Page 1 of Garr

CHAPTER ONE

Patrick Garr Slater, son of Wade and Hannah Slater, watched as his cousin Tiger, sprinted into the endzone, running for the touchdown. He’d made the block that allowed him to run past the defenders, but it was up to Tiger to make the touchdown. And he did. In decisive Tiger flair. Always the showman, always the one happy to give a little touchdown celebration for the crowd to enjoy.

“Great block!” said Sebastian, slapping his back. Garr, as he preferred to be called, nodded, smiling as Tiger ran toward him.

“You need a new dance,” laughed Brix, congratulating his teammate and friend.

“Awesome run, brother,” said Walker.

“Great throw by Leif, and of course, I can’t run if my cousin doesn’t give me the great blocks.”

“It was a team effort,” smiled Garr. “And that’s state for us. Last big hurrah!”

After accepting their trophy, showering, and changing, their parents were anxiously waiting for them, along with more than a hundred people from Belle Fleur.

“Nice job,” smirked his father.

“Thanks, Dad,” he grinned. “Killer run by Tiger at the end there.”

“Killer run because you gave him a good block. Remember that always. Touchdowns don’t happen without blocks, and blocks are wasted if the touchdown isn’t made.”

“Got it,” he laughed. He heard someone crying and turned to see Macie Cooper, Sam and Mia’s daughter. She was wiping her eyes, her elbow bleeding.

“Hey, it’s okay,” said Sam. “Doc went to get the first-aid kit. You’ll be fine.”

“What happened?” asked Garr, frowning at the young girl.

“Some kid pushed her down as we were coming over here. A bully at school. You know the kind, Garr.” He looked around as if to sniff out the offender. “He’s the big kid over there. I’ve already had a word with his parents.”

“That kid is twice her size!” he said.

“Yeah, he’s in eighth grade, and she’s only in seventh. His father assured me he’d handle it.”

Garr wasn’t so sure he believed that, having more than one experience with bullies in his lifetime. They always underestimated his size and strength in spite of the fact that he was usually a head taller. Of course, part of the underestimation was due to his sweet-natured behavior.

He bent over to face Macie, taking his sleeve to wipe her tears. Five years younger than him, she was so small it seemed as though she were much younger. Or maybe he was so big it felt that way.

“You were very brave, Macie,” he said, smiling at the little girl. Although she probably wasn’t exactly a little girl anymore. She was a blossoming, beautiful teenager. She had a mix of her parent’s features, with auburn hair and piercing green eyes.

“He’s a jerk,” she sniffed. “He’s always trying to touch me.”

“Touch you?” frowned Sam. Before Sam could do anything, Garr walked toward the younger boy. His eyes grew wider and wider, knowing exactly who the Slater boys were. “Garr! Garr, don’t do anything stupid, son.”

“You like touching girls without their permission?” he asked, shoving his chest against the smaller boy.

“What? No! She’s lying! I wouldn’t touch her for anything.”

“You’re lying,” said Garr.

“What’s going on here?” said the boy’s father.

“Your son seems to like to touch girls without their permission. If he does it again, I’m going to beat the shit out of him.”

“Who in the hell do you think you are?” frowned the man.

“I’m Patrick Garr Slater. That man over there, Wade Slater, is my father. The man behind him, Zulu Slater, is my grandfather. Any more questions?”

The man stared at the teenager in front of him. He had at least four inches of height on him and probably twenty pounds, but the older man had experience on his side.

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