40. Nathan

“Calling for your suitcase in the car, Avery! The plane will leave without us!” I shouted through the house as I carried my duffel bag to the front door. Last night, I saw Avery packing two suitcases. We were going to be gone for forty-eight hours, not forty-eight years.

She walked over to me with no suitcases.

I chuckled a little. “I know I mentioned you should pack a little lighter, but this is a bit extreme.”

“I can’t come,” she mentioned.

“What do you mean? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Everything’s okay. Everything’s better than okay, I think, it’s just…Yara’s in labor. I just got the call.”

“Oh shit,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “That’s crazy!”

“I know. I want to be there at the campus with you and Cam, but?—”

“Don’t worry about it. I know that campus inside and out, and I’ll be fine with Cam and Adam. You get to the hospital to be with your sister.”

“Okay, okay, okay. I need my keys.” She paced the foyer as if she were forgetting something.

I placed my hands against her shoulders. “Avery.”

“Yes?”

“Your keys are in your hands.”

“Right. Yes. Okay.”

“Take a deep breath, Auntie. You’re gonna do great. Tell them I said congratulations.”

She nodded. “I will. And update me with how everything goes for Cam, will you? I’m so excited.”

“Talk about a victorious weekend.” I kissed her forehead and smacked her ass. “Congrats, Auntie Avery.”

“Can you believe it?” She smiled, her cheeks rising high. “A baby,” she sang, tossing her hands in the air from excitement. “We’re having a baby!”

We’re.

I knew she wasn’t talking about her and me, but then again…I didn’t hate the idea.

The weekendat Prest went as amazing as it could’ve. Seeing Cameron in his element was the best thing to witness in the world. Having Adam there with him was the icing on the cake.

Cameron even joined in on one of the workouts with Prest’s team. As he ran drills on the field, I stood in the dugout, watching it all take place.

“How does it feel to be back on your stomping grounds, Pierce?” Coach Reed asked me as he walked over with a clipboard and a brown envelope in his hand. Coach Reed was an older gentleman who’d been the head coach at Prest for the past twenty years. He was the one who got me into the big leagues. He was one of the best, and I was excited that Cameron might have the opportunity to work with such a legend.

“Feels like coming home,” I told him.

He nudged me in the arm. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He nodded in Cameron’s direction on the field. “The boy’s good. One of the best we’ve seen in a long time.”

“He can take it all the way.”

“I have no doubt about that. He has all-American written all over him. It would be a treat to coach that boy. He needs a little bit of work, but nothing I can’t help him with.”

“I know he’d be in good hands here,” I told him.

“You should know that,” he agreed. “Seeing how you’ll be joining the team as one of the head coaches, too.”

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at Reed. “I beg your pardon?”

“It’s no secret that you’ve had quite the turnaround with your career, Pierce. I’ve been watching you, like the rest of the industry, and your small town turned the game upside down. I even saw some articles on your team on ESPN.”

“They’re a solid team.”

“Because they had a solid leader.”

“That’s true, they did. Avery Kingsley has done remarkable things with that team this year.”

He waved a dismissive hand my way. “I’m not talking about that girl. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she’s talented, but this is about you, Pierce. We want to offer you a position at Prest. You would be the coach of our dreams, and I couldn’t think of a better one to take over once I retire.”

“Retire?” I asked. “You’re planning on retiring?”

“I’m old,” he explained. “My wife said if I don’t, she’ll leave me. So you know.” He shrugged. “I figured I should start looking for a replacement.”

I smiled and patted his shoulder. “I’m honored, but I think I’m good.”

He held out the brown envelope. “Inside this is a contract. One that is probably much more impressive than that lil’ ole high school one you got. You have a big talent, boy. Not many people get second shots like this. Just give me your word that you’ll consider it.”

I took the envelope. “Thanks, but I think I’m settled where I am.”

“Just consider it,” he echoed.

Knowing that he wouldn’t let up on it, I agreed. Even though I knew in my heart of hearts that I wasn’t leaving Honey Creek. I’d found my way back home after years of wandering. I’d be an idiot to leave when everything I’d ever wanted was in my lap.

“Attaboy.” He patted my back and then looked out toward the field. He blew the whistle hanging around his neck. “Run that play again, boys. And don’t make it look like a toddler’s doing it, all right?”

He walked off the field as Cameron came jogging over toward me. “Coach P! Did you see me out there?”

“Hell yeah, I did. That was amazing.”

“Did Coach Reed tell you about the coaching position? Could you imagine? Us both being at Prest? We’d be unstoppable.”

“Yeah. He mentioned it.” I smiled an uneasy grin and patted his back. “But we should probably get going to the airport. I just wanted you to get one more run on the field before we headed out.”

Adam, Cameron, and I headed to the airport, and the flight was easy enough. After we walked out of the Chicago airport, I said my goodbyes to the two and thanked them for the weekend.

“Hey, Coach P?” Cameron called out.

I turned and looked back toward him. “Yeah?”

He rushed over and hugged me. “Thank you for this.”

“You did this all on your own, kid. Your talent got you here.”

“No, I don’t mean Prest. Don’t get me wrong, I mean, this is an amazing opportunity, and I’m grateful. But I meant him.” He gestured toward his dad, who was decked out in Prest University gear from head to toe. “Thank you for making him feel like my dad again. He said he’s getting help, and I can’t help but think you had something to do with that.”

I smiled. “Being human is complex, and sometimes we fall off our tracks. He deserved another shot.”

Cameron nodded. “Thanks for putting him back on the tracks, Coach. See you tomorrow at practice.”

I headed back home, excited to see Avery and tell her how great the weekend had been. I also wanted to see more photographs of her sweet niece. I’d missed her over the past few days. I knew it was silly, seeing as we’d been spending more than enough time with one another, but the second I left, I missed her.

“Welcome home, Coach,” Avery said as I walked into the front door. She wore an oversized graphic TLC T-shirt, red panties, and a bottle of wine in her hands. “Dinner’s on the table.”

I dropped my bag in the foyer and kicked off my shoes. “I could get used to these kinds of welcome home greetings.” I moved toward her as if there were a strong magnetic pull and found her lips against mine. “I missed you.”

She laughed. “You’re such a simp.”

“Simp?” I kissed her again. “Learning some slang words from your students?”

“Yup.”

“And what exactly is a simp?”

“I googled it. It’s a person who’s perceived as overly submissive or even desperate for the attention or affection of someone without receiving anything in return.”

“Oh.” I pulled the palm of her free hand to my mouth and kissed it. “I am such a simp for you, Avery Kingsley.”

She giggled, and I wanted to swim in that sound.

Simp, simp, fucking simp…

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you,” I replied.

“Dinner?” she asked me as she took off my jacket.

“Yes”—I nodded—“dinner.”

She led me to the dining room, and I took a seat. She opened the wine and poured two glasses. She then placed a pasta dish with garlic bread on our plates. She went to sit in the chair beside me, and I held a hand out, stopping her.

“What?” she asked.

I patted my lap. “Here.”

She laughed and placed her hands on her hips. “Do you want me to feed you or something?”

“Yeah. Like I said, I missed you. I need you as close as possible right now. So come here and sit.”

She hesitated for a moment, probably debating a sassy reply, but instead, she climbed into my lap, facing me, with her legs hanging to the sides of the chair. She kissed me gently. “I missed you, too.”

I chuckled to myself and shook my head. “Gosh, Avery. You’re such a simp.”

She reached behind her and lifted the plate into her hand. “Shut up and eat.” She fed me a forkful of the pasta. “Tell me everything about your weekend. Tell me all about Cameron.”

I did. I told her all about Cameron’s adventures on campus and how it was remarkable watching his dreams come true.

She told me about Yara and how amazing her beautiful niece was as I fed her the pasta.

“Teresa Marie,” Avery stated. “Named after Alex’s great-aunt and our mom.” Her eyes lit up with complete bliss as she talked about the meaning behind her niece’s name. “Gosh. You’ll have to meet her. She’s something special. She’s equal parts Yara and Alex. I swore she even had Alex’s grimace when she was born.”

I laughed. “That would be a sight to see.”

Her stare fell to the floor as her smile faltered.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing, it’s just…” She shrugged defeatedly. “I thought I’d have what they have, too. I always wanted a little girl, and I wanted to name her after my mother. I’m not mad at Yara for using the name. Trust me, I’m not. She didn’t even know about that dream of mine. But still…it feels like that idea died a little today.”

“You still have time to be a mother,” I told her.

“Yeah. But…”

“My name is Nathan,” I explained.

She narrowed her eyes and let out a confused laugh. “Yes, it is.”

“That’s my cousin’s name, too. And my other cousin. I also have an uncle with the middle name Nathan. We were all named after our grandfather. Nathaniel Pierce. So what I’m saying is, one day you can have your little Marie if you have a little girl. It’s kind of nice…to have a history of love showcased through names.”

The smile reappeared against her lips as she took the plate from my hands and placed it back on the table. She then cupped my face and kissed me long and hard. “I love you,” she muttered before kissing me again.

I wrapped my arms around her waist. She arched toward me as I kissed her deeper. “I love you,” I swore. My mouth moved to the nape of her neck where I trailed kisses. “I love you,” I repeated, slowly swiping my tongue against her smooth skin.

She gently began to rock her hips against my crotch, making my dick instantly wake up. Her hands moved down as I kept kissing her skin, and she began to unbuckle my jeans. Without struggle, she got them off, and I shook out of them, only lifting her body for a slight moment. With the jeans went my boxers, revealing my hardened shaft that was more than ready to slide inside Avery.

My hand moved down to her red panties, and I shifted them to the side, exposing her warm, wet pussy. My thumb began massaging her clit as she pressed her hands to my chest and closed her eyes. A whimper fell from her lips as she rocked against me. I lifted her slightly, allowing my cock to rub against her lips before I slid her down against it.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she moaned as I filled her up. She wrapped her arms around my neck as my arms wrapped around her body, and she began to ride me right there, gliding up and down my dick, making me feel as if I was on a damn water ride based on how wet she’d been.

“You did miss me, didn’t you, Coach?” I growled against her ear, holding her closer to my body, feeling my heart race faster as she bounced up and down against me. “Because you’re riding me like you did.”

She leaned back against the table, resting her elbows against the edge. She arched an eyebrow, and a wicked smirk spread over her full lips. “Yeah, I missed you. Now show me that you missed me more, big boy.” She slowed her hip rolls, teasing my cock as she took control of the speed of entrance.

I arched a brow. “Is that a request?”

“No,” she purred before rolling her tongue slowly across her bottom lip. She leaned back toward me, placed a finger beneath my chin, and tilted my head up slightly to lock my eyes with hers. “That’s an order, Coach.”

Fuck…

Something about the words and the actions combined almost brought me to the finish line sooner than I’d wished. If I had it my way, Avery Kingsley would be ordering me around for the remainder of my life, and like the good, faithful simp I’d been, I would’ve allowed her to dog-walk me every single step of the way.

With haste, I lifted her from the chair, off my cock, and flipped her around so she was facing the table. Her feet hit the floor, and I tossed off my shirt before placing my body against hers. My hand wandered up her shirt, and I grasped her breasts, massaging them as my dick rubbed against her perfect ass. My mouth found the edge of her ear before whispering, “After this, I’ll make love to you, I swear…” I licked her earlobe and bit it. “But first, I’m going to fuck the everlasting shit out of you until you scream my name in cursive.”

I then bent her body forward, and she spread her hands over the table, grasping it the best she could as I slid back inside her from behind. I wrapped my hand around her neck and tilted her body toward mine, loving the sound of the screams of pleasure escaping her as I thrust into her deeper and deeper, filling her up with all of me as she gave me all of her.

“Look at me,” I demanded.

She tilted her head slightly around to see me, her eyes fluttering open as moans of desire kept escaping through those plump lips of hers. My hand stayed at the base of her neck as we locked eyes for a moment before my mouth slammed against hers, and my tongue fucked her at the same speed and intensity as my dick fucked her.

“Yours,” I breathed into her. I wanted to fill all her holes with me, and I wanted to feel her moans vibrating off my tongue as she surrendered to me and our love. “Forever,” I promised.

I twisted her body back around so she faced me, and I laid her against the dining room table, shoving the plates and glasses of wine to the floor, not giving a damn what shattered along the way. Her eyes were on me, and mine on hers. I climbed on top of her, rocking my throbbing cock deeper into her as she wrapped her hands around me and dug her nails into my back.

“Nat…Natha…We…I…Nat…” She shuddered, unable to form my whole name with her words. I felt her growing closer and closer to her orgasm as she deepened her nails against me, holding me as if I were the key to her greatest victory. “I, so, so close,” she muttered, her eyes fluttering shut. “Right there. Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t you dare fucking stop!” she growled with an order.

The closer she grew to her climax, the closer I inched to mine. As her legs began to tremble against me, I lost myself, too, falling into the hardest orgasm I’d had in a while. I took a few moments before sliding myself out from inside her, and I fell backward into the chair in front of the table.

My breath weaved in and out as I stared at Avery, who was now sitting up on her elbows. She bit her bottom lip with a wicked smile. “This is a sturdy table.”

“As sturdy as they come.”

She pushed herself up from the table and began walking down the hallway. I watched her ass move side to side the whole time.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“To shower.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Join me.”