CHAPTER 10 LINCOLN

The first order of business will be meeting with the current players. Since it's the offseason and the first day back is still nearly a full month away, Jack puts out the call that a new coach has been hired, and tomorrow before the press conference I'll be meeting with the players to introduce myself.

He offered me a lecture room. I'm more of a locker room kind of coach. The locker room is the place where I'll spend the most time talking to my team. A conference room or lecture room or meeting room feels too formal.

The next order of business will be assembling my coaching staff.

I already have some key names picked out, but I'm not demolishing the group that's been here. This team is coming off a Super Bowl win, after all.

We've lost some big talent. Our star quarterback, tight end, and wide receiver all retired with the former head coach, but the coaching staff is pretty solid.

A new offensive coordinator that was brought in last year proved his playbook on the field last year, so I'll be keeping him around even though I don't agree with all of his plays nor his conservative style.

Defense is solid, so I won't mess with our defensive coordinator, either. Position coaches come and go, and I have a few in mind.

I've also got my eye on filling the holes the retiring players left behind.

Brandon Fletcher is a solid back-up quarterback, but he's no Jack Dalton. I saw some great prospects coming out of the Combine, but our draft position probably won't allow us to score the best prospects unless we can trade up for one.

We've got options, and Jack hired me to manage the best team in the league. Together with Steve, we will select the best players to fill those positions.

I start with the first person I think of when I think of wide receivers. The one man I'd want to bring in on my staff that knows these players and knows this team, a man who played the game a long time and still has ties to this organization since his brother owns the team. And like his brother, I played against him many years ago. We're old acquaintances and I'd love to rekindle that friendship now that we're in the same town.

"Luke Dalton," he answers.

"Luke, hello, it's Lincoln Nash. I've just been hired as the new head coach of the Vegas Aces, and my first order of business is getting you on my coaching staff."

He laughs. "Congratulations, Nash. It's good to hear from you."

"Nice talking to you, too. How've you been?"

"Oh, you know, living the dream. Two small kids, a beautiful wife, and a job I love." He emphasizes the last part.

"What's the job?"

"I opened an agency. Mostly I represent rookies, and my wife runs their publicity. It's a great partnership."

I hear it in his voice. He doesn't want to give that up to come back to the grueling schedule we have as coaches.

"I hear you've been working as a consultant with the team. What do I have to do to get you here full time?" I ask.

"I appreciate the offer, man, and I'd be honored to continue with the consulting side gig, but I can't give up what I have going on here," he says. "It's too big a commitment and between my age and my family, I don't have it in me."

I hide my disappointment. I guess I felt like I was on top of the world there for a minute, like rejections just would no longer find me since I got the job, but apparently I'm still human. "I get it, and I'd love to keep you on as a consultant."

We say our goodbyes and hang up, and I cross Luke's name off my short list of additions to my staff.

I make a few more calls and get a few more ideas lined up, and then an incoming call from my brother interrupts me from what I'm doing.

"Hell must've frozen over. Grayson Nash is actually calling me?" I answer.

"Mom just called with the news. Congrats, man. Now when I show up in Vegas I can kick your ass at poker and football."

"You're an asshole," I jab.

He dishes it right back. "Takes one to know one. Listen, we decided sort of last minute to throw Grandma and Grandpa an anniversary party at end of the month back home and I'm supposed to put the word out now since you're so busy."

"The end of the month is literally two weeks away," I say dryly. "Thanks for the notice."

"Can you make it?" He's pleading, which means he wants me there so he doesn't get in trouble with Mom. It'll be nice to see the whole family, anyway. I'm sure Spencer and Asher will be there. My parents will be there. And it's always a pleasure to see my grandparents—my mom's mom and dad. My grandparents on my dad's side both died before I hit my teen years.

I don't have much choice but to show up. Plus it'll give me the chance to share the news with everybody in person even though my mother seems to have already taken care of that for me.

I sigh. "You know I'd do anything for Gram and Gramps. I'll be there."

"I'll text you the details. The party is Saturday but we'll do dinner Friday and—"

"Brunch Sunday," I finish. It's family tradition on the rare occasion when we get together for a weekend.

There's a knock at my door, and when I glance up, Jack is standing there.

"I need to run. Talk to you later," I say, and I cut the call and set my phone on my desk.

"Don't hang up on my account," Jack says, stepping into my office.

I chuckle, and I think about standing, but then he sits, so I don't move.

"Listen, I've got the press conference lined up for four tomorrow. Steve and I will say some shit, you'll say a few words, and we'll take a few questions. Do you have a publicist you're working with?"

I shake my head. Most offensive coordinators don't really require publicity.

"Might I recommend my sister-in-law? Luke's wife. She's incredible and works with many of our players."

I chuckle. "I just spoke with your brother regarding a coaching position."

"I assume he declined?"

I nod, and I get the sense that he and his brother are close. Sometimes I wish I was a little closer with my own brothers, but somehow sibling rivalries tend to get in the way of that.

This whole new position thing is starting to make me feel like a bit of a loner. I don't have a woman in my life. I'm leaving my friends behind in Los Angeles as I figure I'm starting the next chapter of my life.

And none of that really makes me feel all that sad…though it probably should.

Or maybe that's just social conventions telling me it should. I have a right to live my life the way I want it, and I've been fine on my own for nearly twenty years.

I don't need anybody else. I didn't get this position by being tied down. I got it all on my fucking own, and that's the way I plan to stay.

But Jack Dalton owns the Aces now, and he's tied down.

Luke gets to make his own path, and he's got a wife and kids to think about, too.

It's food for thought, but it's not about to change the way I live my life.

So Jack is close with his brother. Good for him.

Now if I could just get that swirling blonde hair of chaos out of my head, I'd be all set.

"I have an exclusive set up for you before the press conference," he says. "I'm giving our newest Aces correspondent with the local news channel the first shot at you. Can you handle it?"

I think back to what I said in my interview when Jack asked me how I'd handle the media.

I'm prepared to handle the media with transparency, and I know that being criticized is part of the position, so I'll build relationships with reporters so I can use them to our organization's advantage.

"My interview answer regarding the media was good enough to score me the position, so yeah. I can handle it."

"You think so?" He chuckles. "We'll see," he says ominously, though there's a certain gleam in his eye that tells me he's kidding around.

Still…I'm suddenly a little anxious about what exactly Jack Dalton has in store for me.