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“But don’t worry, hon. Nobody terrible. In fact, he wanted to talk to you the second you got in,” Elise added with a crisp grin, embracing Josh tightly. “I’ll stay in touch, I promise. And San Diego.”

Josh shook his head, confused. “San Diego?”

“Tyler. Double date?”

“Right.” He felt numb.

“I’m going to try and sneak past them out the back.” She blew him a kiss. “Talk soon.” And she vanished through the locker room.

As Elise exited, Josh was left with an icy knot in his gut. He called Tyler but only reached voicemail. Feeling off balance and panicked, he headed for Carver’s office, dreading the conversation ahead.

Josh walked down the empty hallway, his anxiety mounting with each step. He passed Otis carrying two empty trash cans and nodded hello. A few teachers stood outside their empty classrooms looking equally perplexed and unsure of what was happening. “Boy, it’s crazy out there today, huh?”

Mr. Chan shook his head and shrugged as he passed. Nobody knew yet.

What if he was being fired over all the drama with Tyler and the reporters? What if Tyler got traded or lost interest or moved on? Or what if Cilla’s gross jockstrap plan had gotten leaked somehow?

Josh kept his face turned from the doors as he got closer, angling his back to the mob as much as he could.

When he reached the receptionist desk, Vicky gave him a strange, evasive look. “Oh, Josh. Phil was… uhh… just asking after you.”

Before he could respond, the door to the inner office swung wide. “Vicky, please give Coach Ayres a call down in athletics right away. Otis says he just saw—” Carver stopped short when he saw Josh already standing there. For a long, awkward beat their eyes shifted uncomfortably.

“Sorry about the circus outside. I’ve called the police again to clear them out,” Carver said with an exhausted sigh. “Between the sports nuts, that Miller woman, and the book burners, it’s been a hell of a morning already… and the kids haven’t even made it inside yet.”

Josh shifted nervously. Was this it? Was he being let go?

“Josh….” Carver paused, sizing him up, as if assessing him or worried about him. “I know it’s been a chaotic couple of weeks around here. But I wanted you to know— Well, I’m not sure how to put this. Elise has—”

“I just saw her.” Josh cut him off with a curt nod. “Yep. Good for her.”

“Bad for us, though. Or not. See, I’m interviewing an amazing candidate for a new coaching position right now.”

Josh’s heart sank. So he really was being replaced.

Carver must have read the distress on his face. “Now, Josh, I know the timing is bad, but just come in and hear me out.”

Josh glanced at Vicky, but now she wouldn’t even meet his eyes. How had everything gotten so screwed up?

“Come in, come in.” Carver ushered Josh inside. He closed the door behind them.

Josh stared at his feet, feeling like an abject failure.

The applicant sitting in the chair before Carver’s desk looked pretty big… and then he stood and Josh looked up.

“Hey.” It was Tyler, looking tired but gorgeous and absolutely elated to see him. Without hesitating, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Josh, lifting him into the air and squeezing the breath out of him.

“Oh my God. Tyler? What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me?” His heart beat so hard it hurt.

“It’s okay. We’re okay.”

Carver sighed. “He swore us to secrecy.”

“Sorry about the cameras. It’s kind of a long story. But I wanted to make everything official before anyone tried to spin it wrong.”

Carver shook his head. “No worries there. Elise kicked that reporter’s butt so hard all the stations will be playing nice for a while.”

“Tyler?” Josh gasped. “You’re the new coach?”