him.
She fumbled with her fingers. “Can we talk?”
He was still irritated enough with her that he probably shouldn’t talk right now. Since Katie stood there listening in, he didn’t want to risk something nasty coming out by accident. “I have a couple things to check, but I can in about thirty minutes.”
She glanced to Katie and directed her to find her towel and dry off. “I was thinking tomorrow. Maybe during lunch?”
An offer for a lunch date? That was not what he’d been expecting. “Sure. You want to come here?”
“Here? I was thinking of Jaspers. Or there’s a place in town that sells sandwiches.”
“Jaspers was busy last time. I figure if you’re asking to talk, it must be about something personal. My office here would be private, unless you’d rather go somewhere else?”
“No.” She said it loud enough that a couple of people nearby turned. She cleared her throat. “You’re right. Here would be fine. I’ll grab you something on my way. Turkey sandwich? I can order it and bring it. Won’t take but a second.”
“Sure.”
“Okay.” She walked backward a few steps. “Tomorrow then.”
“I’ll be here.”
Finally, she nodded and turned away, found Katie and took her out. He had enough time to see them go before Rebecca cornered him. She was shorter than Beth, and he found he had to look down at her. And also resist an irritated sigh. She needed him for something after every lesson. “Coach Jason, I was wondering if there was anything we needed to work with Tim on before the next class?”
He shook his head. “Nothing that I can think of. They’re all doing really well. You can take him swimming if you want and let him enjoy his time, but there’s not anything specific you need to worry with.”
“I just wanted to make sure so he’s not behind.”
“He’s doing really great. At this age, we just want them to have fun in the water, respect it and be confident in what they can do, so they can get themselves to safety in case of an emergency. The more they swim, the better they’ll be.”
“Sounds good. Do you think after this class ends, he can take more lessons?”
“Sure. After this class they’ll be guppies. They’ll learn a few more skills in here. I’ll teach them things like stronger swim strokes.” He would teach them? Where had that come from? He hadn’t even unpacked yet, and until that happened, he wasn’t staying. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Anything else?”
She smiled and her head tipped slightly to the side. “I meant private lessons.”
“Since I’m just settling in, I’m not offering private lessons for now. Maybe later in the year once I get going here. Or I’ll train someone to offer private sessions.”
“Oh, all right then.” She shouldered her bag higher. “Thanks for today. We’ll certainly sign up for the next set too.”
“Sounds great.” He started away and lifted his clipboard from the side of the pool before he got trapped in another conversation. He really wanted to get out of here and think over his date with Beth tomorrow and what it could be about. The farther he got from the pool though, the more complicated things seemed to be. He scrubbed over his head and itched to get back in the water. It was his one true love and he’d been away from it too long.
He traded his clipboard for goggles and hit the training pool at the back for one of the lanes. Keeping a casual warm-up, he passed other swimmers in the neighboring lane. He came to the wall, flipped and kicked off for four laps. By a sixth lap, his blood pumped at a comfortable speed to warm his muscles. He turned at the wall, gave a solid push and dolphin kicked over half the length of his lane before he had to turn again. He stroked four times and came up on the edge.
Maybe if he kept this up until tomorrow, he’d be ready before meeting Beth.
Chapter Eleven
So long as Beth kept a tight hold on the box, nobody would see her hands shaking. And by
She fumbled with her fingers. “Can we talk?”
He was still irritated enough with her that he probably shouldn’t talk right now. Since Katie stood there listening in, he didn’t want to risk something nasty coming out by accident. “I have a couple things to check, but I can in about thirty minutes.”
She glanced to Katie and directed her to find her towel and dry off. “I was thinking tomorrow. Maybe during lunch?”
An offer for a lunch date? That was not what he’d been expecting. “Sure. You want to come here?”
“Here? I was thinking of Jaspers. Or there’s a place in town that sells sandwiches.”
“Jaspers was busy last time. I figure if you’re asking to talk, it must be about something personal. My office here would be private, unless you’d rather go somewhere else?”
“No.” She said it loud enough that a couple of people nearby turned. She cleared her throat. “You’re right. Here would be fine. I’ll grab you something on my way. Turkey sandwich? I can order it and bring it. Won’t take but a second.”
“Sure.”
“Okay.” She walked backward a few steps. “Tomorrow then.”
“I’ll be here.”
Finally, she nodded and turned away, found Katie and took her out. He had enough time to see them go before Rebecca cornered him. She was shorter than Beth, and he found he had to look down at her. And also resist an irritated sigh. She needed him for something after every lesson. “Coach Jason, I was wondering if there was anything we needed to work with Tim on before the next class?”
He shook his head. “Nothing that I can think of. They’re all doing really well. You can take him swimming if you want and let him enjoy his time, but there’s not anything specific you need to worry with.”
“I just wanted to make sure so he’s not behind.”
“He’s doing really great. At this age, we just want them to have fun in the water, respect it and be confident in what they can do, so they can get themselves to safety in case of an emergency. The more they swim, the better they’ll be.”
“Sounds good. Do you think after this class ends, he can take more lessons?”
“Sure. After this class they’ll be guppies. They’ll learn a few more skills in here. I’ll teach them things like stronger swim strokes.” He would teach them? Where had that come from? He hadn’t even unpacked yet, and until that happened, he wasn’t staying. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Anything else?”
She smiled and her head tipped slightly to the side. “I meant private lessons.”
“Since I’m just settling in, I’m not offering private lessons for now. Maybe later in the year once I get going here. Or I’ll train someone to offer private sessions.”
“Oh, all right then.” She shouldered her bag higher. “Thanks for today. We’ll certainly sign up for the next set too.”
“Sounds great.” He started away and lifted his clipboard from the side of the pool before he got trapped in another conversation. He really wanted to get out of here and think over his date with Beth tomorrow and what it could be about. The farther he got from the pool though, the more complicated things seemed to be. He scrubbed over his head and itched to get back in the water. It was his one true love and he’d been away from it too long.
He traded his clipboard for goggles and hit the training pool at the back for one of the lanes. Keeping a casual warm-up, he passed other swimmers in the neighboring lane. He came to the wall, flipped and kicked off for four laps. By a sixth lap, his blood pumped at a comfortable speed to warm his muscles. He turned at the wall, gave a solid push and dolphin kicked over half the length of his lane before he had to turn again. He stroked four times and came up on the edge.
Maybe if he kept this up until tomorrow, he’d be ready before meeting Beth.
Chapter Eleven
So long as Beth kept a tight hold on the box, nobody would see her hands shaking. And by
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