Page 50 of Touchdowns and Temptations

“Oh yeah?” he asks. “Where?”

“Boston and Atlanta,” I answer and he nods.

“That sounds very good. Great teams. When was that? The Boston Foxes were very successful in the 1990s. They won a couple of Super Bowls.”

“They did,” Cara says. “My dad won the Super Bowl four times with the Foxes.”

Dad's eyes get as big as plates, and he almost falls out of his chair.

“Four times?” he gasps. “Who's your dad, that's an extraordinary achievement.”

Alex laughs again and Logan grins broadly. Dad looks at them questioningly and demands an answer from his sons.

“Michael Corse,” Cara says quietly and there is silence.

Dad gasps for air and then laughs out loud.

“Good one, girl,” he says. “Who is your father really?”

“Michael Corse,” Cara says emphatically. It's the first time I've seen her upset because people don't believe her. “He's my dad.”

“Michael Corse?” he asks again. “Quarterback legend, most voted MVP and...”

“Five-time Super Bowl winner Michael Corse is my father, yes,” she says, “You don’t believe me?”

“That's...wow.” Dad's eyes fall on me. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“It's not my job,” I answer with a shrug. “Michael is Cara's father.”

“Amazing,” Dad says appreciatively. “He really is the greatest of all time.”

“To me, he's my dad,” Cara says, snuggling up against me. “It's weird that everyone thinks of him as a football superstar. He's just my dad.”

“We believe you,” my mom says, sitting on the edge of the chair next to my dad. “When Logan was the first of the three to go to the NFL, it was strange for us, too, that everyone saw our son as a star. When Noah and Alex followed, it got even stranger, but they'll always be our sons, up to no good.”

“Not me!” shouts Alex, raising his arms and walking toward the kitchen. “I'm the boring sandwich boy.”

“You're the worst!” Mom shouts, laughing and throwing a towel after him. “Get Cara something to drink.”

“Yes, Mom!” he shouts ruefully and I have to laugh and pull Cara even closer to me. She smiles at me and I know she's comfortable and had no problem with my dad's questions.

***

Cara and I enter the basement of my parents' house and I lead her to one of the guest rooms. These used to be our rooms when we were kids. Today my parents use the empty rooms mainly for their hobbies and guests. Alex went out again and I bet he has a date. Logan went back to his apartment. It's only a half hour drive to Nashville.

“This is where you sleep,” I say, pointing to the big bed, the dresser and the small nightstand.

“Okay,” she replies, “your family is really nice and funny. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.”

“Me too,” I say. “I hope you’ll like my friends too.”

I walk over to Cara and stop right in front of her. She looks up at me, and I look back at her. I gently reach out with my right hand and brush a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiles and bites her lips, which looks extremely hot.

“Are you going to the bull riding?” she asks.

At dinner Logan and Alex told us about the annual bull riding at the Fall Fair. Cara thought it was awesome and now wants me to go.

“No,” I reply, shaking my head. “No way.”

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