Page 5 of Hart Breaker

“Hart, I will let your ass get pummeled on the field Sunday if you breathe a word. I was an idiot. I sure as hell don’t want the entire fucking organization to know that.”

As he opens the door and slides out, I know I’m about to fuck up my perfectly peaceful day off tomorrow.

“Grimes.”

He lifts his chin.

“Gonna do breakfast with Mom in the morning after my run. You wanna come over and?—”

“Play Call of Duty?” he cuts me off.

“Yeah, champ, let’s do that.”

I’m halfway home when my screen lights up, and my ride-or-die, Siri, announces, “You have an incoming call from Big Daddy Boone. Would you like to accept this call?”

“How about you answer for me, sweet thing.”

She replies, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“I still have hope for us,” I whisper as I hit accept.

When the call connects, my ears are assaulted by an ear-piercing scream. I cringe before asking, “What the hell is going on over there?”

He chuckles. “My little flower is making sure she’s heard.”

“Let her know that she is.” The sound stops for just a second before it begins again. “Boone, man, what the hell is wrong with her? Does she need a doctor?”

“A doctor, no. An exorcism, maybe,” he jokes, and she stops. “Any chance you’re close to the Brewery?”

“Why? What’s up?”

“My Wovey!” she screams, then lets out another shriek.

I’m straight-up shocked. “I can’t believe that’s coming from sweet little Lily.”

He waits for her to stop screaming, then says, “Yeah, well, Lovey’s MIA, and I think we may have dropped it at Brooks.”

“No, mya Wovey! My drop!”

“My bad, little flower. You’re right; you dropped Lovey,” he says calmly.

“No! My bad. No, you! Flower bad!” And then she screams again.

“Fuck, man, I’m on it. What do I do if I can’t find it?”

“Stop somewhere and grab two pairs of earplugs.” He chuckles.

“Two sets?”

He clears his throat. “She wanted to feed the ducks.”

“You at the lake house?”

He responds with one word. “Yeah.”

I’m not pissed about it. Hell, I’ve told him to move in; there’s plenty of room. He’s another teammate who makes a mint but doesn’t have much to show for it. But, unlike Grimes, his funds are low because he pays child support, which is not court-ordered.

He got Lily’s mom, Lindsey, pregnant in college. It didn’t matter it was a one-night thing; he wasn’t about to be a deadbeat. Her parents cut her off because neither of them wanted to get married, and she ended up dropping out and returning home. Boone says he was pissed at first but understands her wanting what’s best for their daughter. Her parents are dicks, and although he isn’t one to talk about the hard shit. I’ve gotten bits and pieces about them trying to marry her off to some trust fund baby and asking him to step back and sign over his rights so she and Lily can have what they deem a real chance at life. He obviously isn’t down for that. He loves his flower. He has her every chance he can get her. She’s usually the sweetest little thing.

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