Karen Smith - The Super Mum

“I’m going to have to find out what this is all about,” Angela decided soberly. She’d call David tomorrow and ask him to meet her for coffee. They’d get this straightened out one way or another.

Pushing her own concerns aside for the moment, she said to Rebecca, “Now tell me what you want Joe to wear for the wedding.”

When Angela entered Rosewood’s trendy coffee shop, Latte & Lunch, residents on their way to work or up early for whatever reason were drinking lattes, macchiatos and espressos. Angela hadn’t had any caffeine yet so she couldn’t blame her increased heart rate on that. She’d told herself this meeting with David could be a confrontation, and she was simply nervous.

Underneath that, there was something else and she couldn’t deny it. She’d gone through the motions with him on Sunday evening as they’d decorated the tree and then had supper, all the while still tingling from their kiss at the Christmas tree farm.

Now the tingles were anticipatory ones and she simply didn’t know how to shut them off.

He was waiting for her at a table for two in the corner. When he stood, his expression was serious. “I would have ordered for you, but I didn’t know what you’d like.”

She could see he was already nursing a cup of what looked like black coffee.

“I’ll get something and be right back.” Postponing the inevitable, she thought, not really wanting a cup of latte. But she needed something to do with her hands…something to focus on other than him.

Back at the table, the busyness of the place was almost a comfort because no one was paying attention to anyone else.

“Is this about that kiss?” he asked.

That kiss. She hadn’t given him any indication on the phone of why she wanted to meet. “No. I found something out and I thought we should talk about it.”

“You found something out?”

She could feel her cheeks heating up. “I heard gossip—about you.”

“I see. Want to fill me in?” His hazel eyes were steady on hers, not evading her, and she hoped Rebecca was all wrong about what she’d heard.

“One of my neighbors told me something that was disturbing to me. She said you were in a brawl on the football field while you were coaching.”

Time ticked by as conversations and people swirled around them. “I see. The references I gave you didn’t reassure you?”

“They reassured me when I didn’t know about the fighting. But if you’ve got a temper, if you have anger that erupts like that, how can I trust you with Anthony?”

“Have you seen any sign of anger?” he asked. His voice was stiff and defensive.

“No, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. I’ve only been around you for two days. And men who have anger issues can sometimes keep them well hidden.”

Looking down at his coffee, he turned it around in his hands. Then he met her gaze, his voice crisp. “What happened is a matter of public record. I’ll admit, I was angry after my accident. My life had been torn apart and taken a turn I never expected. But I funneled that anger into recovery, into working in a lumber yard until I had enough money to buy my own store. While I did that, I coached.”

“That one particular night, I was coaching a game and one of my players got clipped. The two boys started a fight. The other team’s coach got involved, and so did I, shouting back and forth. In the midst of the ruckus, Coach Witherspoon turned on my player, who was mixing it up with his. I told him to move away, and he swung at me. I defended myself by swinging back. It wasn’t the brightest thing I’ve ever done, but I felt I was defending my player.”

Of course, this situation wasn’t cut and dried. Angela sighed, not knowing what to think. Before her divorce she’d thought she was a good judge of character. David’s demeanor toward the kids had told her he was kind and wouldn’t fly off the handle at the drop of a hat. But she’d been wrong in so many ways about Jerome, and she could be wrong about this man, too.

David took her silence as a request for further information. “The chief of police was in the bleachers, and before either of us could throw another punch, he split up the fight. Since practically the whole community had seen what happened, Chief Raymond didn’t feel he could let it drop. So he suggested we both do fifty hours of community service, mentoring needy kids. That’s how I got into the program.”

“That coach shouldn’t have been mentoring kids if he couldn’t keep his temper in check. What was the chief thinking?” Angela asked, outraged.

“He was thinking that sports can sometimes bring out the worst, as well as the best. He was thinking we’d both gotten caught up in the moment, as well as the players. Witherspoon isn’t a bad guy. I got to know him afterwards. He should never have swung in the first place. And I should never have swung back, no question about it.”

She liked the fact David was taking responsibility for what had happened.

“I can’t speak for Witherspoon,” David continued. “I can only tell you about me. I was twenty-three then and trying to find my way. I’ve learned a lot in five years, and my life has stabilized. I’ve kept mentoring kids all that time and not one of them, or their parents, has had a complaint. Other than the references I gave you, you can go to the community center files to check out the recommendations and reports yourself. Most of all, I think you should look at the man I am today, rather than the man I used to be.”

“I don’t know who you are today.”

“You’re a parent, and you don’t want to take anybody else’s word for it. I get that. All I can say is that experience taught me the kids should come first. I think I’ve learned that lesson well. But you’re going to have to take it all into consideration and then make your decision. Anthony’s your son and you don’t want him around anyone who wouldn’t be the best influence.”

Another man might have gotten angry with her because she had listened to gossip. But she could see David wasn’t angry. He’d removed himself from her, though. The lights of desire she’d seen in his eyes were gone. To her surprise he wasn’t trying to convince her to think his way, the way Jerome often had and still did. He was letting the facts stand for themselves and allowing her to make the decision.

The thing was, staring into his hazel eyes, feeling the tug of attraction for him even now, she couldn’t make the decision. “I have to think about all of this.”

David stood, towering over her. “You think about it. The community center can find you another mentor for Anthony, but I want you to remember something. Hard experiences can lead to change, and I’ve changed my life into something I like now. Give me a call if you want me to take Anthony to the movies on Friday.” Taking a business card from his pocket, he laid it on the table next to her coffee. “My cell phone number is on there if you need it.”

Then he left the restaurant, leaving Angela feeling…empty.

On Wednesday afternoon, David was explaining the benefits of the Alpina cross-country skis to a customer when the phone on the cashier’s desk rang and his manager picked it up.

“It’s for you,” Edgar Pawalski said. “An emergency.”

After excusing himself from the customer, letting Edgar take over, David picked up the receiver, trying not to panic. His dad lived alone at the farm and anything could happen.

Instead, he heard a high-pitched woman’s voice. “Coach Moore? I understand you’re a Big Brother to Anthony Buffington?”

Immediately David was taken back to his conversation with Angela the day before yesterday. He’d been unsettled by the fact that she couldn’t seem to put her faith in him, and he hadn’t completely analyzed why. He’d hoped he’d hear from Angela, but he hadn’t, though he hadn’t heard from the community center, either. He was sure he would have if Angela had told them she wanted another mentor.