Never Say Never

Chapter 4

 The sun blazed bright in the afternoon sky, like a gentle kiss on the back of the neck from the summer that would soon be on the horizon. A soft breeze rustled Aly's hair as she stood next to Steve at the little ice cream cone shaped stand in the park, the words Scoops Ahoy in blue across the top, a little anchor next to it. Kids raced across the grass, over to the playground, smiles splitting their faces with joy, faces and fingers sticky with the remnants of the sweet treats they'd just enjoyed.

Aly looked over at Steve and then quickly back to the playground again when he caught her eye, embarrassed to be caught looking at him once again but she couldn't seem to stop. She hadn't been able to keep her eyes off of Steve the entire practice. The way he was so patient with all of the kids. The way they absolutely beamed when they received a high five from him every time they did something correctly. The way he encouraged them when they didn't have it quite right. And yeah, the way he looked in his jeans and his olive green shirt that fit him in all the right places might also have caught her eye.

She did not want to be one of those moms, practically having to wipe the drool off her chin, but she feared that might be exactly what she was because there was no denying the man was perfect. Annoyingly so and she was determined to find at least one flaw because no one could be that perfect.

But the highlight of the practice, though it was extremely petty of her, was the glares you received from some of the other moms when Steve jogged over to her and asked if she was ready to go get ice cream. She couldn't deny that it gave her a delightful little thrill for all of those moms, some who had judged her mercilessly, to see her being the chosen one. Even if it wasn't true, even if it was just two parents taking their sons for ice cream and not two people who were dating, they believed it was and she couldn't deny that she'd enjoyed it.

If she could have burst into flames on the spot, disintegrating into ash, she would have from the heat of the glares that were coming her way. She could feel them as the two of them trailed behind their sons, making their way over to the park that was just a few blocks away.

She could practically hear them now. He picked her? How in the hell did she snag Coach Harrington? I can't believe he's going out with her. Have you seen how much she's let herself go since her husband died? It's like she doesn't even try. What would he want with her?

Those snobby bitches always had something to say, whether it was about all the ways she failed as a single mother or the way she didn't get her nails done or the fact that she had the nerve to walk through the world without painting her face first.

"Thank you," Aly smiled, accepting her ice cream cone from Steve as he held it out to her, the boys having already raced over to a picnic table to start scarfing theirs down. "Did Eli even thank you for his sundae before he ran off?"

Steve laughed, waving his hand, the other holding his own cone, "He's fine. Mine didn't either. They were just eager for their ice cream. Probably hungry after how hard I made them work."

"Yeah, you might want me to take my kid home for a shower before he comes your way to spend the night. After running the bases, he's looking a little sweaty. Your house could get pretty ripe if he doesn't get a hosedown at least."

"You know, that sounds like a pretty good idea. Jere is looking quite glisteny from over here."

"I'll just take him home after ice cream and then drop him off a bit later, if that's okay?" she asked as they approached the picnic table, sitting down next to each other, opposite the boys.

"What do you mean take me home?" Eli demanded, looking up at her with narrowed eyes, his little mouth covered in fudge. "I'm going to Jeremiah's house, right?"