Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“Wing it. That’s what I do. I still don’t know shit about babies, but I need to fix that soon ’cause Nol and I want to start a family next year.”
“Ah, that’s great. Congratulations, so…maybe you should do it.”
Vinnie chuckled. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the time. But you do, and you could use the lesson. See, timing requires that one thing you’re sorely lacking, man…patience. You have a unique opportunity here to work on your game and your mental health, Court.”
I sputtered. “How? Little kids are lawless. They’re tiny and they don’t listen and…doesn’t that combo make you more impatient than ever?”
“Maybe,” he admitted with a nonchalant shrug. “But Ronnie suggested it, and he’s a dad and his dad was Coach Moore, so we’re going with it. The theory is that if you have to concentrate on someone else for a stretch, you’ll quit thinking about yourself. I know it sounds like a wacky idea, but it’s worth a shot.”
My shoulders slumped in defeat. I didn’t have much of a choice, so… “Okay. Sure. I’ll do it.”
Vinnie punched my right biceps playfully, but still hard enough to sting. “That’s the spirit! Now about part two…”
“Part two?” I squeaked.
“Yeah, part two. Even though we need coaches, kids are still in school, so this isn’t a full-time gig. After your own training and workout sessions, you might consider doing something else, like…volunteering in the community.”
“Huh?”
“You heard me—sign up to walk dogs for the elderly, pick up trash at the park, see what they need at the church…that kind of thing. Obviously, this is only a suggestion, but I gotta tell you, community outreach gets you out of your head too. In the pros, we’d choose a charity to support—some guys gave money, but some of us got personally involved.”
“What did you do?”
Vinnie grinned. “I read to old folks for an hour a week. No one thought I’d last, but I fuckin’ loved it. You’d be amazed at the stories some of the ninety-year-olds had. I’d end up tossing the book aside and listening to them till I got kicked out. I was proud of myself in the beginning, thinking I was doing something nice, but you know what? I was the one who walked away learning something new. And during that hour, I didn’t think about the shot I didn’t make or the block I whiffed. That, my friend, set my timing straight. Trust me, you need this.”
“Uh…okay?”
“Love that enthusiasm,” he joked.
I pasted a stiff smile on my face, still grappling with the idea of working with small kids. I assumed I’d help with teens and that had sounded terrible too, but…shit, it was all daunting as hell.
I combed my fingers through my hair. “When did you want me to start at the rink?”
“Monday is cool. The little ones practice after school three times a week for one hour before the older kids. You can swing over to help Riley and me with the juniors afterward.”
“I thought Nolan was coaching the juniors with you.”
“No, ever since he opened that new restaurant in Pinecrest with JC, Nol’s been swamped. Trunk took over for him, but he was also tapped to organize the athletic department at the new Elmwood High, so your timing is fuckin’ perfect. We need help with practically every age group.”
I nodded. “It’s Friday, and I really don’t have any other plans today. Did you want me to come by this afternoon to meet the kids or…something?”
“Nah, Ronnie reminded me the Mighty Mites are doing the group Bingo deal at Town Hall and—oh…” His eyes brightened. “Oh, yeah, that’s a good idea. Go over there this afternoon and say hi.”
“At Bingo? No, thanks. I haven’t done the Bingo thing in forever.”
Vinnie’s Cheshire cat grin grew to epic proportions. “Ten minutes of your night will make you look like a rock god to the kids and their parents. And…you could always hang out and play. Damn, I love it when the stars align! What d’ya say?”
“I will not play Bingo, but…I can swing by to meet the kids,” I grumbled.
“Awesome!”
“Will you be there?”
“At Bingo? No fuckin’ way,” Vinnie scoffed. “But you don’t need me to hold your hand. Half the fuckin’ town will be there. You can get all the ‘What’s Court Henderson doing home?’ conversations over with in one blast and meet your new crew. Two birds, one stone. See you Monday, man.” He patted my shoulder and moved to the door. “And thanks. I think we can help each other out and put you back on the ice on a big stage where you belong.”
I washed my hands again to avoid walking out of the bathroom with Vinnie and potentially extending this discussion. But his parting words played on repeat in my head.
Back where you belong…
Where did I belong? Charleston wasn’t home. Elmwood was, but…I hadn’t felt as if I belonged here in ages. And now, it just felt like purgatory.