Refuse to Lose (A Coach's Love Book 1)

by Alison Mello

  I look at Trystan who shrugs. We haven't really discussed what we were up to today. We never went any further than last night. "Since you’re still in lounge pants, why don't you go take a shower and get dressed while Trystan and I eat, and we'll figure something out." DJ agrees and runs off to do as I ask.

  “I think we should do something just the three of us. Unless you want to do something with him,” Trystan suggests.

  “I’m good with you sticking around. Do you have anything in mind?”

  “Not really. Is there anything you need to accomplish?” he asks me.

  “Well, since it’s already Sunday and next weekend is already full, I think we should get the stuff we need for the car wash.”

  “Okay.” He nods and pops a piece of bacon into his mouth.

  DJ joins us at the table, freshly showered and dressed for the day. "So what's the plan?" he asks again. DJ is typically only allowed to play his gaming system on the weekend, but before he gets too far into a game with any of his friends he likes to know if we have to go anywhere because I'm famous for pulling him from the game just as they're getting into it.

  "DJ, we have to run to the store to get some supplies for the car wash, and then we’ll come back here, play some ball in the yard, and maybe grill."

  "Okay, Mom. Can I play a game while I wait?" I nod and he runs off to his room, while Trystan and I get to work on tidying up.

  "What do we need for the car wash?" Trystan asks me as he loads the breakfast dishes into my dishwasher.

  I grab the piece of paper with my notes. "Well, we need buckets, soap, hoses, sponges, and towels to dry the cars with." I bite the tip of the pen while I think. "I'm thinking we'll make two lines. One kid will spray the car with the hose and then you have one kid on both sides of the car washing it down. Then a second kid rinses, if we can get two water hook-ups, and then two to towel it dry. If there isn’t a second one then the same kid will have to do the rinsing too. That should keep the line moving. Those who aren't washing cars will help with the bake and candy sale."

  "Sounds like a good plan. You can use the hose I have at my house. It’s pretty long, and I know I have a few buckets available from work. That means we only need one more hose, sponges, soap and towels. Let's see if we can get the rest donated. If not we'll use the money from the store to get what we need." He shuts the door to the dishwasher. "Can I use your shower?"

  I smile. "Of course. Help yourself. There's tons of men’s shampoo and body wash from DJ in there." He presses his lips to mine and thanks me.

  While he's in the shower, I head to my room to grab myself some capri jeans and a t-shirt to wear for the day. I have a cute baseball t-shirt I pull out and lay on the bed. It reads 'Baseball Mom' on the front in the same fun font that they use on most uniforms. It's not the team colors of green and white, but it will do for now.

  A few minutes later, Trystan comes into the room freshly showered. His thick, dark hair is wet and messy, and his lounge pants are hanging low on his hips revealing that sexy v he sports. Heat is already building between my legs, but DJ is in the next room so I need to make a quick exit before I do something I'll regret. I'm just about out the door when he grabs my arm. "Everything okay?"

  A blush creeps up on me. "Yeah, it's just..." My words trail for a moment. I'm embarrassed to say that at my age he's turned me on just by walking into the room.

  He grabs my chin and gently lifts it. "What is it, sugar?"

  A small smile spreads across my face. "You're so sexy. I needed to hurry on out of here because my kid is right outside that door."

  He presses his lips to mine. "Are you wet?" he asks gently, skimming his hand over my mound. I nod. "Good. Now go shower because I would never put you in an awkward situation." My jaw drops. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you later." He winks and walks to the side of the bed where his bag is.

  Fuck me. I'm now soaked just thinking about his delicious lips on my body. I shake off my thoughts, snag my clothes, and rush to the shower. When I get done, I find Trystan and DJ sitting in the living room chatting. "Are we ready to go?"

  "Yeah." DJ jumps up.

  We take my car since Trystan brought his Corvette over last night. I'm willing to bet the sleek, sexy ride contributes to him being called the town player. You don't see too many Corvettes being driven around here. Most of the higher class residents drive cars like BMW, Audi, or even a Lexus.

  When we get to the store, Mr. Langley is there. Trystan walks up to him and greets him with a smile. Mr. Langley is one of the old-timers who comes into the diner. He is part owner of the store. "Good morning, Mr. Langely." The men shake hands.

  "Good Morning, Trystan. How are you today?"

  "I'm well, but I was wondering if you'd be able to help us out."

  "What do you need?" he asks.

  "Well, I'm not sure if you heard but I'm coaching the little league team this year, and we're trying to raise some money to rebuild the shed at the field as a team-building exercise."

  Mr. Langley looks confused. "What can I do?"

  "We're doing a car wash at Briggs’ General Store. We have buckets and I'm donating a hose, but we need sponges, soap, and soft towels to dry the cars. I was wondering if you could help us with some of the things we need for the wash itself."

  A smile spreads across his face. "What is your name, young man?" He looks at DJ.

  Being the polite young man that he is, he holds out his hand and says, "My name is Dylan, but everyone calls me DJ"

  Mr. Langley shakes his hand. "Do you play on this team, DJ?"

  "Yes, sir."

  He nods. "Good boy." Mr. Langley smiles at him. "You wait right here." He steps out from behind the counter and walks toward the back of the store.

  "What's he doing, Mom?" DJ asks, confused.

  I shrug. "I don't know, buddy." It feels like it's taking forever for him to come back out. He’s been gone so long I'm considering asking Trystan to go check on the man. He's no spring chicken.

  Finally, Mr. Langley comes back with a bag in his hand. He gives it to DJ and says, "Here's everything you need. You go make some money for that building."

  "Thank you, sir."

  He smiles at my son and replies, "You're most welcome."

  Next, we head to Trystan's place to pick up the hose we need for the car wash so we can keep everything together. Trystan invites us in and quickly shows us around. He has a small home but he keeps it tidy, and it's plenty big for him. It's two bedrooms with a small room that he has a desk set up in and a Playstation 4. The gaming system instantly catches DJ's eyes. "Wow, PS4." His eyes are practically popping out of his head.

  "Yeah, I bought it when I got back from overseas. I don't play it much, but you're welcome to use it when you're here."

  "That's awesome. Thanks, Trystan." He glances over the game selection.

  I roll my eyes, and Trystan catches it. "I'm sorry. I should have asked you first," he says to me.

  "It's fine. He's just so into these gaming systems.” I shake my head. “I wish he would get out more."

  Trystan winks at me and whispers a promise to help me get DJ outside more often. "Do you want to do lunch here? I have some lunch meat in the fridge we can have, and then we can head back to your place.

  “Sure.”

  “Mom, can I play for a little bit?”

  “I guess so.”

  "Thanks, Mom. You're the best.” He goes into the other room with Trystan who’s teaching him how to work the system and the TV.

  "No games above a teen rating, young man."

  "I know, Mom," he shouts back. I'm pretty strict with what I allow him to play and how long I allow him to be on the game. It drives me crazy when he comes home from school and all he can talk about is the latest game that's out, and it's rated M for mature and yet his friends all have it.

  Trystan and I take a few minutes to relax once DJ is settled, since it's a little early for lunch. “Should you call to check in on Billy?”

 
“Jack sent me a text earlier. Billy is still sober and is starting to feel better. He ate a good breakfast this morning and thanked Jack for sticking around. He says he’s excited about coming over on Wednesday. I’ll ask him then if he wants to help with the team.”

  “What happened?”

  He sighs, “We were working late on a site, trying to finish a job we were behind on. He had just gotten off the phone with her. She told him she would have dinner ready when he got home.” He pauses. “There was an explosion that rocked the ground. Smoke instantly filled the air. You could see it for miles. She started cooking dinner not realizing there was a gas leak. The house blew up with his family in it. He lost a son and a daughter that night too.”

  He finally turns to look at me, his eyes filled with emotion. “He played the tough guy at first. He was strong, acted like he was okay. We were waiting for him to snap, but he never did.” He lets out a steady breath. “Instead, he slowly slipped down the deep, dark hole he’s in.” I wrap my man in a hug. I can see how much it kills him that his friend is suffering. “You have no idea how bad I feel for not picking up on this sooner.”

  “You can’t beat yourself up. It would be the same as him beating himself up over the loss.” He buries his face in my neck. “All you can do is be there for him.

  He looks me in the eyes. “Thank you.”

  I can see he’s hurting, but our moment is interrupted. “Mom, I’m getting hungry.”

  “Okay, bud.”

  “Are you okay?” I ask Trystan.

  “Yeah, let’s make lunch so we can enjoy the rest of our Sunday.” I nod, and just like that Trystan has closed up.

  It's Tuesday night and I want nothing more than to go home, shower, and have dinner with my lady, but that can't happen because I have to pull these boys together before their first baseball game. I still have a few with poor attitudes. None of them are as bad as Ethan is, but I'll take it one day at a time. What choice do I have?

  I pull up to the field, and my mood instantly shifts. My girl is sitting on the bleachers wearing some sexy ass leggings with a loose fitting top that barely covers her beautiful round ass. My cock instantly twitches in my now tight jeans. With a smile on my face, I climb from my car to get the equipment from the shed that I now have a key to. When I do, Vincent approaches with Ethan. "Coach." He puts his hand out to shake with me.

  "How's it going?" I reply, trying to look happy to see him. "Are you ready to practice, Ethan?"

  "Yes, sir," he mumbles, not sounding all too convincing.

  "Before we start practice, Ethan has something he'd like to say," Vincent informs me.

  I look down at Ethan. "I'm sorry for my bad attitude, coach. I really want to play."

  Although it sounds forced, I nod. "I appreciate that, Ethan, but you have to show me you want to play. Words aren't enough."

  He huffs, "How am I supposed to do that?"

  I nod toward the field. "Get out there and play like you’re on a team. Encourage your teammates when they make a mistake and don't beat them up for it. You only knock them down further, and they lose confidence."

  He nods. "I'll try." He still sounds like he couldn't give a shit, and his father picks up on it.

  "Good, now get out there." The kid runs off, and we both watch him. He slows down as he approaches the field. The team stops to see what he's going to do. He grabs a ball and teams up with one of his friends. Unfortunately, it’s Colton, the other kid who isn’t good at being a team player.

  "You know, when my wife told me we were having a boy, all I ever wanted was to give him the best. What I failed to realize is that I was just giving it to him. Now I have to teach him the value of hard work and dedication." He pauses but never takes his eye off his boy. "We had a long talk. Now that my job allows me to stay in town, I'm not going anywhere." He turns to look at me. "Need another coach?"

  I smile. "Welcome to the team." We shake hands. Maybe his father seeing the issues will allow us to work together to fix them.

  Vincent stands in the outfield while I take the mound to pitch for batting practices. There are a few boys working deep in the outfield with Briggs on pop-up balls. Once I make it through the entire lineup I switch the boys out, sending the batters to Briggs, his boys to the infield, and the boys in the infield take the plate. We continue like that until practice is over. I'm running late, but I need to pull the parents together to discuss our game and next weekend’s car wash.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll gather around please." I give everyone a second to come over. Once I have everyone's attention I continue. “We have our first game this weekend. We play on Sunday morning, and I need you all here at ten-thirty for warm-ups. If that’s a problem for anyone please, let me know ASAP.” When no one expresses a concern I continue on. "Good, one last thing before you go. As you know, Stella has been working hard on the car wash and bake sale for the following weekend. We need everyone to be outside the Briggs’ general store on Saturday morning. I'll let Stella fill you in on what is still needed." I step to the side.

  "Thank you, Coach." She nods at me like I'm not taking her home tonight and begging her to let me spend the night. "As Coach Trystan said, we're all set to hold our first car wash outside the general store a week from Saturday. We've had soap, sponges, towels, buckets, and hoses all donated to us. All we have left to do is make some poster boards for the kids to hold up on the street. We're going to simply ask for donations in exchange for the car wash, and we'll have the bake sale going at the same time. Thanks to Lori, we also have candy bars and water to sell. She managed to get the wholesale store to donate some for this event.” Some of the parents thank Lori. “I thank those of you who have signed up to help but we still need a few parents to assist in keeping an eye on the kids washing the cars, one or two with the kids drying them, and a few helping with the bake sale table. We also need to make sure someone is collecting money from the patrons. We don't want this to fall on the kids." Landon is standing beside me looking incredibly nervous. I know his mom won't be there. We haven't seen her since baseball practice started a few weeks ago. Now it's time for parents to help out, and she's still not around. I look down at him and the second I do his eyes hit the ground, pretending like he doesn't see me.

  "Ethan and I will be there all day," Vincent speaks up first, and it opens up more parents. Lori, Stacey, Misty, Karen and Haddie all offer to stay as well.

  "Thank you. Of course, Coach Trystan and I will be there also. That should give us plenty of adult supervision.” I’m shocked because originally Ethan’s mom was giving us shit about them helping, but I’m glad to see that’s changed. “We need to meet at nine-thirty on Saturday so we have time to set up before we get started, and the boys need to wear their team caps." She looks at me. "Thank you, Coach."

  "You're welcome, sugar." I hear a few snickers from her friends, and I can't help but smile at the blush that takes over her cheeks. "You boys practiced hard tonight, thank you. It was good to see you all working together for a change. We have a great team, and there's no reason we can't have a great season. Any questions?" I look around to see everyone doing the same thing. They all want to see who has a question, but when no one speaks up I tell them that I'll see them all on Saturday.

  Stella, DJ, and I are standing around with Landon waiting for everyone to clear out so we can head home when Vincent comes over. "Landon, I'll give you a ride tonight."

  My eyes narrow slightly. I don't know Vincent well, but from what I've heard he's a good guy. I'm just not sure I trust him. His wife is such a snotty little bitch. How is it possible that someone kind and with no agenda could be married to that? "Are you sure?" I ask him.

  He smiles. "Yeah, I don't mind."

  I look at Landon. "Is that okay, Landon?"

  He nods. "Yes, sir." Landon thanks Vincent, and the three of them walk off.

  "Why do I have a strange feeling in my gut?" I ask Stella as we watch them head over to Vincent's BMW.

  She shrugs. "I
don't know, maybe because his wife is the total opposite of him."

  I look down at her. "Do you know them?"

  She shakes her head. "I haven't been here long enough to know many people, and I’ve kept to myself up until recently."

  I smile. "Well, I'm glad you stopped keeping to yourself. Wanna do dinner?"

  "Yes, please. I'm starving," DJ jumps in, and we both laugh.

  "Okay, let's go eat," Stella agrees.

  When we get to the parking lot, DJ jumps into the back of Stella's car. Once the door is closed she looks up at me and asks, "Where should we go?"

  I shrug. "What do you feel like eating?"

  "Well, we typically do pizza on baseball night." She looks like she wants to say more, so I give her a minute. She sounds unsure of herself when she says, "Are you coming to my place, or are you going back home?"

  I can't help the smile that instantly spreads across my face. "I was hoping I would be invited to yours, but if you're not comfortable because of DJ I understand."

  She chuckles. "I think we're past that."

  I nod slightly. "Good, then I'll go to yours. Now, let's get your kid some pizza before he dies of malnutrition."

  She rolls her eyes. "He's far from dying." I open the door for her, and she climbs in.

  I run to my truck and follow her to the pizza joint up the street from her house. The three of us grab a booth. Stella orders a salad, and DJ and I share a pepperoni pizza. The conversation during dinner is light. DJ tells us about school and that he's stoked because his school has a Dean’s list and he’s going to make the list yet again for the term. "DJ, that's awesome, buddy. I'm sure your mom tells you this all the time, but school is important. It's awesome that you play sports, but you can't rely on them. Look at me. I was about to play semi-pro ball when I lost my chance because my guard unit was activated and then when I got back I got hurt." I shrug. "My chances of playing pro ball are gone."

  "That sucks, Trystan."

  I nod. "It does but there's more to life than ball, and there are people who are far worse off than I am. I consider myself very lucky. I made it home in one piece. There are a lot of guys out there who don’t." He nods, taking in what I'm saying as he eats his dinner; so much for the light conversation.