Nothing But Net E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Single dad Jeff is not going to survive another summer with his seven-year-old daughter bouncing off the walls and bored out of her mind. She needs her dad, not just the babysitter, and long days in the basketball camp she can’t wait to start. If they can find enough coaches to make it happen. 
Emma thinks her boss is joking when Jeff asks her to coach the basketball camp his daughter is enrolled in. Her life is already in shambles, and she’s a college coach, not a babysitter. But when Jeff offers to coach with her, if she agrees, Emma finds herself saying yes. 
Emma quickly realizes working with girls who are eager to learn and not afraid to lose might be just what she needs to find herself again. Until she finds a sexy, caring father in her gorgeous boss. Emma sees a side of Jeff she never knew existed as she discovers sides of herself she worried were long gone. But will getting close to Jeff help everything fall into place or make everything fall apart?

Leseprobe

NOTHING BUT NET

A SMALL TOWN SPORTS ROMANCE

PARADISE PARK

BOOK 6

MARY E THOMPSON

Nothing But Net

Paradise Park, book six

Copyright © 2016 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2023 Mary E Thompson

Cover Photo (man) from depositphotos, Copyright © kiuikson

Cover Photo (basketball) from depositphotos, Copyright © mihmihmal

Cover Photo (striped background) from depositphotos, Copyright © A-R-T-U-R

Cover Photo (wood background) from depositphotos, Copyright © Alexis84

Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-944090-18-0

Created with Vellum

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

About the Author

1

“I think that’s the last one,” Eric Brown said as he set a box down in his sister’s new house. He looked around the room and Emma caught her brother’s eye.

“Thanks for your help,” she said with more emotion than a 31 year old woman should have. She’d lived in the same house her whole life, but Emma was ready to move on. She just never imagined it’d be so hard. “I couldn’t have done this without you guys.”

Eric nodded and crossed the room to pull Emma in for a hug. She went willingly into her brother’s embrace. He was familiar, strong, there. Which was exactly why Emma moved out. As much as she loved her younger brother, she needed to be on her own.

“It’s really cute,” Jo Marcinko, Eric’s new girlfriend, and soon to be fiancee, said as she emerged from the kitchen. “I still can’t believe you don’t have a living room downstairs though.”

Emma grinned. It was one of her favorite features of the little house she’d rented. The kitchen was where the food was, and usually the alcohol. Emma knew if she sat in her living room so close to the kitchen every night, she might not make it. She might not beat her addiction. Having the living room upstairs, especially with the balcony through her sliding glass doors, Emma knew her life would be just a little bit easier.

Not that any of it was easy.

“It’ll take some getting used to,” Emma said to her new friend, not willing to explain herself. She still held on to a lot of anxiety and embarrassment, especially around Jo. Emma finally admitted she was an alcoholic after she got sloppy drunk at the bar where Jo worked. She stole liquor when Jo wasn’t looking and only confessed the next day when she realized how out of hand her drinking had become. If she’d gotten Jo fired, she never would have forgiven herself.

Even without getting her fired, Emma couldn’t forgive herself.

Jo shrugged. “As long as you like it, that’s all that really matters. All I know is I could use a drink.”

Jo’s face pinched into an uncomfortable expression when Eric cleared his throat. “I meant water! Not alcohol. It’s hot and we’ve been working and I’m just tired!” Her blue eyes swung to Emma’s, Jo’s curly brown hair bouncing over her shoulders. Her eyes pleaded with Emma to understand. Of course she did, but it didn’t make it easier.

Emma wanted a drink.

She always wanted a drink.

Which was exactly why she couldn’t have one.

“I promised you guys pizza. Are we ordering in or do you want to go to Davoli’s?”

“Let’s go out,” Eric said. “We’ll come back tomorrow and help you unpack the rest.”

Emma shook her head. “It’s okay, I’ll take care of it.”

Eric gave Emma a look that said there wasn’t any negotiating, but Emma didn’t care. She’d spent the last thirteen years being solely responsible for her brother, and the three before that mostly responsible. Sure, he was 28 and didn’t need her to take care of him, but it was a hard habit to break.

“Let’s go for pizza and you two can argue later,” Jo said with a cheeky grin. She had become the peacemaker between Eric and Emma quickly when she moved in with them a few weeks ago. Emma liked her, but the house suddenly felt too small. Even though she’d been planning to move out, she accelerated her plans when she was faced with so much love and happiness every day.

Not that Emma wasn’t thrilled for them. She just didn’t want to hear them every night or see them looking thoroughly fucked every morning. Or walk in on them, again.

It was nauseating before breakfast.

And after.

And before lunch.

And dinner.

Hell, it was constantly nauseating. Emma couldn’t handle it anymore. Her life was falling apart while her little brother’s life was falling together. She knew it was time to step back, let him enjoy his life, and get her shit together.

Alone.

They all piled in Eric’s SUV for the quick trip across town to Davoli’s Pizza. Jo’s friend was one of the four Davoli kids, but before Eric and Jo got together Emma didn’t have a connection to the family, just a love of their food. She knew she should lay off the pizza if she was going to lose those pesky thirty pounds, okay forty, she wanted to lose, but it was too good.

Another reason she liked Davoli’s was because they didn’t serve alcohol. Emma needed to avoid places that did as much as possible.

When they got to Davoli’s Jo went to the counter to order. Emma insisted on paying, but Eric beat her to it. He had it in his head that because he was living in their paid-for childhood home that he owed her. He always thought he owed her. Emma was too tired to fight.

She grabbed her cup and went to the machine, watching the pop fill her cup in a rush of liquid and bubbles. It was fascinating in the simplest of ways. Emma filled it up to the top, something else that was new for her. Usually she would fill a cup halfway so she had plenty of space for the liquor she added later, when no one was watching.

The pop surprised her and spilled over the edge of the cup, coating her fingers in the dark, sticky liquid. Emma was tempted to let it run, to let the cold drink soak her skin until it turned pruney, but Emma didn’t waste food. Especially drinks.

She pulled her hand back and reached for a napkin. Eric came up behind her. “You okay?”

Emma nodded. “Just wasn’t paying attention,” she lied. Her brother was worried enough. She didn’t need him thinking her mental stability was in question too.

Eric nodded as though her words made sense. “These machines catch me off guard all the time.”

Emma knew he was lying by the tone in his voice, but she appreciated that he was willing to sound like an idiot so she didn’t feel like one.

Eric carried his and Jo’s drinks to the table ahead of Emma. She caught the grin Jo flashed him before she sipped her drink. What Emma would give to have someone look at her with that much love.

“How do you think you’re going to like your new place?” Jo asked, drawing Emma from her thoughts.

A safe topic. They’d all been on eggshells for six weeks, since Emma admitted her addiction. She didn’t know if she appreciated it or hated it. She just knew she couldn’t change it.

“I’ll be fine. It’s summer break so I can relax a little. I’ll finish unpacking over the next week or so and settle in.”

“We’ll come help you tomorrow,” Eric interjected.

Emma gave him an understanding smile. “I know you will, but if I do it myself it’ll give me something to do. Staying busy is important right now. I need to stay busy so I don’t think about what I’m missing.”

Jo’s face fell. Emma hated that she made her new friend so miserable. They’d started to get closer before Emma stole from her bosses. Jo said she’d forgiven her for that and the bar was more than understanding, but Emma still felt like it had driven a wedge between them that she couldn’t remove. If she’d been stronger she wouldn’t have done it to start with.

Yeah, Emma knew alcoholism was a disease. She told herself she couldn’t always control it, but she had a hard time accepting that she couldn’t control it. That she couldn’t control herself. If she had no control then she couldn’t stop.

And if she couldn’t stop, she’d end up like her father.

“You’re not missing anything by not drinking,” Jo said with a voice that betrayed her opinion. “I saw enough drinking at Hank’s to prove that getting drunk never solves problems. It only creates more.”

Emma tried not to let the barb sting, but it did. Jo was trying to help, but the venom on her voice told Emma that she hated drunks as much as Eric did. Eric was the careful one. He was the cautious one. He was the one who went through all of college without ever getting drunk. He was the one who celebrated his 21st birthday with a beer, just one, for dinner instead of a night out with his friends. Eric was the one Emma always wished she could be like.

“I know,” Emma finally said. “It certainly didn’t solve any of my problems.”

“Are you going to talk to Jeff?” Eric asked, thankfully changing the subject.

Jeff Kelley. Their boss. The man Emma had a silly crush on since she started her job. Jeff was too clean cut and perfect for Emma though, so her crush had never gone beyond that, except when she was alone and knew no one would hear her call his name as she brought herself to an orgasm he never would.

Jeff was the person Emma hated talking to about her issues the most. He’d been the authority figure in her life for the last three years. Without either of her parents around, Emma had been in charge of herself, but working for Jeff had brought someone else back into a position of power.

She’d worked before getting her job as head coach of the Paradise Park University women’s basketball program, but her other jobs hadn’t been the same caliber or pressure that PPU was. She loved her job and knew she owed her boss the truth, but Emma worried how he would take the news.

She had no desire to see disappointment in his eyes. Jeff was a straight and narrow kind of guy. Hearing exactly how poorly Emma had behaved over the last few years would certainly make that sexy jaw twitch, those long fingers clench, and his eyes flash with anger she’d never seen directed at her.

But Emma owed him the truth. If for no other reason than because he was her boss.

It had nothing to do with her hoping he could still look at her the same way. She knew no one would. She been found wanting her whole life, and that wasn’t going to change simply because she admitted she had a problem.

Admitting she had a problem only meant she had even fewer redeeming qualities than before.

“I’m going to try to see him tomorrow. His summer hours are sometimes a little spotty, but Jackie said he should be in tomorrow morning.”

Eric nodded. “Good. I think you’ll feel better after you talk to him.”

Emma wasn’t as confident, but she smiled at her brother anyway. “I just hope he doesn’t fire me.”

Jo scoffed. “He can’t, can he?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not like alcoholics are protected under the ADA or anything like that.”

“But you’re better. You’ve been coaching like that for years without any problems. How could he fire you now that you’re better?”

Emma heard the words, but her brain turned them ugly. She was a drunk, no better than a bum on the corner begging for cash.

And she never would be.

Because no matter how much better she got, she would always have demons inside her telling her to drink.

“Why don’t we just wait and see what Jeff says,” Eric suggested calmly. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. And if it’s not, I’ll go kick his ass.”

Emma forced a smile but didn’t really feel it. She knew her brother was trying to be protective, but she deserved whatever was coming to her. No, she’d never stepped on the court drunk, and never would, but she’d packed mini bottles of liquor for their overnights before. She’d gotten drunk in the hotel bar and taken a guy up to her room more than once. She’d shown up to practice hung over more times than she cared to admit.

The truth was Jeff had every right to fire her. Emma could only hope he wouldn’t.

* * *

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jeff Kelley muttered under his breath as he scanned the email on his computer. He reached for his glasses and tossed them on the glass desk in front of him and ran his fingers through his short, dark hair. Leaning back in his chair, he searched his brain for possibilities.

And came up with none.

“Mr. Kelley, I have Coach Brown here to see you. Are you available?”

Jeff wondered if it was the female or the male Coach Brown waiting to talk to him and tried to tell himself it didn’t matter. Both were his employees even if the female version stirred more than a few fantasies in the last three years.

“Yeah, I’m available,” he said through the phone, then hung up and waited for his visitor.

Most of the coaches were off campus for the summer. Once school was done, heck once their seasons were done, most of the coaches vanished. They recruited, they planned their next season, the taught camps, but they weren’t on campus. Jeff liked the quiet during the summer, even though he wasn’t there much. It was his time with Taryn.

The door opened and the female Coach Brown stepped into his office. His pulse kicked up at the sight of her long legs, curvy hips, and plump breasts. Not that Jeff was looking. No, he knew better. But she was burned into his brain, and his body knew she was there even if his eyes couldn’t enjoy it.

“How’s your summer, Coach Brown?”

Jeff tried to call his coaches by their last name, but especially Emma. If he ever dared call her Emma he wasn’t sure he could stop himself from seeing her as something more… something he couldn’t have.

His mind flashed back to the email he’d just read. The one that said Taryn’s basketball camp needed more coaches. The directors begged him to help, knowing his history as a player, but Emma was an even better fit. She was the women’s basketball coach. And he needed a coach. Maybe she was the answer he’d been struggling to find.

2

Emma wondered what the hell was going through Jeff’s head when he looked at her with that crazy grin. His expression changed from irritated to manic in about two seconds, and it was making her more than a little anxious.

“Um, what’s going on?” Emma asked wearily, dreading the answer.

Her words appeared to startle the crazy out of him. Jeff shook his head, his close cut brown hair not even moving with the motion. He closed his brown eyes, temporarily shutting Emma out of his brain. She hated how attractive her boss was. Sure, he’d played into her fantasies, but she wasn’t supposed to have fantasies about her boss. He was unreachable, unattainable.

His eyes flipped open and caught her appraising him. His lips quirked up at the edges, but quickly turned back down again. He sucked in a rough breath then opened his mouth to finally speak. “How are you doing, Coach?”

Emma hated that he called her coach. She wanted to hear her name roll off his tongue. Of course it would only add to the fantasy. When he called her coach it was a sharp reminder that she wasn’t a woman with him, just an employee.

And that strange gleam in his eyes made her think he was about to press that fact.

“I’m doing okay,” she answered cautiously. “I just moved into my new place this weekend.”

Jeff’s head tipped to the side, his eyebrows pulling together. “I didn’t know you were moving. Did something happen with Eric?”

Eric. He could say Eric’s name, but not hers.

Emma shook her head. “No, he’s fine. Jo’s living there too now and it was getting a little too crowded for me. Plus, I sort of felt I needed my own place. Something to do for the summer and all that.”

His eyes glittered with excitement and Emma got nervous again. What did she say that made him look at her like she was the answer to all his prayers.

“If you’re looking for something to do this summer, I have a suggestion. If you’re willing.”

Emma had a few ideas of her own to keep herself busy over the summer, but she didn’t think trading one vice for another was that smart of an idea. She was fairly certain his mind wasn’t sharing her gutter though, and her suspicion outweighed her fear, so she nodded for him to continue.

“My daughter is in a basketball camp and they just emailed me. They thought they’d secured enough people to help out but more kids registered than they expected. The camp needs another coach and asked if I knew anyone who could help out.”

Emma sucked in a breath. Coaching kids was not in her plans for the summer, but what shocked her even more was the news that Jeff had a kid. He never wore a wedding ring.

At her hesitation he pushed forward. “It’s only for two weeks. It would be an all day thing, but you’d get paid for doing it. It’s good publicity for the school. You’d work with another coach to teach the kids skills and at the end of each day there’s a game. By age group, of course. Usually the parents show up for the game, but the parents who can’t be there come to pick them up later. It’s a great program.”

Was she seriously considering it? No, she couldn’t. Emma was an alcoholic and she didn’t need to be around kids. Kids would only make her want a drink, not help her stay away. Didn’t all parents drink. A lot?

“I, um, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

Jeff jumped up from his chair and walked out from behind his desk. He leaned against the glass edge, propped his hip on the surface, and looked down at Emma.

“What if I helped you? I was going to be there as much as possible every day and I can take a couple weeks away from here. Not much is going on right now. If I help you out will you do it?”

Even the idea of spending time with her sexy boss wasn’t enough to tempt her. Especially since she knew her sexy boss was also her unavailable boss. His kid had never made an appearance at work so Emma knew that meant mom was in the picture, and there was no room for anyone else.

Not that Emma wanted that. She had too much shit to deal with on her own. A relationship was not going to make things easier, it would only make them harder. Especially a relationship with her boss.

“I don’t know-“

“Please, Emma. I don’t know who else to ask. I’d owe you one if you did this for me.”

He said her name. Practically purred it. Damn. There was no way she could resist that.

“When is it?”

Jeff grinned at her, the full force of it nearly knocking her on her ass. Jesus, the man was potent. And he wasn’t hers. She had to remember that.

“It starts next Monday. I’ll email them back with your contact information and you can get it set up for them to pay you. I’m not sure what age group you’ll be working with, but it’s ages seven to ten.”

“How old is your daughter?”

“Taryn is seven. This is her first year.”

Emma nodded. She knew she needed to stop asking about his personal life but her mouth had different ideas. “Is your wife going to be there too?”

Jeff’s head snapped up from his computer to look at her. His expression was unreadable, but not altogether unpleasant. He looked like he was reliving a happy memory or something. Probably thinking about the last time he slept with his wife.

Then he shook his head. “I’m not married. We split up when Taryn was little.”

Embarrassment swamped Emma. She would crawl under the desk, but it wouldn’t do any good since it was glass. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business.” Emma jumped to her feet, ready to get the hell out of there. “I’ll wait for an email from you with all the details. Um, thanks. I’ll see you next week.”

Emma bolted out the door, smiling at Jeff’s assistant, Jackie, as she passed by. Once she was around the corner and out of sight, she leaned back against the wall and pulled in deep breaths. Why the hell did she just agree to that? And why did she ask about his personal life?

Maybe the biggest question of all was why didn’t she tell him what she went there to talk about?

* * *

A week later Jeff drove Taryn to the first day of camp. She talked a mile a minute, like usual. Full of questions. “Are my coaches nice?”

“Yes, they are.”

“How do you know? Have you met them all?”

“Well, I’m one of your coaches. The other one is someone I work with. Her name is Emma.”

“Do I get to call her Emma?” Taryn asked in an excited voice. Jeff and Caroline, his ex, demanded her to respect adults using their last name. Jeff wasn’t sure what the coaches would be called, but he wanted to say her name, even if he couldn’t say it to her.

“We’ll see.”

“Do I call you Coach Daddy?”

Jeff laughed. “We’ll figure that one out when we get there too.”

Jeff pulled in and smiled when he saw Emma’s black Range Rover. He’d always thought the behemoth vehicles were ostentatious until Emma bought one. Then he thought they were sexy as all hell. Especially when a curvy blonde who knew her way around a basketball court was driving.

“Are we going to eat lunch here?”

Jeff nodded as he parked near Emma and shut off the car. His Volvo wasn’t nearly as attention grabbing as Emma’s Range Rover, but it was the safest thing out there. With the cargo he carried around, that was all that mattered to him.

Jeff opened the door behind him for Taryn and she jumped out, her brown ponytail swinging. She was tall and lean, like Caroline, but with a ready smile that left Jeff baffled. She was outgoing and talkative and so kind it made his heart hurt. He’d gotten more than one phone call from parents who said Taryn had gone out of her way to make their child feel better when something happened. Knowing he was raising a kid like that always made Jeff proud.

Even though he and Caroline couldn’t make things work between them, they made things work for Taryn. And that was all that mattered to Jeff.

Taryn pulled him across the parking lot to the basketball courts. It was going to be a hot camp, but he was still looking forward to it. From what he knew, the kids would get coaching in the morning for an hour, have a break to get a snack, then another hour and a half of teaching before lunch. After lunch the coaches would set out sprinklers and let the kids play for a little while then get back to coaching for another hour. At four every afternoon they played a scrimmage game.

The camp was part day care for some of the kids. Taryn always complained when they went home, but the summer was Jeff’s chance to spend time with her. He wasn’t going to miss out. He missed too much during the school year when his hours kept him away from his daughter more than he’d like.

Once they reached the grass Taryn wiggled her hand out of his and took off. She skidded to a stop on the basketball court and squealed when she hugged her best friend from school, Blair. Jeff had Blair over to the house on more than one occasion and liked both her and her mom. Blair mentioned an older brother too, but Jeff hadn’t met him yet.

“Hey Blair,” Jeff said as he joined them. “How are you?”

Blair hugged him. “I’m good, Mr. Kelley. I can’t wait to start basketball. My brother said it’s a stupid sport, but he’s stupid so I don’t care what he says. Basketball is cool, right mom?”

Jeff looked up and saw Isabella Chandler walking over to them. He forced himself not to check her out, but Isabella was a beautiful woman. She was full of curves that she wasn’t afraid to show off. Her long brown hair brushed the tops of her breasts and her heels made her legs look impossibly long. But she’d never done anything for Jeff. He didn’t get the feeling she was anymore interested in him, which made their friendship easy.

“Yes, basketball is cool,” Isabella said easily. She winked at Jeff. “But your brother is not stupid. You two just like different things, and that’s okay.”

The girls turned to each other then ran off to their other friends, leaving Jeff and Isabella alone. “I don’t know how you do it,” he said.

She shrugged. “Mine are far enough apart that two isn’t that bad.”

“Yeah, but you’re on all the time.”

Isabella nodded. “Part of the job. The good one, at least. I’ve gotta run. You’re coaching, right?”

Jeff nodded.

“Great. I should be here for the afternoon games, but if not, would you mind taking Blair home with you? Like I said, I should be here.”

“Of course,” Jeff said easily. “Blair’s never a problem. Besides, Molly loves having the girls there.”

Isabella laughed. “Blair begs me for a dog every time she comes home from your house. I keep telling her not all dogs are like Molly.”

Jeff grinned. “She’s a pretty great dog.”

Isabella smiled then checked her phone. “She is. I gotta run. Thanks for telling me about camp. She’s going to love it.”

Jeff smiled. Isabella called Blair over and hugged and kissed her daughter. “If I’m not here for the game, Mr. Kelley is going to take you to their house. I’ll call him and make sure he knows if something comes up.”

“You can stay at work, Mommy. I’ll be fine there.”

Jeff stifled a laugh.

“I know you’ll be fine, sweetheart. But I want to be here. Maybe we can get together with Taryn and her daddy sometime after camp. Grab dinner one night. If they have time.”

Both girls swung pleading eyes toward Jeff. “Please, Daddy!”

“Please, Mr. Kelley!”

Jeff laughed. “Of course. We’ll figure out a night that your mom isn’t busy and we’ll all go out.”

“Yay!” the girls cheered.

Isabella met his eye over their heads and mouthed thank you. Jeff nodded. Isabella hugged Blair again then stood and left. Jeff watched her walk away only to turn back around and find Emma watching him.

3

Emma had no right to be so pissed off that he was flirting with one of the moms, but she was. He always treated her like an employee but the woman with heels and perfect hair and one of those hour glass figures Emma had always been envious of… she got him to flirt.

Emma tore her eyes away from his, not willing to give in to anything more than he’d already seen. She studied her clipboard, understanding that learning the names of the players was as important as anything when coaching. She’d asked for pictures to go with the list of twelve girls, but was told they didn’t have any.

At least Emma knew two of the girls. Jeff’s daughter and the perfect mom’s daughter. Two down, ten to go.

She felt Jeff at her side before he was within her sight line, but she knew he was there. “Hey,” he said casually. “Thanks for coming.”

Emma nodded then pasted on a smile for him. “Of course. What time do we need to get started?”