The Real Soccer Moms of Beaver County (18 page)

B
rand New Boo

There was a knock at the door not even half an hour after my meltdown. I was already sitting in my underwear, eating the Snickers bar I hid in the TV cabinet for emergency sadness, or my next period.

I expected it to be Luna and Harry at the door so I yelled, "It's open!" over the sounds of the reality TV show and my own sad crunching.

It was another minute before the door slowly opened and I caught the long, lanky reflection in the TV screen. I gasped before turning to see Miles closing the door.

"What are you doing here? Where's Harry?" I asked, standing up and hiding my Snickers wrapper under a blanket.

"Where's your clothes?" he asked, looking over my sad excuse for beige underwear. My clothing may have been on the sexy side, but I never bothered with getting anything more than the six packs of underwear from Wal-Mart. I figured they always ended up on the floor so there wasn't much of a point.

"He's at Luna's. She asked me to come check on you after that scene with your mom," Miles said, meeting my eyes instead of looking down at my underwear.

"You saw that?" I asked, wide-eyed.

He smirked. "I may have been coaching, but a cat fight can cause the game to stop. I'm just glad there was no blood this time like Luna's tirade."

I sighed and slumped down on the couch, putting my head in my hands. "Gawd, I'm going to forever be known as "that mom" aren't I?"

Miles gently sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulders. "I don’t know what you mean by that."

"You know exactly what I mean. I'm never going to be the PTA mom who brings cookies to events or shows up on time wearing some fancy cardigan. I’m always going to be the hot mess, former teen mom, with a stripper for a grandma."

"And that's what I love about you," Miles said quietly while rubbing my shoulder.

"What?" I asked, snapping my head toward his. Not only did he just say that was a good quality, but this was the first time he used the’ L’ word.

Miles shook his head, a slow smile crossing his face. "This probably isn’t the best time to say it and it probably freaks you out, but yes Moira, I love you. I think I have since the moment you walked onto the soccer field in your heels and that little black dress. You exuded confidence I only wished I could have."

He scooted closer, his face just inches from mine. "Then I got to know you. The woman who has been through so much and still comes out so strong. The woman who will do anything for her friends and her kids. And even trust the geeky soccer coach who’s never played the game in his life, and only took the position on to help pay his student loans."

I laughed, wiping a fallen tear from my eye. "I don’t know whether to be happy or sad. You're the guy with the Masters Degree and I'm the white trash soccer mom."

"Technically, you would be Lebanese trash, your father's side," Miles joked.

I shook my head but he stopped me, cupping my face in his hands. "You don't need to be embarrassed of who you are in front of me. Hell, my parents have been embarrassed of their geeky son their entire life, and I thought it would ruin me because I would rather read history books than play football. Seeing you stand up to your mom took more courage than I've ever seen from anyone, and I wish I was half the person you are."

"You're more than that, Miles. It's why I love you too," I whispered into his lips before saying what only a kiss can say.

Our tongues mingled together as he pushed me back on the couch, one hand sliding under my head and the other under my bra, his thumb and forefinger lightly pinching my erect nipple.

I moaned into his mouth as he worked his way to the other nipple. then slid his other hand down my panties, hooking a finger inside of me. "You're so wet all the time for me, I love that," he whispered before kissing a trail from my ear down my neck, until his mouth was on my breast.

I moaned, arching my back into him before reaching for the belt on his khakis and getting those off as quickly as I could. He shucked off his shirt and then inched off my panties before he pressed inside of me, and all my worries melted away in his masterful cock.

He sat up, keeping one hand on the couch and the other on my clit, circling it with his thumb as he continued to rock inside of me.

An orgasm took hold of me, my entire body shaking as I cried out.

Then I caught the reflection of the door opening and Luna's wide eyes.

"OH MY GOD!" Luna shrieked.

Miles looked behind him before tumbling off me, and fumbling to put on his pants and shirt.

I grabbed my discarded panties and then threw a blanket over me as a shawl, Snickers wrappers falling on the floor below.

"Luna, don't you knock!" I hissed.

Luna kept her eyes shielded. "Sorry, you always say just to come in. Thank God Harry is still at my place."

"Why are you here if Harry isn't with you?" I asked, using my back to block Miles’ half-naked body as he finished getting dressed.

"Well for one, I wasn't expecting you and Miles to be humping, but really I wanted to check on you. That's the first time I've seen you stand up to anyone, and I thought you'd be here crying and watching Real Housewives while eating a Snickers bar, instead of doing the horizontal mambo."

I smirked. "Well, you've seen my boyfriend's ass and I've seen Brady's ass more times than I can count. I guess this is some weird payback."

Luna smiled. "I’m just glad you're okay and not crying in a sugar coma."

I put my arms around her back and enveloped her in a hug. "I may not be completely okay, but I think I'm getting there."

B
acon
Daddy

"Mom! Mom!" The old metal bed tipped to the side as Harry jumped on and pulled off the comforter. I silently thanked God that I remembered to put on pajamas after Miles left the night before. I'd finally let him at least be in the house, but sleeping was out of the question. For now.

"Whoa, Harry, the sun isn't even up yet. Are you that excited for soccer?" I asked the little wide-eyed boy wearing nothing but his long hair in a man bun and a pair of Flash undies.

"Mom! It's Sadie's birthday! Coach Miles told me last night he'd take us to get her gift and he's downstairs now with breakfast!"

I sat straight up. "Miles is here?"

Shit. I had morning breath, bedhead, and no makeup. There was no way he could see me like this.

I sprang out of bed and quickly rushed to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and combing my hair, before doing the quickest makeup job ever and throwing on a robe.

I got downstairs just as Harry and Brannigan were sitting at the table where Miles had prepared a feast. I expected some drive-thru food not a basket of buttermilk biscuits, Farmers market jam, chocolate croissants, fresh fruit, coffee, orange juice, and even peppercorn bacon and cheese cubes.

"What is all of this?" I asked, walking into the room before Miles placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Just a little pre-game and shopping breakfast. You look amazing by the way," Miles said with a smile as he pulled out my chair.

I took my seat. "Oh please, I just woke up."

"If you just woke up then why are you wearing makeup?" Brannigan asked.

I glared at her then smiled up at Miles. "You really didn’t have to do this," I said, but as soon as the crispy bacon hit my lips, I moaned and knew everything I said was a total lie.

"To hear you make that noise is worth everything," Miles whispered before kissing the top of my head and sitting next to us.

"We should hang out at your house sometime, Miles. I bet you have a real kitchen table and not an old metal drafting table," Brannigan said, swiping some jelly on her biscuit.

"I like this table. It's inventive. My father is an architect and I remember sitting on the floor of his office when I was a kid, watching him work," Miles said, running his hand along the metal lines of the old table.

"So my grandpa is an architect?" Harry asked.

I choked on the orange juice I just took a sip of and had to pound my chest a few times before I could speak. "Harry, no, um, Miles isn't your father."

"Then why is he here all the time?" Harry asked, blinking slowly. "And why do we have similar hair and both suck at soccer?"

Brannigan laughs at that one before taking a sip of her orange juice.

I put my hand on Harry's. "Harry, sweetheart...your dad..."

"Is going to be around for a very long time," Miles interrupted.

I whipped my head around so fast I swore I got whiplash. "What?"

Miles leaned over. "Look, I may not be the dad you were born to, but I do love your mom, and I care about you and Brannigan. I’ve watched you grow these past few months in soccer and before that in school. And as long as you'll have me, I'll stick around."

I tried to hold back the tears in my eyes. I'd never had this many happy tears in my life, and maybe my luck was finally turning around.

* * *

F
or being
a team of rag tag rec kids, the Little Beavers actually got pretty good. So good that they won the Saturday game and only had one more game left for the season.

"I'm going to be so happy when my ass isn’t stuck in this chair for hours at a time anymore," Queenie moaned, packing up his chair.

"Don't get too comfy, Queenie, don't forget Sadie's party tonight," Blanche chimed, more chipper than I'd ever seen her.

Luna, on the other hand, hadn't said a word. She wasn't even nursing the whole game, and instead was sucking down crackers and ginger ale.

"Luna, darling, if you're too sick to come I'll understand," Blanche cooed.

Luna shook her head. "I should be fine. I think I’m going to send the kids to grandmas before the party so I can rest."

The last time I'd seen Luna so sick was her last pregnancy, and the one before that and so forth. I wondered if maybe this was going to be baby number five, but I would wait another day to ask that one.

Miles came running toward me with Harry on his heels. "Ready for birthday shopping? I thought we could maybe get lunch in Iowa City afterward."

"Miles? Is that you?" A haughty, high-pitched voice called.

Miles and I turned around to see a middle-aged woman on the arm of a man, with a scruffy white beard and Iowa Football hat.

"Mom. Dad. What are you two doing here?" Miles asked.

I didn’t realize that my hand was firmly clasped on Miles until his mother's eyes immediately wandered to our intertwined hands. "We came because we heard from your aunt on Facebook that you were coaching and had to see it for ourselves. We just didn't know it was a rec league or that you'd have a, um, girlfriend?"

Miles didn’t let me release his hand and smiled. "Yes, Mom, Dad, I'm coaching here at the Beaver County rec center and this is my girlfriend, Moira. Her son is on my team."

His dad laughed a big belly laugh. "A coach and you nabbed a MILF. I always knew there was something to you, son," he said slapping Miles on the back, which I guess was supposed to be friendly but practically knocked Miles over.

"Anyway, I thought maybe since we drove in from Iowa City, we could have lunch. Maybe Moira and her son want to join?" Miles’ Mom asked, with the fakest smile plastered on her pale face.

As if Harry knew this was the best time to embarrass me, he came running down the field then slid under me. I barely spread my legs apart so that he didn’t knock me over.

"Look, Ma, Saige taught me how to slide tackle!" Harry yelled.

"Good job, Harry" I said, nervously trying to help him up.

"Hey, Ma, your knickers look pretty today. Usually when Coach is around you're too nervous to put them on. Glad you remembered them today."

If my face wasn't already red, it was now probably fifty shades darker.

"Harry, go get your sister. We have to get going," I said through gritted teeth.

"You won’t be joining us for lunch, Moira?" Miles’ Mom faked disappointment, but I saw her secret smile.

"No, I promised Harry that we would get his friend's birthday gift and head over to her party early," I said, trying to smile but was still mortified.

"Yeah. I promised I'd help them. Maybe next time, Mom and Dad," Miles said.

"Girlfriend! Sadie's my girlfriend!" Harry bellowed, then fell to the ground and sighed. "DOES ANYONE LISTEN TO ME?"

"Harry, I am listening, sweetheart. We'll go get your girlfriend her gift," I said, trying to get him off the ground.

"Yeah, buddy, I'll take you guys to the store," Miles said, turning away from his parents and gave me a look that says 'save me'.

"Okay. But don't fuck this up like you fucked up the last game against Dollywood," Harry huffed, standing up and stalking toward the bleachers.

Miles blinked once, then twice, before forcing the biggest smile and turning toward his parents. "Maybe next time, give me a call and we can plan a get together."

Miles’ Mom gave us a tight-lipped smile. "Very well, Miles. Hopefully we'll get together soon, and maybe your girlfriend and her children can join us."

His mom gave Miles a hug then a short little wave to me. It wasn’t until her and her husband finally turned to leave that I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding in.

Being with Miles just got a shitton more complicated.