Page 5 of Stalked By the Assistant Coach

I turned and felt my brow bunch together as I stared at the woman of my dreams. The woman I had vowed to be good enough for one day was right there. On my practice field.

“Kaitlyn?” My voice sounded rough in my ears. My damn heart, the one organ in my body which did whatever the hell it wanted, skipped a beat like it was playing Double Dutch in my chest. Her eyes brightened behind her glasses. Just the sight of that light made that all-too-familiar feeling whenever she was around start to blossom throughout me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked too brusquely, and a little of the light dimmed in her beautiful brown eyes.Good job, dumbass.

“Oh, umm…” She licked her lips, and I felt someone touch my arm. I scowled and turned, shocked as hell to find one of the trainers on the team’s staff hold my elbow.

“You ready?” Brittney asked, and my scowl deepened. Britt was great, but she was a staff member and nothing else. I really didn’t like her touching me.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kait’s voice soft voice cracked, and I turned my attention back to the one woman on earth who made me feel anything more than indifference. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t some kind of woman hater. I loved and respected women. The things they were capable of were incredible. But Kaitlyn Orozco was one of a kind and meant to be mine. I’d known it in my gut in college. I’d been ready to make a move the moment I would have been able to offer her the world.

But that didn’t happen.

Not in college when my knees gave out and any hope to play pro vanished. Not when all I could be was a high school coach at the same school she taught at back in our hometown of Beech Grove.

But I was finally in a position where I was close to becoming head football coach for a division one school.

“I should have called. I, umm, excuse me.” Kaitlyn turned and started to walk away.

And my stupid pathetic ass just stood there.Watched her all but run off the field.

“What was that about?” Britt asked. I frowned and turned my attention back to her.

“I should be asking you the same question.” My eyes dropped to her hand still on my elbow, but Britt just shrugged and rolled her eyes.

“I noticed her. She’s been hanging around for the last hour. I was about to ask security when I saw her start her way over to you. When you turned, you looked like you had seen a ghost. I was trying to save you,” she explained. I felt like an asshole.

“Save me.” Britt wasn’t malicious. And I was most definitely not her type. If anything, from the way she stared at Kaitlyn, who was still rushing off the field, Britt and I both appreciated the underrated beauty my girl possessed.

“She’s my best friend,” I shared.

“Your best… huh.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I muttered, and Britt laughed.

“No offense, Bridges, but if my best friend treated me the way you just treated her, they wouldn’t be my best friend anymore. Not even my friend.” I opened and shut my mouth before kicking my ass in gear, ignoring a snickering Brittney behind me.

CHAPTER 2

KAITLYN OROZCO

“This was not your best plan!” I hissed at myself. “What are you doing here?” I muttered under my breath in a fake deep tone while I tried to mimic Red’s stupid, sexy voice.

“What am I doing here?” I asked myself in a whisper as I stopped and looked around. In my hurry to get the hell out of his way because it had been obvious he didn’t want to see me, I got turned around.

Big time.

Not that I was all that familiar with the school’s stadium to begin with.

“Bug, wait up!” Red’s deep voice called out that stupid nickname he’d given me in college. I mashed my teeth together to stop myself from doing something stupid, like cry.

But as pissed and hurt as I was, I turned because I’d come to see him for a reason.

“I’m sorry. You surprised me and?—"

“I’m pregnant,” I blurted out, and he stopped dead in his tracks. His complexion paled as his eyes dropped to my midriff. I shook my head. “I mean not yet, but I’m going to have a baby.”

“What?” His face was full of confusion, and I wanted to wince. It was just like me to make a mess of things. I ruined everything. “Wait, what does that mean?”