The party was coming up in a few weeks and she was excited about returning to Philadelphia. She missed hanging out with Michelle at the bookstore and her talks with Sydney over tea on rainy Saturday afternoons. Sure, they still communicated, but it wasn’t the same doing it over video conference. Sydney kept her up-to-date with the family gossip and had increased responsibilities with Reading Builds Bridges. She was always so grateful for her stepmother’s generosity and love that Morgan felt bad when she’d mentioned the other day that she’d wished she could spend more time with Mackenzie. Being Jake, Connor, and Colby’s caretaker, she had a natural bond with them. She wanted the same connection with her granddaughter too.
A wave of fatigue washed over her, so she sat down on the stool at Seth’s workbench. She still hadn’t been able to shake whatever it was that had her feeling like crap. She wondered if there was time to take a catnap while Seth prepared dinner when Avery walked through the door.
“Hi, Aunt Morgan.”
“Hi, Avery. You’re just in time to save your auntie from insanity.” Morgan blew a loose strand of hair away from her eye. “Can you give me a hand with this box?”
“Sure.” Avery smiled and grabbed the corner of the box and helped her set it down on the floor. “Uncle Seth said you were looking for old home movies?”
“Yeah. I took them from your Grandpa’s attic when I moved to the Ashcroft and I have no idea where I stashed them when we moved here. Dig around in there and see if you can find a tan colored box.” Morgan opened the box flaps.
“OK. Do you have a projector? Maybe we can watch the movies if we find them.”
“Teri-Lyn has one. She has the most hilarious movies of your uncles when they were kids. We should watch those too.”
“I can’t wait to go home for the party. I miss great-grandma. She’s going to flip when she sees all of this.”
“I miss her too. So, no Wyatt this weekend?” Morgan tried to sound casual.
“No, I think he went to hiking with his friends.”
“You didn’t want to go?”
“I wasn’t invited,” Avery said without looking up for the box. “I haven’t seen him in a few weeks.”
“Did you two have an argument?”
“No.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “He’s been acting funny lately. Like he wants space or something, so I’m giving it to him. Besides, I’ve been too busy writing for the school paper and with my volunteer work at the animal shelter.”
“What did I tell you about putting down the textbooks and having fun? Have you been on any dates?”
“I tried. I can’t go anywhere without someone from Regency popping up like a clown out of a box.”
“They’re in place for your protection.”
“So I’m told repeatedly.” She plopped down on the workbench. “I don’t know, Aunt Morgan. I’ve really tried to loosen up and be like my friends, but everyone’s so shallow. They live in social media vacuums. No one wants to talk, unless it’s a guy who wants to jam his tongue down my throat. Where’s the romance in that? I must be the oddest duck on the planet.”
“Don’t worry sweetie, things will get better. I promise.” Morgan knew how she felt. She used to be that duck. “You come from a long line of odd ducks.”
“You are an odd duck, Aunt Morgan. You always have been. I think that’s why I like you so much.” Avery smiled.
The door opened. It was Jake. “Dinner’s ready.”
“Thanks, babe,” Morgan said. She looked around at the boxes.
“Jake,” Avery said. “I thought I’d teach you some relaxation techniques I learned so you won’t be so nervous on stage.”
“Cool.” Jake smiled. “Can you help me with my book report too?”
“Sure thing.” Avery reached into yet another box and struck gold. “Found it!”
“Great.” Morgan put the boxes of reels on the counter and hustled them into the kitchen.
Seth was getting pretty good at cooking. She had to admit the shrimp with broccoli, egg drop soup, vegetable lo mein, and egg rolls looked delicious. Morgan couldn’t help but notice the second Avery entered the kitchen how Riley’s eyes locked onto her and sparkled a little, though Avery didn’t seem to notice. His attempt to sit next to her was thwarted when Jake and Connor took a seat on either side of her with Colby positioned directly across for good measure. Seth was looking all too pleased with himself.
The food was flowing and the conversation was great and everyone was in the mood for Seth’s homemade cupcakes for dessert. Morgan went into the kitchen and pulled off the lid of the cupcake holder to see a lovely mess of odd-spaced cakes with globs of icing strewn about. Seth and the kids had definitely had fun yesterday making the goodies. In addition to his cooking skills improving, he’d become quite the baker too. Now all he had to do was rein in the enthusiasm. She’d walked into the kitchen to find a shoeless Mackenzie plopped up on the counter with batter on her foot.
Seth walked into the kitchen with an armful of dishes and placed them by the sink.
“Don’t tell me you left your guard post out there,” she said as she plated the cupcakes on a serving tray.
“Jake and the boys will keep an eye on the superstar.” He came up behind her, put his arms around her waist, and kissed her neck.
“You are terrible.” She giggled. “What are you going to do on that fateful day Mackenzie brings a guy home? And I hate to see how you’re going to react on her wedding day.”
“Simple. Sweet Pea is not getting married. Period.”
She turned around to face him. “Wyatt will be happy to know you like him now.”
“Don’t get carried away. He’s better than the horny alternative salivating over my niece at my dining room table.” He picked up a cupcake and peeled the wrapper. “Eat.”
“No.” She moved away.
“They’re good.”
“I like my cupcakes without a hint of baby foot.”
He laughed. “I told you that happened when I pouring the batter.”
Morgan could feel Seth’s enthusiasm as he pressed closer to her. He was rock hard and she was feeling pretty amorous too. It was time to wrap up the dinner party.
“Let me serve the dessert. If we’re lucky, Riley will be out of here in a half hour.” She kissed him.
“I’m kicking him out in twenty minutes.” He took the tray from her. “Avery’s not leaving the house until lover boy is off the premises.”
They returned to the dining room to find the boys had surrounded Riley and were asking him questions. Mackenzie ambled over there to see what was going on and put an icing-riddled handprint on his expensive shirt. When Morgan ran over to assess the damage, Riley said it would come out with some hot water. She offered to wash it, but Seth said hell would freeze over before Riley took his shirt off in his house. Then Riley’s phone rang. It had been ringing all through dinner, but he hadn’t answered it until now. He did remind her a little of Seth with his good looks and charm. There was potential there. If Seth were going to continue to help him, Riley would have to tamp down the lust for Avery though. When Jake said he was ready to run his lines, Avery said good night to Riley. He looked disappointed, and Seth didn’t even give him time to recover before he ushered him to the door. They gruffly shook hands. Riley gave Morgan a hug.
“It was nice meeting you, Riley.”
“You too, Morgan. You and Seth have a wonderful family.”
“I almost think you mean that.” She chuckled and touched his shirt. “Sorry Mackenzie got that icing on you. We can pay for the dry cleaning.”
“No worries. I can get another limited edition Tiger Thorn shirt.” He laughed.
Morgan put her hands on her hips. “I’m going to say something and it may sound a little biased because I’m married to the man. But you would be lucky if you achieve half of what he’s accomplished on and off the field. He’s a champion because he knew how to respect the people who entrusted him to get the job done. And if yo
u ever say anything disparaging about my husband again in an interview to boost your own ego, I will come down to the Tomcats stadium and punt a football where the sun don’t shine. Got it?”
“You don’t mince words around here.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Got it.”
Morgan and Seth waved as he drove off. When they were back in the house, Seth pulled her close.
“Did you have a good talk with him?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I think so.”
“T.K.’s got his work cut out for him. Luckily he has you.”
“Nope.” He kissed her hard and ushered into the dining room. “I’m lucky to have you.”
She wished she could believe what he’d said, but his eyes were telling a different story. Riley’s aggravation was a challenge for him and she knew her husband. He never backed down from a challenge.
CHAPTER FOUR
When Seth called Ross to chat and found out he was on his way to Branson Hills, their high school alma mater, he asked if he could tag along. He and Ross were a few years apart, so they hadn’t played on their high school team at the same time. It wasn’t until they attended the same college that they’d developed a friendship and played on their college team together. It had been years since he’d visited the school, and he regretted that he hadn’t been able to visit more often. He may have been a big deal in Philadelphia, but it was clear who the local hero was in these parts. Ross had been with the Tomcats his entire career, and Texas rewarded him with their undying devotion to him. His friend’s face was plastered all over, hawking everything from cowboy boots to industrial farming equipment. With all that success, Ross was still one of the most grounded people he knew.
He pulled up to the gate of Ross’s house and was waved through immediately by the security guard and continued down a mile and a half road to his mansion. Ross and his wife Mandy were waiting for him when he pulled up.
“Mandy, it’s so good to see you!” Seth rounded the front of the truck, picked up Ross’s wife, and spun her around.
“It’s always good to see you too, handsome.” She beamed. “You haven’t changed a bit since we last saw you at J.J.’s wedding.”
“You are gorgeous as always. Where are the kids?”
“They’re at practices of some sort. They have busier schedules than we do.”
He laughed. “I know the feeling, but it keeps them busy and away from the television.”
“Ross just bought a new boat. We’d love for you, Morgan, and the kids to go sailing with us.”
“I’d like that. I’ll check with Morgan, and we’ll set a date.”
“Good. I’m off to yoga class.” Mandy hugged him again and turned to Ross. “Honey, the kids all have dental appointments this afternoon. So make sure you’re home at a reasonable time.”
“OK.”
“I don’t want to chase Keith around the waiting room all by myself. Strength in numbers!” Mandy yelled as she climbed into her luxury SUV and pulled off.
Ross rubbed his hands together. “You ready to go down memory lane?”
“Let’s do it.”
Taking the road to the old school brought back so many memories for him. Those were the glory days of having fun, chasing girls, and thinking about the future. Well, he chased Penny while Tate chased the rest of the female population in their class.
“Thanks for letting me horn-in on your visit,” Seth said.
“Not a problem. Our old team looks promising. I think they’ll make it to state finals this year. I told coach I’d come by and say a few words of encouragement.”
Seth smiled. “I can’t believe Coach Thompkins is still teaching at that school. He could have gone on to a college team years ago.”
“I told him the same thing. He said this is the age you get to mold a good football player. You know this school has the highest enrollment rate every year? They tout this as the epicenter for superstars. The kids are going to flip when they see you today.”
“You’re no slouch yourself and you’re still in the game.” Seth gave him a good-natured slap on the back. “According to Riley Sloane I belong in a museum.”
“Riley’s got a big mouth and an even bigger ego. I want to punch that snot-nosed runt in the face every time I see him. I hear T.K. conned you into mentoring the kid.”
“Yeah, I had him out to the ranch the other weekend to feel him out. He’s a full-blown diva.”
Ross’s eyes widened. “You had him out to the ranch? You don’t let many people come on your home turf.”
“Don’t read anything into it. I didn’t want to be seen in public with him. I have a feeling that a hundred photographers would have shown up if we’d met somewhere for dinner.”
“Right. Good thinking.” Ross tapped his fingers on the dash. “Did he get there on time? He loves to be fashionably late.”
“No, he was on time and things were going OK until the little idiot tried to hit on my niece, Avery.”
“Did you tie him to Iris and have her drag him around the ranch?”
“Believe me I thought about it. I think he just likes to push boundaries and thumb his nose at authority. I threatened to clean his clock, but Avery’s rejection of his charms was the death knell.”
“So that’s why he looked like a sad puppy at practice.” Ross howled. “Women aren’t in the habit of turning him down.”
“Well my niece is immune to Casanovas. Well, most.” His thoughts jumped back to Avery and Wyatt. They hadn’t been together very often lately, and that should have been a comfort to the men in the family. Now the guys spent their poker nights postulating about what had happened between the college students. They liked Wyatt. He was Bo’s brother and a good kid, but the family was still in full-on protection mode of the only niece in their immediate family. Bo said Wyatt didn’t want to talk about what had gone down, and the few times Corbett came by to play he said he knew as much as the rest of the family did. Avery and Wyatt seemed to be going through a rough patch, but he doubted it was the end of the interesting relationship.
“I felt like I owed T.K. since I’ve turned down his offers to work for the Tomcats. Besides, T.K. could use a win.”
“Yeah, I know. That young wife of his is taking him through the wringer. I hear she’s shacking up with some ranch hand in her spare time.”
“Yikes.” Seth winced. “How are things between him and Logan? Things seemed a little rocky from the little I saw.”
“Logan’s damn good at his job, but he has no love for his old man. It gets really chilly when they’re in a room together. If I didn’t know the two of them, I wouldn’t believe they were related. Logan once told me he’d only extend an olive branch to T.K. if it were on fire.”
“Well he’s mule-headed and difficult, just like his dad. It’s funny how neither of them realize how much they have in common.”
“It usually goes that way.” Ross chuckled and shook his head.
“So do you make these appearances often in your free time?”
“Technically it’s not an appearance. I just happen to have a day off and felt sentimental about where it all began. At least that’s what I tell my publicist when he finds out I talked to the coach and the kids and didn’t clear it with him. I don’t feel right about charging my high school to say a few encouraging words to their football team before a big game.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “It’s always nice to give back without it turning into some kind of PR opportunity.”
The life of a professional player was tricky when everyone associated with him was poised to make money. He agreed with Ross, it never felt OK to accept speaking fees. He’d turned down speaking at colleges and corporations for that reason. What were his words worth? His accomplishments in his sport didn’t necessarily mean he had any sage advice to dole out. It was more about his image and being seen. He knew plenty of guys who made appearances at clubs and entertainment events because promoters knew they would attract a crowd and the media. He’d been living off his
face and body for a long time, now he’d wanted his words to mean something.
Seth parked in the parking lot by the field. He and Ross both looked at the small stadium but didn’t attempt to get out. There were so many great moments here. He could feel them all rushing back. There was a big banner hung on the side of the athletic building that said: Branson Hills High. Birthplace of superstars Seth Blake, John Blake, Tate McGill, and Ross McKinney.
“This was definitely a simpler time,” Ross murmured.
“Yeah, you could throw the ball around without a million pair of eyes on you and have fun.”
“I always hated not being able to have fun with football. Coach would let us horse around, but we always got the job done. Do you remember the time Tate ran that sixty-yard touchdown? I was a freshman and in awe of you guys.” Ross shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t get me started on him missing his calling. I mean the singing thing ain’t bad, but he was a natural.”
“Tate was always a gentle soul. That’s why the girls loved him.” Seth laughed. “He knew how to strum a few chords and flash those baby blues like a lost deer and the ladies adored it.”
“I always thought he and Chrissie would end up together. Just like I thought you and Penny would be the first to marry.”
In the distance, someone was waving at them. It was their old coach Boyd Thompkins. Seth and Ross climbed out of the truck to greet him.
“Well! Well!” The older man grinned as he walked toward them. “As I live and breathe. Two of Branson Hills’ finest.”
“Coach, it’s good to see you!” Seth gave the man a big bear hug.
“Same here. I was wondering when you would stop by now that you’re back in Texas where you belong.” The coach gave him a onceover and turned to Ross. “This one graces me with his presence at least once every six months.”
“I promise, now that I’m home I will be visiting more often.” The team was now congregating in a circle to see who the coach was talking to.
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