Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

"Hey sis, think we should throw a welcome party?" Adrian tossed the idea out there, trying to sound casual.

With a new coach stepping in, they couldn't afford to look like amateurs. When Riley arrived, they had splurged a cool ten grand just on meeting gifts alone. "Nah, no need for that," Flora brushed it off with a wave. "He's not some big shot, just a buddy of mine. We can skip the whole song and dance." That spelled it out for everyone.

Flora's friend, stepping in to lend a hand, and not exactly a household name. Probably just average.

Not that they were looking down on him. The fact Flora managed to find a new coach overnight was already a win in their book.

"Let's still get some gifts together," Adrian insisted. "Can't have sis's friend thinking we're all about budget cuts."

"Alright, folks, let's gear up and be ready to welcome the new coach!" he rallied.

"Yes!" came the enthusiastic chorus.

"Wow, already got a new coach, huh? Curious who you roped in," a snide voice cut through the air.

Adrian turned, his grin dropping like a rock.

It was Riley, flanked by the Jones family crew.

One of them was Zachary's kid, Luke. A pudgy little guy, but his racing skills were top-notch on Lone Island. Way better than Adrian's.

Adrian's eyes narrowed as he sized up Riley and his entourage. Riley had just had a bust-up with them yesterday, and today he was already buddying up with the Jones family? That was fast, even for Riley. Adrian felt like he'd just swallowed a bug.

"So, spill it. Who's your new coach?" Luke taunted, eyebrows arched with smugness.

"Mind your own business," Adrian shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What, too embarrassed to say? Bet it's some no-name, third-rate guy," Luke sneered, trying to sound sympathetic. "I mean, the Reyes family is one of the top dogs on Lone Island. How'd you end

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scraping the bottom of the barrel for

a coach?"

Riley snickered, feeling pretty pleased with himself.

The Reyes family had given him the boot, and now they were feeling the sting. He'd warned them: without him, they were toast.

"Who says our coach is third-rate! Our Miss got us someone top-notch! Right, Miss?" one of the Reyes youngsters piped up.

"Yeah, this is the Reyes turf. What's the Jones family doing here if you've got nowhere else to be?" another chimed in, their necks stiff with defiance. Even if their Miss hadn't found a superstar coach, so what?

Who were they to judge?

"Oh, really? A top-notch coach? What's their name, then?" Luke challenged, laughing even harder at their bravado. "Riley's a senior coach at TM Club. Any coach worth their salt, he knows them. Right, Riley?" Riley chuckled: "Of course, but if it's some nobody, I wouldn't know them."

He hadn't mentioned to the Jones family that he'd been booted from TM Club, thinking he could keep it under wraps forever. Just like he'd always claimed to be a senior coach when he was really just a junior. And he'd gotten away with it for years.

Everywhere he went, he was the center of attention.

He thought he could keep up the charade, but he'd clearly misjudged the situation.

No one had caught on before because he was too tiny a fish for TM Club to bother with. But now, having crossed Flora and landing on TM Club's blacklist, he still wanted to strut around under their banner. He was in for a rude awakening.