by Lisa Bilbrey
“Nah, more like two feet,” Max snickered before turning to Sherman. He held his hand out like he was offering a handshake. When his grandfather placed his hand in Max’s, they twisted their hands up so that just their thumbs were hooked together. Then, they slid their palms together until just the tips of their fingers were touching. Pulling them apart, they snapped and pointed to each other.
And for the first time since he’d found out that Max was his son, Travis was jealous of the relationship that Max had with someone other than him. Max and Sherman had a secret handshake and memories that he’d never be able to share, and he hated it.
“Travis?” At the sound of Penelope’s voice, he looked up to find everyone staring at him.
“What?” he asked.
She smiled. “I said Momma and Daddy are going to take Max over to Dairy Queen for some ice cream. Do you want to go?”
“Yeah, sure,” Travis mumbled. “Sounds great.”
“Can I ride with Nana and Papa?” Max begged.
“Of course you can,” Penelope said. “Seatbelt must be worn. Yes?”
“Yes,” Max grumbled before he followed his grandparents over to their car.
Penelope and Travis climbed into theirs, but before he could pull out of the parking spot, she turned to him and asked, “What’s going on, McCoy?”
“Nothing,” he lied.
“Don’t say ‘nothing’,” she scoffed. “I can tell that something is bothering you. Tell me what it is.”
He sighed. “It’s gonna sound so stupid.”
“I don’t care; I want to know.” When Travis shook his head, she grabbed his hand. “You can’t do this, baby. You have to talk to me.”
“I’m jealous,” he muttered.
“Huh?” she asked. “Of who?”
“Everyone who has a little piece of Max,” Travis exclaimed. Looking over at her, he saw a frown on her face. “He’s my son, yet he has a special handshake with your dad. He and Russ are like best friends. I love him, Penelope, so much. I never knew that I could love someone like this until I got him, but I want all of him — his secrets and his smiles. It’s selfish and stupid, I know, but I want to be his dad, not just his father.”
“Oh, baby,” she whispered. “You are his dad. When he looks at you, his eyes sparkle, and it’s almost impossible to steal his attention away from you.”
Shaking his head, he said, “Because I’m this big football star — or used to be, at least.”
“God, you’re such an idiot.” Penelope brought their joined hands up to her chest. “Travis, you’re his hero, but not because you were a professional football player, though it certainly doesn’t hurt. You’re his hero because you’re his dad. Even before you came home, he saw you as someone to look up to.”
“I don’t want him to be like me,” Travis cried. “I lost my family because I let my pride tell me I couldn’t have both.”
“You never lost us,” she wept, sliding as close to him as she could get. “Baby, look at me.”
With tears pricking the corners of his eyes, he did what she asked.
“We were always right here, waiting for you to come home. If anyone let pride get in the way, it was me. I could have told you about Max, but I was scared that you’d blame me for ruining everything you’d worked so hard for.”
“How did we end up like this?” Travis whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. “I don’t deserve you or Max.”
“Yes, you do,” she said, matching his soft tone. “You’re still the handsome, sweet boy that I fell in love with, Travis. But even more importantly, you stayed when most men would have left. That alone means you deserve us.”
“Yeah?” he asked, and she nodded. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Smiling, she kissed him. “Now, I want some ice cream, so can we go?”
Travis laughed. “Yes, baby, we can go get you some ice cream, even though it’s freezing outside.”
“Best time for ice cream is when it’s cold!” she said.
“If you say so,” he replied with a snicker.
~*~*~*~
Sherman, Wanda, and Max had already gotten their ice cream and were squeezed into a booth in the back corner when Travis and Penelope arrived. While Penelope ordered a banana split with caramel instead of pineapple, Travis decided to just get himself a drink. He’d never been much of a sweets-eater, and the thought of ice cream when it was thirty degrees outside caused him to shudder.
He had just filled his cup with ice when the doors opened and the high school principal, Jack Garrison, and the athletic director, Coach Reynolds, came in. Looking over at Travis, they smiled and greeted him.
“Travis, just the man we were looking for,” Coach Reynolds crowed, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Got a minute to talk?”
“Um,” Travis shifted his eyes over to Penelope, who nodded in agreement. “Sure.”
When he finished filling his plastic foam cup with iced tea, Travis watched Coach Reynolds and Jack get their coffee before following them to a table on the opposite side of the room. He waited for one of the two men to start talking, but they both appeared uncomfortable and nervous.
“Am I supposed to know why you needed to talk to me?” Travis asked.
They both laughed, but it was Jack who spoke first. “We’d like to offer you a job.”
“Excuse me?” Travis said, sitting up a little straighter. “A job?”
“Yeah, a job,” Coach Reynolds grumbled. “Look, nobody outside of Jack and my wife knows this, but at the end of this year, I’m retiring.”
“What? Why?” Travis blurted before clamping his lips shut. “Sorry, that’s none of my business.”
“Don’t be sorry, Travis.” Coach chuckled before turning serious. “Truth is, my health ain’t great anymore. I’ve got a bad heart, and with the stress that comes with those boys, well, I just can’t do it anymore. Martha’s been after me for a while now to retire, but I couldn’t until I found someone to take over for me.”
“And you think that person is me?” Travis asked.
“Yes, sir, I do,” he replied.
Travis shook his head. “Coach, I appreciate the thought, but I don’t know if you’re crazy or just desperate.”
“Maybe a bit of both,” Jack snickered. “But he’s right, Travis. We’re only losing four seniors from the team this year, and the boys coming up as freshman, they’ve got some power. But if they don’t have someone to lead them, to show them how to work as a team and trust each other, then they’re not gonna make it.”
“No offense, but there’s more important things in life than winning a state title,” Travis said.
“You’re right, but that’s not what I meant,” Jack told him. “There are five or six boys who are good enough to earn scholarships, but if they don’t get a title, the chances of them even being looked at are slim. Their mommas and daddies don’t give a rat’s ass if they succeed, but I do. And Coach Reynolds does. These are good kids who need a little push, and, Travis, you’d be able to push them to put their egos aside and succeed.”
“This is crazy,” Travis muttered. “I don’t even know if I can coach. I don’t have a teaching certificate or anything.”
“You can get certified. There is an exam at the beginning of April. That gives you more than two months to study for it.” Coach Reynolds leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “My wife and I weren’t lucky enough to have kids of our own, Travis, but I think of each of these boys as mine. I cannot retire until I know that they’re in good hands. Now, do you want to explain to Martha why I can’t stop working?”
Travis laughed and shook his head. “No, sir, I don’t. But I have to think about this. I have a family to think of, too — unless you’d like to be the one to talk to Penelope.”
“Ah, hell no!” Coach roared. “That woman scares me.”
“Travis, just think about it,” Jack said. “Please.”
“I will,” he promised. “And thank you for even considering me. I do appreciate it.”
Travis rejoined his family, but shook his head when Penelope began to question him about what the men had wanted. He would tell her later when they were alone, but for now, he didn’t want to get Max involved in the decision. While the others gabbed about what Max was learning in school, Travis couldn’t think about anything else but the job offer. Could he be the right man to take over for Coach Reynolds? Would the boys respect him?
~*~*~*~
Travis had been distracted all afternoon. Once they’d eaten their treats, they’d headed back home. Max had kept Sherman and Wanda busy by showing them everything he’d gotten for Christmas just the month before. Penelope had gone into the kitchen to get dinner started, which left Travis alone with his thoughts. Rather than stay in the living room with the others, Travis headed down the hall to his bedroom, lay down on the bed, and stared at the ceiling.
In the months since he’d retired from the game, he’d struggled with what he wanted to do with his life. Money hadn’t been a real issue for him. He’d invested his earnings and had managed a save enough to take care of the three of them — as long as they didn’t go crazy. Since Penelope insisted on splitting all the bills in half, his portion hadn’t been much. He had considered going back to college and getting another degree, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to study.
His degree from the University of Texas was in general studies, which wouldn’t get him anywhere. There was business, but again, the job market wasn’t what it used to be. The real problem was that Travis hadn’t thought about what he wanted to be if football didn’t pan out, and now he found himself facing that very outcome.
“Hey,” Penelope said when she peeked in through the bedroom door.
Looking over at her, he smiled. “Hey.”
She walked over and climbed onto the bed, resting her head on his chest. “Are you ready to talk about it?”
He sighed. “They offered me a job.”
“What kind of job?” she asked, leaning up and looking at him.
“Coach Reynolds is retiring at the end of the year. Don’t tell anyone; he’s not ready to announce it yet. Anyway, he’s looking for someone to take over as head coach for the football team and offered me the position.”
“Oh, my God, Travis, that’s great!” She grinned until she noticed the frown on his face. “It’s not great?”
“No, it is, but . . .” He shook his head. “I’m not a coach. I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“You’re not serious, are you?” Penelope asked, sitting up.
“Very,” he replied.
“Travis, honey, you’re ridiculous. You know how to teach them the game, how to motivate them to work harder. You’ve been doing it since you were Max’s age, for Christ’s sake!”
“No, that was different,” Travis argued. “That was encouraging my teammates, not teaching a bunch of boys how to win.”
“Don’t think of it as teaching them to win. Instead, it’s more of showing them how to love the game.”
“That easy, huh?” he scoffed.
She placed her hand on his abdomen. “I never said it would be easy, but you’d be a fantastic coach. You’re an inspiration to them already, Travis.”
“What if I fail?” he asked, shocking himself with the vulnerability of his words.
“What if you succeed?” she countered. “You can’t live your life being afraid to try.”
Reaching out, Travis wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down on top of him. “Do you think I should take the job?”
“Yes, but it’s not my decision, babe. You’re the only one who can choose which path in life you want to take.” Penelope leaned up and kissed him. “Listen to your heart, not your head. The answers are right in front of you.”
“I will,” he murmured.
“Good. Now dinner is ready, so let’s go eat,” she said, climbing off the bed.
He followed her into the dining room and took his seat next to hers. Sherman was at one end, with Wanda on one side of him and Max on the other. Looking over at Travis, Max smiled.
“Dad told me that he’d help me work on my arm strength so I can have more control on my passing game. Right, Dad?” Max stared at Travis with expectation.
Nodding, he said, “Yep. Then you’ll be unstoppable.”
“That’s right. We’re gonna beat those stupid Bobcats and win the championship next year,” Max rambled on.
In that moment, Travis knew that he would take the job offer; not just for himself, but for Max, too.
***
Chapter Five
The Turning of the Tides
Travis called Jack the next morning and accepted the job. The fear of failure was still present, but Max had inspired him to put himself out there and at least try. How could he teach his son to become a man if he was afraid to take chances? Jack and Coach Reynolds had agreed to hold off the announcement that he would be coming on board until after he became certified to teach. Though he’d never seen himself as a teacher, he was starting to feel excited about this new phase in his life.
In the weeks that followed, Travis and Penelope fell into a simple routine.
“Are you planning on staying up all night?” She slipped her arms around Travis’s neck from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.
For the last three hours, he’d been studying algebra, almost to the point of being cross-eyed. “I was about to come in,” he murmured, covering her hand with his. The feel of the diamond ring on her left hand made him smile.
“How’s the studying going?” she asked, leaning away from him so he could stand up.
Turning off the light in the office, he slipped his fingers in with hers and started toward their bedroom. “It’s boring as hell,” he grumbled. “I know for a fact that there will never be a time when one of my students will need to know the quadratic formula.”
Penelope laughed. “True, but you still have to prove that you know it.”
“Yeah, I know.” Walking into their bedroom, Travis pulled off his shirt, tossing it into the hamper. “Two points!”
“Never gets old seeing you pretend that you’ve just made a basket with your clothes, baby,” she snickered, climbing into bed.
“Good, then you won’t mind me doing it again.” Just to prove his point, he balled up his sweatpants and tossed them into the hamper, bending two fingers like he’d just made two more points.
“You’re a rock star, babe, don’t let anyone tell you different,” Penelope said in a dry tone.
“Gee, I almost believe you.” He climbed into bed next to her, lying with his arm tucked up under his head. “Today was a long day.”
“It sure was.” She moved over and rested her head on his chest. “There was a note in Max’s homework folder. The fourth and fifth grade classes are having a dance next Friday. They were asking for volunteers to chaperone. Do you want to go with me?”
“Um, does Max have to wear a suit?” Travis asked. “Because I would pay good money to see him wear a suit.”
Penelope giggled. “They’re supposed to dress formally, which for ten and eleven years old means a nice suit for the boys and a pretty dress for the girls. He’ll need a new suit, seeing as he’s grown at least two feet this year. Anyway, do you want to go to the dance with me?”
Travis hummed and brought his finger up to his lips while he pretended to think it over. “I don’t know. I mean, do I have to buy you a corsage?”
“You don’t have to.” She smiled. “But if you’re nice to me, I’ll let you kiss me on the front porch.”
“Ah, baby, you know just how to sweeten a good deal,” he teased. “Of course I’ll go with you to our son’s elementary school dance.”
Yawning, Penelope snuggled closer to Travis. “Don’t let me forget to sign his paper in the morning.”
“I won’t,” Travis whispered. “Goodnight.”
“Night,” she mumbled
.
~*~*~*~
The following Friday, Travis and Max stood shoulder-to-shoulder in his bedroom, while Travis attempted to show Max how to tie his necktie. Travis had offered to just do it for him, but Max insisted that he could do it himself.
“Okay, now you want to take the left side and bring it over the top of the right side,” Travis explained, smiling when Max did as instructed. “Good. Tuck the left one back under, but then, you want to pull it up between your neck and your chest.”
Max’s tongue slipped out from between his lips as he focused on what Travis was telling him to do.
“That’s it,” Travis said, trying to be encouraging.
They were on their fourth try, and Max had begun to get frustrated.
“Slide the tip into the hole, and pull it all the way down. Good. Now, grab the other one and push the knot up.”
“I did it!” Max cheered, looking up at Travis with pride.
“You sure did,” he laughed. “Now, we’d better get out there before Mom gets mad at us.”
“No kidding,” Max scoffed. “Women today.”
Penelope was standing in the living room with her camera in her hand when they came in. Travis bit his lip in an effort to suppress a moan, but she looked incredible. His fiancée had opted to wear a red, wrap-around, cap-sleeved dress that reached the top of her knees. She’d added a pair of black heels and had tucked up her hair in an elegant-looking bun. She was beautiful and his — all his.
“About time,” she grumbled, before looking up at them. All pretense of being upset melted when she shifted her eyes from Travis down to Max. “Oh, honey, you look so handsome.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Max mumbled, trying to hide the way his ears turned bright red. “Can we just take the picture so we can go?”
“Okay, okay; just keep your pants on.”
Ten minutes and two dozen pictures later, the three of them were on their way to the elementary school. Though she tried to hide it, Travis noticed Penelope wiping away a few tears from the corners of her eyes. Reaching over, he grabbed her hand. Max was growing up too fast.
Travis had barely managed to pull up in front of the school when Max threw open the door.
