Read Online One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson - Free Book Online

sidled into the chair opposite Superintendent Luper's polished desk. “Thank you for making time to see me, sir.”
     
    The balding man swiveled sideways in his executive chair and stretched out his legs. “I appreciate the fine job you're doing with the middle-school athletes. Coach Moreno has told me on countless occasions he doesn't know what he'd do without you.”
     
    “I think the world of Carl too. When I heard there might be an opening for a freshman coach over at the high school, he told me to go for it.” Daniel shifted and cleared his throat. “I realize it wouldn't mean much of a pay increase, but—”
     
    “That's the thing, Pearce.” Luper's avoidance of eye contact should have been a warning from the moment Daniel entered the office. “Putnam's budget is so tight that we're not even planning to fill that vacancy. The other high-school coaches will have to take up the slack.”
     
    “I see.” Disappointment settled like a rock in the pit of Daniel's stomach. He stood slowly. “If something should change … ”
     
    “You'll be the first to know.” Luper rose and offered Daniel his hand. “Great game last night, by the way. You've done wonders with those boys.”
     
    Praise but no raise. Why should he be surprised? Shoulders hunched with disappointment, Daniel slogged out to his Bronco. He made it back to school in time to surprise his afternoon history class with a pop quiz, but when his puberty-challenged, seventh-grade basketball team hit the gym floor for practice, he turned the warm-up drills over to the team captain. “Back in fifteen,” he said, heading to his office. He needed a few minutes of quiet to get his head back in the game.
     
    Carl found him there. “How'd it go, bro?”
     
    The look in the big man's eyes said he already had a pretty good idea. “Looks like you're stuck with me awhile longer.”
     
    “Yes!” Carl pumped his fist.
     
    “Gloating is not allowed. Neither is saying 'I told you so,' even if you did.”
     
    “There'll be other opportunities.” Carl flipped a folding chair around and straddled it. “You got what it takes, Dan. Brains, guts, talent. One of these days somebody's gonna notice. And then I'll be stuck training your replacement.” He grimaced. “And I ain't looking forward to it.”
     
    “You could do a whole lot better than Putnam, yourself.” Daniel shoved a stack of folders aside and rested his elbows on the desk. “Hey, we could promote ourselves as a package deal—two of the winningest middle-school coaches in the central United States. We might even get picked up by the Spurs or the Bulls.”
     
    Carl tilted back his head and guffawed. “Brother, when you dream, you dream big!”
     
    “Might as well.” Daniel drew a hand down his face, the momentary lightness fading.
     
    Carl quirked an eyebrow. “Natalie problems again?”
     
    Daniel leaned back and laced his fingers behind his head. His gaze slid to the filing cabinet across the room and the framed snapshot of Natalie, him, and Lissa two summers ago at Disney World. Since he realized a few days ago that Natalie's birthday was coming up, he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind. “Today's her birthday. I don't know how she's going to cope.”
     
    “First one since her mother got sick. You've told me how that family always had big doings this time of year.”
     
    “ 'Big doings' is putting it mildly.” Belinda Morgan had created a mid-December birthday celebration for Natalie that launched the entire family headlong into the Christmas season.
     
    “You gonna try to see her?”
     
    His hands fell limply into his lap. “You honestly think today would be any different from all the other times I've tried to reach out to her? Whatever I do, whatever I say, Natalie's bound to slam the door in my face.”
     
    Nope, especially now that they were separated, he couldn't imagine her welcoming his interference. As for joining the Morgans for Natalie's birthday