“Are we in a rush to get home? If not, I’ll stay and finish the second half with them,” Jamison asked, looking to his wife for her opinion.

Ivy took her pink thermos from his hand and shook her head. “No hurry… but are you sure you’ve got the stamina for it?”

She regretted the question as soon as it left her mouth–deep down, she figured he’d never say something outrageous in front of so many people.

Turns out, she was wrong.

Dr. Ludwig didn’t care about such things. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his dark eyes glinting as he glanced at Ivy, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “You don’t know if I have enough stamina?”

Ivy’s cheeks went hot. She could feel the stares and hear the collective gasp from the girls nearby, and for a moment, she wished the ground would just swallow her whole.

On the court, the guys called out, “Coach, you playing or what?”

Jamison didn’t bother to correct them–he’d gotten used to being called “Coach” ever since those med students at the hospital started the habit.

“Coming!” He turned and jogged back onto the court, quickly sliding back into the game.

Ivy, however, couldn’t relax now. Several girls nearby leaned over, eyeing her with open curiosity and whispering among themselves. She could hear snippets of their conversation but ignored them. Eventually, one of them worked up the nerve to approach her.

“Hi, um, are you with that handsome guy in the shirt? Are you two… married?”

Ivy turned with a polite smile. “Yes, we’re married.” She lifted her left hand and gave her ring finger a little wiggle. A diamond ring sparkled on her finger.

At the sight of the wedding band, the girls finally gave up hope, exchanging defeated sighs before one managed, “Your husband is so handsome. And he’s amazing at basketball.”

“But you’re gorgeous too–like a movie star! You two are a perfect match.”

Ivy smiled warmly. “Thank you.”

Even knowing the man in the dress shirt was taken, the girls still didn’t want to leave. They watched the rest of the game until the final whistle blew.

Jamison’s team won. There were cheers all around as his teammates high-fived him and tried to get his WhatsApp.

“Coach! Hope we get to play again sometime!” One of the boys called out.

Jamison declined with a good-natured grin. “I’m swamped at work, so I don’t come by often. But if we run into each other again, I’m game.”

“Alright then–see you, Coach!”

“Bye!”

When the group of guys had drifted off, Jamison made his way back to Ivy. His shirt was drenched, hair at his temples slick with sweat. There was something about this disheveled, youthful side of Jamison that Ivy had never seen before–and it sparked a fresh wave of fondness and admiration.

Stifling a laugh, she glanced at him playfully. “So, done showing off yet?”

“What? You make it sound like I was trying to impress everyone on purpose.” Jamison grabbed his jacket but didn’t bother to put it on–he was still too hot, soaked through.

“Weren’t you?” Ivy raised an eyebrow.

She’d noticed that by the end, Jamison was running low on energy–but his competitive streak wouldn’t let him back down. He’d clearly pushed himself to the limit.

“Next time, don’t overdo it. Those guys are nearly ten years younger than you–they’re in their prime. Why kill yourself trying to outdo them?”

Walking alongside her, Jamison let out a huff. “It’s been ages since I got to be near you. I need some way to burn off all this energy or I can’t even sleep at night.”

Ivy stopped dead, narrowing her eyes at him.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” Jamison looked honestly confused.

“I’m trying to look out for your health, and you–what are you even talking about? And back there, in front of everyone, you just had to start with those innuendos—sometimes I really wonder about you…”