored the fact that the pre-teen boys mimicked her moves from off the ice. Well, until Kevin happened by and put them in their place. Just about the time she thought he’d come around, she overheard him say, “Don’t get any dumb ideas, guys. If I see any of you trading in your hockey skates for toe-picks I’ll knock you off the team in a New York minute.”

  Alrighty then.

  She spent the next half hour meticulously guiding her young charge back through all of her basic moves once again—singles, doubles and more spins. Ann-Marie was right. This girl stayed centered better than most. More than that…Libby’s heart stayed centered, even when J.J. pressed her to give a hundred and ten percent. This kid really loved to skate. She wasn’t just in it for the glory or the applause, though a couple of the hockey skaters offered plenty of that. No, Libby was the real deal.

  And clearly Ann-Marie knew that. When the lesson ended, the older coach met J.J. at the rink’s edge, a smile on her face. “See? Told you.”

  Libby’s cheeks blazed pink as she reached for her blade guards. “I. Love. To. Skate!”

  “I see that.” J.J. patted her on the back. “And you’re very good at what you do.”

  “So are you.” The youngster gave her an admiring look. “Best. Coach. Ever.”

  “Aw, thanks. I’m a little rusty.”

  “No, I’m a little Rusty.” A male voice sounded from behind her. J.J. turned to discover Crusty Rusty standing there, a broad smile on his face. “But don’t hold it against me. I’m getting better with age.” He slipped his arm over Ann-Marie’s shoulder and planted a kiss in her hair. “If you don’t believe me, ask this fine lady right here.”

  “Indeed.” Ann-Marie nuzzled up against him. “We were just talking about what a good coach J.J. is. She’s going to set this place on fire with the new figure skating program.”

  J.J. fought the temptation to say that someone needed to set this old place on fire…then rebuild it. Instead, she pursed her lips and fought for the right words to explain her concerns. “I, um…well listen, guys…I do think that you could benefit from a figure skating program, but I’m so busy at my day job. You know? I mean, I have a few hours to give to Libby here and there, but a full program? I don’t know about that.” She tried not to let the sadness on Rusty’s face deter her. “I just have to be realistic.”

  “Maybe you could work here full-time.” The words came from Libby’s mom. “I would help you set up the program. I mean, I don’t coach, but I could help bring in other students. The Galleria program is so crowded and I know several of the girls over there have been looking for a new coach in a less stressful environment. You’d be perfect, J.J.”

  “I can’t just give up my job.” She shook her head. “It’s not that easy. But I promise to pray about it. Maybe I can take on a couple more students, if they can come in the evenings.” In that moment she was overcome with the need to sneeze. And then sneeze again. And again.

  Libby’s mom reached for a tissue and handed it to her. “I’ve been sneezing, too. Maybe it’s the moisture? I’m not sure.”

  “There is a funny smell.” Libby’s nose wrinkled. “Kind of icky.”

  “Well, never mind that.” Ann-Marie flashed a crooked grin. “You okay with your new coach, kiddo? If so, can you come back on Thursday evening for another lesson?”

  “I. Can’t. Wait!” The youngster threw her arms around J.J. and gave her a tight squeeze. “You’re the best!”

  “No, you’re the best,” J.J. responded as she hugged the girl. And she meant it. This sweet kid had none of the usual arrogance or attitude. She would be a breeze to coach.

  “Don’t make her head swell,” Mrs. Yarborough said. “I don’t want her to end up like so many of the girls she’s competed against.”

  “We won’t let that happen.” J.J. gave a little nod and then slipped her blade guards on and followed the mother and daughter in the direction of the lobby. “Now that I know where Libby’s strengths are, I’ll know better how to work with her. It might be fun to go ahead and pick out some music, even though we don’t have a big competition coming up for a while.”

  A loud whistle blew and several pre-teen boys took to the ice, ready for their hockey practice. J.J. watched as Libby’s gaze shifted to a boy with dark hair, the same one who’d been cheering her on during her lesson. The kid got so distracted staring at Libby that he slammed into the wall and hit the ice below with a crash.

  “Focus, Jaden,” Kevin called out as he entered the ice. “I don’t have time for any E.R. runs tonight. Got it?”

  This got a little giggle out of Libby, who couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of the boy who’d crashed. He flashed an impish smile, rose and wiped the ice from his backside, then took off like lightning across the rink.

  “What do you think of Kevin’s boy?” Ann-Marie asked.

  “Kevin’s boy? He doesn’t seem old enough to have a son that age.” JJ gave the young hockey player another glance as he sped like lightning across the rink to join the others. She took note of his graceful stop, just before hitting the wall. “Whoa. That kid’s quick.”

  “Yeah, he’s quick. And he’s not really Kevin’s son, though I can see why you took it that way, based on the way I phrased it.” Ann-Marie lowered her voice as the others walked on ahead of them toward the lobby. “Rusty’s son Mikey is Jaden’s dad. He ended up in prison a few months back—drug problem—and Kevin has stepped in to play the role of dad until he gets out.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. Jaden needed a father-figure while Mikey’s away, so…”

  “Kevin was elected?”

  “He didn’t have to be. He gave himself the job. He’s nuts about that kid. And you can see for yourself, Jaden has a lot of potential as a hockey player, so he and Kevin have a lot in common.”

  “Yeah. I see that.” J.J. watched as Kevin wrapped his arms around the youngster and pulled him close. Her pre-conceived ideas about Kevin flitted away as she saw him interact with the boy. With all of the boys, really. He laughed and cajoled as he coached them and they responded by doing exactly as he instructed. Fascinating.

  A couple of minutes later J.J. and Ann-Marie caught up with Rusty, Libby and Mrs. Yarborough in the lobby, where they said their goodbyes to the youngster and her mom. Afterward, J.J. visited with Ann-Marie and Rusty.

  “So, how do you think Libby’s going to do?” Ann-Marie asked. “Between us, I mean.”

  “Pretty good. Struggling with her double Axel, but that’s nothing that can’t be overcome with time and hard work.”

  “And when you struggled with your double Axel?” Ann-Marie gave her a knowing look. “How did we solve that little problem?”

  “Leg strengthening exercises.”

  “Yep. Which ones, specifically?”

  J.J.’s mind reeled backward in time to age eleven. How many rounds of stretches and lunges had she done? Thousands.

  “She’ll get it,” Ann-Marie said. “Just keep the faith.”

  J.J. glanced at her phone. When she realized it was seven o’clock, she gasped. “Ack. I’ve got to get home. I have a big project going on at work right now and need to get all my ducks in a row.”

  “Still working hard, I see.”

  “Yeah. Different kind of work, though. Completely different.” The overpowering scent grabbed hold of her again and she snee
zed three times in a row. “Anyway, I should get out of here. It was great seeing you again, Ann-Marie. You too, Rusty.” She gave her coach a hug and then headed to the door—just as the group of pre-teen hockey players ended their practice and bounded through the lobby. One of them nearly knocked her down in his attempt to get out of the front door.

  “Sorry!” he called out. “Mom’s waiting.”

  She stepped aside, out of the line of fire, until the path cleared. One by one the boys poured out, each a little sweatier and stinkier than the other. Just as she headed to the door, Kevin entered the lobby, his arms loaded with flyers. He handed them off to Ann-Marie, who disappeared into the rink with Rusty behind her. J.J. had just pulled back the door to leave when Kevin’s voice rang out. “How did the figure skating lesson go?”

  “Fine.” She hesitated, torn between heading out to her car and engaging him in conversation. “I think Libby’s going to like it here.”

  “And you?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter, his crooked smile captivating her at once.

  “It’s…fine.” J.J. released her hold on the door and stepped back inside, her gaze shifting up to the sagging ceiling tiles.

  “Not quite the Ritz Carlton.”

  She looked his way and shrugged. “Well, no, but I’m no snob.”

  He gave her an “I’m not so sure about that” look.

  “If you could see the house I grew up in, you’d know for certain I’m not from the privileged set.” She took a couple of steps in his direction. “As for the building, it’s not the Galleria, but it’ll do.”

  “If you owned the place, you would make a few changes.”

  “Well, sure, but…”

  “Like?”

  “Well…” She swiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “The smell, for one thing. The whole place smells like—”

  “Good, honest work. That’s what you’re smelling.”

  J.J. shook her head. “Trust me, I know the smell of good honest work and that’s not it. I think it’s mold.” She gave a little sniff. “Yep, mold.”

  Rusty waved his hand. “A little mold never hurt anyone.”