Off Season (The Blake Boys Book 15) (9 page)

Seth kissed Morgan on the top of her head. “Babe, we’re heading down to the stables. Call me if you if feel like you’re getting tired.”

“I’m fine. Go.” She pointed him in the direction of the front door.

The horses were saddled and ready when they arrived at the stables. It was Saturday, so there wasn’t too much traffic around there. He thought it would be good to talk to Riley in a tranquil environment. They were getting ready to mount their horses when Avery came around the corner on her new horse Comet.

“Hi, Uncle Seth.” She said as she pulled on her horse’s reins to make his stop.

“Hey, pretty girl. I didn’t know you’d be home this weekend.”

“Have you met Comet? John Jacob and Teri-Lyn got him for me for making the dean’s list again this semester.”

“I was down here the day Daddy brought him home. He’s a fine horse.” Seth helped her as she dismounted. Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but notice Riley’s leisurely ogling of Avery. Riley began coughing furiously as if he was signaling for an introduction. Seth ignored it, but Avery, being the polite and kind person she was, spoke up.

“I see you have a guest.” She smiled.

“Avery, I’d like you to meet Riley Sloane. He’s the new quarterback for the Tomcats.” Seth turned to Riley. “Sloane, this is my
niece,
Avery. She goes to Texas University and has made the dean’s list every year since she started.”

“Uncle Seth!” Avery glared at him to stop gushing. She extended her hand to Riley. “Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Avery.” Riley happily shook her hand and flashed her a devilish smile. “Beautiful name, just like you.”

“Thanks.” Avery blushed. “Do you like to ride?”

Before Riley could part his lips, Seth shot the quarterback a deadly look. “Choose your words very carefully, hotshot.”

Riley let out a nervous laugh. “I’m more partial to fast cars than stallions. I've driven at full speed in my Bugatti.”

“Surely you’re joking?”

“No, I have the owner’s manual in the car if you’d like me to prove it. We could pop over to Seth’s house, and I could show it to you. I bet I could open it up on the dirt roads on this ranch.” He winked at her.

She recoiled in disgust. “No, thanks. It sounds dangerous. But if you want to speed around like a lunatic, maybe Uncle Tyler would let you use the race track.”

“Of course I don’t always go that fast,” Riley backtracked. “There’s a real race track here?”

“He’s a real race car driver.” Avery put her hand on her hip.

Seth laughed to himself. Avery was a safety nut and the last girl who would be impressed by that fast, flashy toy Riley drove.

“I prefer equestrian racing,” Avery said. “There’s nothing more liberating than being one with a horse while riding the open terrain.”

“I could learn to appreciate that. I’m a quick study.” Riley stroked his chin.

Seth’s jaw ticked. “Now’s a good time to
learn
when to shut your mouth.”

“Uncle Seth, is it OK if I have dinner at your house tonight? I thought I’d help Jake with his lines for the school play afterward. I took a drama workshop and I could show him a few things that may help with stage fright.”

“You know you never have to ask. I’m going to try my hand at the Asian meal Michelle prepared on her show last week.”

“Sounds delicious. Will Aunt Morgan have hotdogs on standby?” She scrunched her nose.

“Of course. See you at five sharp.”

Seth stood in Riley’s line of sight as Avery walked Comet into the stables. “I’m only going to say this once. If you go anywhere my niece, you’ll be on the injured list for the rest of your life.”

“What?” Riley gave him an incredulous look while trying to catch another glimpse of her over his shoulder.

“Mount your horse, Romeo.” Seth straddled his horse Iris. He watched Riley’s inelegant attempt to get on the horse. It was downright cringe worthy. “Is there a problem?”

“No.” Riley said as he failed to straddle the horse again. “This country stuff doesn’t come natural to me.”

Seth grinned. “Sounds like the whining of a pampered city boy.”

Riley’s horse Opal must have sensed his hesitation, because she wouldn’t move when Riley maneuvered the reins. Seth got closer and put his hand on Opal’s head.

“Opal, we’re going to give him a break today. He’s a city boy and a little nervous, even though he’s trying not to show it.”

The horse calmed down and allowed Riley to get into the saddle. He thought the horseback tour of the ranch would be a good icebreaker and he was right. Seth started slowly at first, on flat land, so Riley could get comfortable. Soon they picked up a steady rhythm, so Seth went up the sloping hill in the direction of Bo’s house. The view was spectacular, and you could see all the homes on the ranch. They started talking about different things, everything except football. Seth got down, strode over to the fence, and leaned against it. Riley followed suit.

“What do you want out of your football career, Riley?”

“A Super Bowl ring. Make that multiple rings. Like you.”

“OK. You can’t do it alone. How are you going to convince your team to help you achieve that?”

“It’s a no-brainer. They were hired to do a job too. They want it just like I do. I know in your hay day being buddies and bonding in the locker room was how you got the job done. But those days are over. Players today are enterprises working on their brands, who just happen to play on the same team. Besides, they act like they hate my guts.”

“Maybe that’s because you act like you’re the only one on the team.”

“Why should I give those guys a chance? They’re all assholes who made it clear they’re jealous of me and they don’t want me there.”

“Being the new guy sucks but that will pass.” He sighed. He remembered the tough time he’d had when he’d joined the Titans. “Teamwork and respect is still important and it goes both ways.”

“That’s funny coming from you. Your endorsements exceeded your football salary every year, which was nothing to sneeze at. But you want
me
to be pious?”

“I think it’s hilarious you want to surpass my career, yet you know nothing about me. Whatever I did on my own time didn’t take away from the team. When I was there, I gave it a hundred and ten percent. It’s what good leaders do.”

“So beating the crap out of Lamont Brayer was part of your leadership strategy?” Riley folded his arms across his chest.

Seth grimaced. Like he’d feared, the ghost of his rivalry with Lamont was hard to shake. “It wasn’t my best moment, but Brayer and I had reached an impasse when he endangered the lives of my family with his antics.”

“I didn’t know.”

“And just because I did it, doesn’t make it right. It was an extenuating circumstance that I wish didn’t happen, but it did. So don’t go thinking it’s OK to fight your teammates. Our team barely recovered after that, and thankfully I didn’t lose my job.”

“Like Jimmy Fontane would’ve ever fired you.”

“Maybe, but the thing about lovable rogues is that at some point they always push the wrong button. Got it?”

“Got it,” Riley grumbled.

Seth headed back to the stables without saying another word to Riley. It was clear he was the wrong person to talk to the young man. Riley was playing football for all the wrong reasons and it showed. He handed the horses off to Ed the ranch hand and walked toward the truck. Once they were seated, he reached for the key to start the vehicle.

“This concludes our tour.”

“Wow. I thought people exaggerated about this place. It’s like a theme park filled with celebrities. I got to see the homes of football great John Blake, country music superstar Tate McGill, and race car driver Tyler Blake. You have your own bowling alley, batting cages, racetrack, miniature golf course, and an ice skating rink. I feel like I should have paid an admission at the gate.”

“It’s just home to me.”

Riley looked over at him. “Did I pass the test?”

“What test?” Seth furrowed his eyebrows.

“I assume this was a test of some sort by T.K. I just don’t know what the end game was supposed to be, except that he was busting my chops for trashing your good name. He chewed me out after that interview, like I’d insulted one of his kin.” Riley rapped his knuckles on the truck door frame. “I was just putting it out there that I intend on being a contender.”

“There will come a time in your life when you know what’s important to you. I know football is this all-consuming thing that has you in the limelight, living this glamorous life and dating hot women. But if you’re not giving it your best on the field, you’re doing a disservice to yourself, your coaches, your team, and the man who took a chance on you with that fat contract. T.K. Holbrook doesn’t give second chances and he likes you. He’s trying to avoid having to cut you loose one day because of your lousy attitude and poor performance. I’ve seen you play. You’ve got talent and could go a long way, but you step on the field like you’ve already won. You talk about future accolades and the hall of fame and the only thing you have under your belt are a commercial for a sports drink and athletic gear. Super Bowls are won with sweat, dedication, and sometimes a few tears.”

“You think I have talent?”

“Wow.” Seth shook his head in disgust. “Did you hear anything I said?”

Riley laughed and patted him on the back. “I get the gist of what you’re saying. There’s more to football than cashing a big check and being a star.”

“Well, it’s a start.” Seth checked his cell phone. Morgan hadn’t called him, but he didn’t want to stay out too long in case she needed a nap. He started the truck and rolled out of the parking space and onto the main road. “I have to get back.”

“So you’re cooking tonight?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“Is it OK if I stick around for dinner?”

“Don’t you have something better to do on a Saturday night?”

“Of course I do. I have invites to five parties and a very tempting offer from Shanna Fields, that smokin’ hot weather lady on channel eight.”

“And yet you want to spend the evening with my family?” Seth pulled into the driveway and put on the parking brake.

“What can I say? They’re an adorable bunch.”

“So you want to be around my kids?” Seth gave him a sly smile. Riley wouldn’t last an hour in his house, but it was almost worth the calamity that would ensue to see if he could do it.

Riley recoiled as if Seth had asked him to babysit. “Not by myself.”

“It’s not easy to impress them. They’re sharp and they don’t take any crap.”

“So in other words, it’s a family trait?” Riley huffed.

“Exactly.” He nodded. “Cut the bull. You want to hang around because my niece is coming over for dinner.”

Riley laughed. “Guilty as charged.”

“Stay away from my niece, Sloane.”

“OK. OK.”

Seth ushered Riley into the house, hoping he would haven’t to kill him by the end of the evening. What would he say to T.K. if he strangled his star quarterback during a family dinner?

* * *

When Seth returned from the stables and announced Riley would be staying for dinner, Morgan took it as a good sign that their talk went well. She knew if anyone could get through to the young man, it would be him, despite not being pleased about those idiotic comments the quarterback made about him in the interview. Seth had a thick skin. Hell, worse things had been said about him publicly by Lamont, but she suspected he was using that sound bite as a way not to get involved. The reasons he gave her for staying away from the game were valid. He’d been laser-focused on being a family man and that was great. But they’d been working parents ever since Jake was born and they’d managed things well. They had a great support system in play to help when they weren’t available and it worked. She just hoped he wasn’t putting off his new career goals for her and the kids.

Seth said he’d keep an eye on the kids if she wanted to get some rest, but she had other things to do like look for the home movies Charisma wanted to use for Grandma Reed’s party. It was going to be a grand affair, complete with a showing of the family home movies and slides, if only she’d remembered where she’d put them after the move to Texas.

Morgan was proud of her cousin Charisma for the work she’d put in planning the celebration, which was going to be held in the ballroom of the regal Philadelphia Plaza hotel. She was busy these days with her new responsibilities at Reed Designs, college courses, and her relationship with Derek. They’d been talking a lot since the plans for Grandma’s party had begun, but sometimes she called and they just chatted about life. Charisma confessed to her that her relationship with Derek was the first one she’d had in which she could truly be herself. He didn’t judge, he just loved, and it scared the hell out of her. She wanted to be perfect for him and have the kind of relationship Morgan and Seth had. Morgan informed her that no matter how effortless it looked, their relationship worked because they
worked
at it. She told her cousin to trust her heart and she and Derek would be fine.

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?”