by Roxy Wilson
Nothing would ever be the same. “Thank you for believing us,” she said.
Reece was sitting next to the wolf’s body. Officer Peterson glanced at him. “There’s one minor problem. Keeping wolves as pets isn’t allowed. Not really my department. The forest department has to take action, but I am obligated to tell them about it.”
“You’ll have to pay a fine,” Nya said hastily. That was the least of their worries. “And maybe—some kind of a probationary punishment.”
Officer Peterson strode over to Reece. “Unless…the wolf was wild. It’s possible she was attracted here by the commotion, and then just got in the way. Or perhaps she attacked Chief Sullivan and he shot her.” He nodded. “Yep, that’s exactly what happened.”
Nya gaped. She couldn’t believe he was actually helping Reece get away from a minor infraction. “That would work,” she said. “It’s a forest, and such accidents can happen. I was attacked by a bear not too long ago.”
Reece still looked upset. “I would like to claim the wolf’s body when the autopsy is done, and then bury it.”
“Sure, no problem,” Officer Peterson said. He clapped a hand on Reece’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for what I put you through, but I was just doing my job.”
“No hard feelings.” Reece ran a hand over the wolf’s head. He stood. “I guess I’m an outsider and it’s easy to blame me when something goes wrong. It’s harder to realize that one of your own could be so corrupt. Even I was shocked it was Chief Sullivan.”
“When a person gets away with one murder, they figure if they got away with it once, then they can do so again.” Officer Mason studied the corpse that his people were bringing up.
Nya turned her face away. It didn’t matter what terrible wrongs Chief Sullivan committed, it was hard for her to see his broken and mangled body.
“Reece, you’re not an outsider anymore,” Officer Peterson said. “Thanks for everything.”
The men turned to face each other, and then much to Nya’s astonishment, they shook hands in a solemn manner.
Reece put an arm around her waist. “Let’s go.”
After one last look at Faine’s body, they strode off. Finally, they were free from all the baggage that trailed behind them. It was the start of a new life, but so overwhelmed with grief was Nya, that she couldn’t take it all in. At least not yet. It would take time for her to recover from all that had happened. For now, she wanted to devote some time to mourn the life of a woman who was noble and amazing. Faine would be missed. Perhaps when their pain lessened, they would be able to enjoy the life she gifted them.
Perhaps.
But until then, they had to cope with things on their own. It was a tall order, Nya was certain they were up for it.
Epilogue
It was an intense, frightening fight. The opponents studied and surveyed each other much as professional soldiers did. Silence reigned in the arena, and everyone was tense, nervous. This could decide their fate.
This could be the final blow.
Or perhaps this could be the victory they would remember for a long time.
Reece stood still. Not a muscle moved. There was no expression on his face. He’d trained these boys. He worked with them. It took him some time to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and to find the right strategies that would help them do their best in this field. Now, it was their turn. They were the ones in charge, and all he could do now was stand and watch all that they learned come to fruition. His plan was perfect, but their execution had to be just as perfect.
Could they do it?
Would they be able to fulfill the expectations of the spectators and the fans back home?
Would they be able to bring home the trophy?
Reece watched the soccer team he’d coached for the past seven months. He hoped they’d win. If they did so, they would not only be able to claim back the honor they lost during the last two years when they weren’t working under a good coach, but also they would be able to help him find a surer footing in the town. Of course, he was a little selfish when it came to their achievements. Their win would benefit him. But at the same time, he was very fond of the kids he trained and worked hard with. If they won, he would be proud.
The referee blew the whistle to signal half-time.
The boys huddled together for one last, strategy. Reece joined them. He was as much a part of the team as the rest of the boys. These were his kids. “Okay. Boys. Last chance. Make it count. You know what we have to do. Focus, and we’ll take home this win. Got it?”
“Yes, coach,” they all replied in unison.
Reece stood at the boundary as they jogged back to take their position. Then the referee blew his whistle and the second half of the match officially began. The crowd went wild. There was no time to think, to anticipate, or to strategize. This all boiled down to training. They worked on this, he practiced with them, but now it came down to how much of it they remembered.
Forty-two minutes passed. There were some near misses on both sides. Any one of the teams could have scored a few goals except for some brilliant defensive moves.
With two more minutes to go, the ball came into the possession of Reece’s team. The boys did what they had done many times on the soccer field at home. They dribbled the ball and took it to their opponents’ side. It was passed with lightning speed from one pair of legs to another. Noah, the striker, was there at the exact spot where he was supposed to be. Reece expelled a breath as the ball landed at the striker’s feet. The boy dribbled the ball, feinting to the left, right and then left again, and causing the defensive player on the opposing team to slip. Now the only thing that stood in Noah’s way was the other team’s goalie. Noah struck the ball with his powerful right leg. The goalie was fast; in fact, he chose the correct side to catch the ball, but he was micro-seconds slower than the striker. The ball spun past him and straight into the net.
Almost at the same instant the ball hit the back of the net, the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the game.
It took a moment for Reece brain to process the significance of the referee’s action.
His boys had won the game.
The trophy was going to go back where it belonged.
Reece’s gaze darted to the scoreboard that showed his team had won by one goal. The boys ran towards him and enveloped him in a hug. He yelled along with them. “Well done, boys. Well done.”
Reece patted each of them on their backs as they expressed their joy. All the hard work they put in paid off. This was their triumphant moment, and he was glad to be a part of it. When the boys went to accept the trophy, he stood proudly at the boundary and clapped for them. He’d never known he could be this happy about something like this. When he took them on as a team, he had different aims. He wanted to be accepted by the town, but after working with the kids, he was more invested in their happiness than he ever thought possible.
Once the prize giving ceremony was over, and the boys went to change, he sauntered over to the exit.
Nya waited for him there. There was a big smile on her face.
He kissed her. It felt good to hold the woman he loved. Their life was also much like this game; they survived a lot and finally got to the finishing line together.
He lifted his head. “That was amazing, wasn’t it?”
“It was one of the best games I’ve ever seen,” she responded.
“The other team gave them some stiff competition,” he stated. “But the boys held on to their training. I thought they might buckle under the pressure, but they showed me and everyone else they can hold it together.”
“The state trophy is going back to our town.” Nya beamed. “Everyone is going to be ecstatic. Don’t be surprised if you get a ton of visitors at home and in your factory. Everyone will want to discuss the achievement and they’ll also want to give you tons of advice on how best to sustain this victorious run. They all can’t coach a team, but each one of them has definite ideas on how to train and
motivate the boys.”
He put an arm around her waist. Reece waved to the opposing team’s coach who looked a little sullen. But the man was the consummate sportsman, through and through, and give him a thumbs up. Reece smiled. “I’ve been snowed under with advice and from the moment I became a part of the team. Some of the guys who come up to me and offer pointers don’t know shit.”
“But they think they know a lot.”
“Yeah. I know how to keep everyone happy. I listen and smile and say yes, yes, but then I do what I think is best for the team. If there’s anything more exciting than playing in the field, it’s coaching. These boys made me very proud today.”
“Lendl is over there,” she pointed out.
They waited until Reece’s friend caught up with them. “Good game, coach!”
“Thanks. I’m glad you came out and watched the game.”
“My grandson is one of the midfielders. I had to be here for him.” He clapped Reece on the shoulder. “And of course, you too. Now that you’ve won the trophy, I can safely tell everyone that it was my idea for you to join as a coach.”
Reece laughed. “It was one of the best suggestions you ever gave me.”
“You did well,” Lendl said. “And that reminds me, the parents of all the players are planning a celebratory dinner for the boys, and of course, you have to be there.”
“Name the date and time, and I’ll be there.”
“Wear one of my jackets. The black one makes you look exceptionally handsome.” Nya giggled, and Lendl’s attention shifted to her. “Good to see you here.”
“How could I have missed it?”
“How indeed. People will talk about this game for months to come. The glory is back to our town.” Lendl stepped forward with them. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something, Nya.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“I saw in the paper that one of your father’s sculptures sold for twenty thousand dollars.”
She nodded. “It did.”
“I wanted to buy one of them. Not something that expensive. Actually, he gifted me with one of those wall hanging things a long time back, and I figured I should add something from his collection to put beside it.”
“Many more pieces are coming up for sale,” Reece told him. He couldn’t miss this opportunity to make his friend squirm a little. He’d fleeced Reece out of a lot of money on the jackets he kept telling him were essential to a good wardrobe. “You should come and take a look when we put them up in the gallery. I’ll let you know the time and date of the exhibition.”
Lendle scratched his jaw. “I hope I’ll get a good discount. After all, Nya is from town, and I was her father’s friend.”
“Of course, you will,” Reece said with tongue-in-check. “As much discount as you give me because I’m your friend.”
Lendl frowned. “Hmm. I’m not sure I like this new attitude.”
Reece laughed and clapped his friend on the back. “Don’t worry. I’ll forego my commission, but only because it’s you. You can pick up one of the pieces at a good price.”
“That would be great.”
After Lendl left them to join his family, Nya got into the car with Reece. They waited for the team players to get in the bus. They would follow them all the way back to town. “You’ve really learned to speak the town’s language. Lendl was both impressed and irritated that you dared to make money off him.”
“I’ve learned from him, so he should be proud of himself.” He watched as the team trooped into the bus. The boys were in high spirits as they should be after such a stupendous win. “So what are our dinner plans?”
They grinned at each other. It was seven months since they officially started dating. It took them some time to get used to each other’s rhythm and to revert back to the normal life they hoped to have. But now they were living in together. “It’s Thursday,” she reminded him. “We have plans with Sally and her family.”
Sally was one of her school friends, and they were invited tonight for dinner. Sally’s husband’s nephew was on the team, and that is how Reece really got to know them. As Lendl had predicted, bagging the position of the coach opened a lot of doors for Reece, and of course, it helped he was dating one of the town girls, one who was highly respected and well loved. He’d now carved his own niche and was quite happily one of them. “Oh yes. We should pick up a hostess present for her,” he mused.
“Already done. I got something for her yesterday.”
“Good.” He leaned over and kissed her again. The scent of her as always filled his nostrils. His hand settled on her shoulder as he tasted her. Their tongues twisted together in a wild dance that never failed to enthrall him. Reece considered their relationship to be one of his triumphant moments. He loved her. She loved him, and finally they were on an even keel—and from here, not even the sky was the limit. He lifted his head and brushed his hand over her cheek. Her eyes sparkled and they were full of love for him. “This is one of the happiest days of my life.”
Nya beamed at him. “As it should be. You all did well today.”
“Thanks for coming to watch the match.” Seeing that all the boys were in, and the assistant coach had closed the door, Reece started the car and they were on their way back with the trophy. Back to their town. His town. He was so glad to be a part of this. “I know you’re pretty busy and it took an effort to take some time off work.”
“It was my pleasure. I wouldn’t have missed this game.”
After Chief Sullivan’s death, all hell broke loose. It took the police time to gather all the evidence and build a case against him. Of course, he wasn’t around to take the brunt of the punishment. His wife and daughters left town after a couple of months. The whole town was shocked over his crime, but now things were settling back. Nya was promoted to his position, and she now headed the forest rangers’ department. The pack of werewolves also recovered from Faine’s death. Her body was buried with full honors in the forest. That was how she lived, and she’d preferred to die that way. Their secret also remained safe, and the pack was happy about it. Reece was forever grateful for the woman who died to protect Nya and him. He would never forget her. She gave them another chance at love and life.
This was their time, and now they were living it in the fullest way possible.
She put her hand over his hand almost as if she sensed the direction of his thoughts. “We’ve done well, haven’t we?”
He raised her hand and kissed it while his gaze remained focused on the road. “Yes, we did. We’re a good team, you and I.”
Yes, they were.
And that’s exactly how he intended to spend the rest of his life.
***THE END***
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