couldn’t. She had to explain that there was no way she afford sports equipment on top of school supplies, no way she could bring the girls to practice at the mission every day while taking evening jobs, and absolutely no way she could handle one more task in her life. She just couldn’t.
He went on, his deep voice carrying easily through the noise around them. “We only have practice twice a week, Thursday and Friday. All the equipment is paid for through a special grant organized by one of the local churches.”
“Please?” Kassey managed to make the word into several syllables while her voice rose two octaves.
“I don’t know, sweetie. We just have so much going on...” Her voice trailed off at the look on her niece’s face. Disappointment, then a brave attempt to blink back tears.
“Okay.” Kassey nodded and took Gabby’s hand. They stood quietly, waiting to go home.
Sabrina sighed. They had sacrificed so much, had lost everything once before. If they had whined and fussed, it would be easier to say no. But that quiet strength tugged at her heart. She turned to Jack, narrowing her eyes. “Tell me the truth. What kind of time commitment is this? And is it really no charge? The equipment is free, but are there team fees? Game fees? Travel fees?”
“Two practices a week. Games on Saturday afternoon at the inside field on Stanton. Everything free.” He didn’t glance at the girls or encourage them at all, and she was thankful for that. He was giving her space to consider, letting her make the decision without any pressure.
“So, they need to try out? What if one gets in but not the other?” She crossed her arms. Stanton Avenue wasn’t far from their apartment. She could walk them down there. No fees and maybe the schedule would work, but these two girls had feelings she needed to consider, too.
He leaned close, dropping his voice. She caught the light scent of soap and masculinity. “We don’t really have tryouts. The kids come and we sign them up. Everybody learns together.” He stood back and the corners of his lips turned up, as if they were sharing a secret.
Heat crept up her neck and she dropped her gaze to Kassey’s hopeful eyes. This was about the girls, not the coach, although her brain was gibbering something about how seeing Jack two times a week could be very interesting. Maybe she wouldn’t even stink of rotten potato peel next time. “Homework will always have to be done first. And you have to be team players. And help each other.”
They both let out tiny shrieks of happiness. “We will, we promise!” Matching pairs of dark eyes shone with joy and Sabrina savored the feeling of being the hero for once. She was always the one who had to say no. But not today.
“Thank you.” The words came out huskier than she’d intended. Her throat felt tight and she swallowed away the sudden emotion. “It’s been a long time since they’ve gotten to do something really fun.”
“No problem.” He laid a hand on Kassey’s shoulder, face serious. “Next practice is Thursday. You two are saving the team. We were short a few players and now we’ll have enough alternates that no one will get too tired out during the game.” He was speaking to them as if they were newly acquired star players.
Their expression of wide-eyed glee made her breath catch. There were caring teachers at school and sweet Mrs. Guzman from upstairs. But there was a hole in their lives where a mom and dad should be. She was determined to keep them together as a family, but she knew what she gave them wasn’t always enough. She did her best to fill a mom’s shoes, but this kind of validation, from someone like Jack, meant more than she’d realized.
The shrill sound of a whistle cut through her thoughts. “Hey, I’ll be back.” Jack jogged off to the other side of the gym and started to round up the straggling kids into the group. Sabrina watched his easy stride, the generous smile and wondered what it was about him that made her think he was a little restless. As if there was too much energy for one body, or he had other plans for the rest of the evening.
Actually, he probably did. A guy like that wouldn’t be unattached. She shrugged off the curiosity and tried to focus on the excited chatter from her nieces.
“We’ll work really hard,” Gabby said, lapsing into Spanish as soon as Jack left.
“We promise.” Kassey was so earnest that Sabrina almost laughed. Usually she preferred they speak Spanish only at home, but she didn’t correct them. It made her smile just to see how thrilled they were at the idea of running drills and practicing kicks. They knew the custody hearing was coming up in two months and they were as nervous as she was. Nervous and worried and unsure of what the future held. This would give them something to do besides worry.
“I know you will. I have no doubt.” She gathered them to her, one on each side. “You always make me proud.” Leaning down to kiss one small head, then another, she knew that whether or not they scored a single goal, being on the team would be a gift to their self-esteem. Lord, as always, You are full of surprises.
Sabrina glanced back toward Jack, watching him chat easily with the parents who’d arrived to collect their kids. He seemed to be one of those people who made friends with everyone, anywhere, anytime. Even knowing that, she couldn’t shake the memory of how it felt to talk with him. She felt heard, for the first time in a long time. Maybe that’s why she’d talked about how she loved metal and machinery. It certainly wasn’t something she shared every day. Or at all, really. Of course, no one had ever asked her why she wasn’t a secretary or a preschool teacher, something more feminine. She’d heard plenty of comments in the past two years. Some people thought it was cute, some people thought it was weird and a lot of people thought it was a man’s job. But no one had ever asked her why.
Gabby was speed talking her way through a wish list of soccer gear and Sabrina nodded, not really listening. Jack seemed so full of energy, so much more alive than anyone around him. What was it about him that made her want to stop and take a deep breath, to shrug off her massive schedule for just one moment and do something fun?
He met her gaze across the gym and she turned away, embarrassed to be caught staring. Whatever the reason she’d shared her past, it was a sure sign that she needed to get out more. One short conversation and she was overthinking her life. It didn’t matter why she did the job she did and it certainly didn’t matter what he thought about her.
She had one goal, and that was to get legal custody of the girls. To do that, she needed to keep them afloat, pay the rent on time and look like a responsible parent. Maybe when it was all over she could think about her own needs. For now, she just had to keep her head down and do what needed to be done, and that included avoiding Mr. Deep Thoughts. As cute as he was, she wasn’t going to be having another heart-to-heart with Jack Thorne again anytime soon.
* * *
“Gavin will be over in a minute to talk to you. He’s the other coach and has the schedule for next week,” Jack said. He must have startled Sabrina, because she jumped at the sound of his voice. “And some waivers to sign. You’re their legal guardian?”
“Temporary. There’s a hearing soon and we’re hoping it will be settled by the time summer starts. They want to give my sister the chance to contest the motion. Every time they set a date, Rosa says she’s coming back for the hearing, but then she’ll ask to postpone it. This is the last time she can ask to retain her rights, and I don’t think she’ll show up.” Her face was stoic but there was an old sadness in her eyes. One hand smoothed Gabby’s dark hair in an absentminded motion.
He wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what. Congratulations didn’t seem right.
“Tía, you should help. You love soccer.” Gabby tugged on her aunt’s hand.
“Yes, you should,” Kassey chimed in. “Coach Jack, she played on a soccer team, too.”
“Did you? We need another coach here.” Jack grabbed at that fact