Page 61 of When to Call a Blitz

“I just want to make sure my son is happy!”

“I’m happiest when I’m not asked about my dating life.” Between the guys and my mother, I hear about it at least once a week. The answer is always the same, but sometimes I like to spice it up and lie to the boys.

“I am happy, mom,” I lie. It’s the same lie I’ve been telling everyone for years.

She glances at me from the corner of her eye with a “humph,” making it clear she doesn’t really believe me. “So, who’s the nanny?”

This question shouldn’t send a shot of pain through me, but it does.

“She’s a friend of Leo’s. She was a nanny for Briar’s daughter for a while so Juniper already knew her.”

My mom nods beside me.

“Well,” she says after a couple beats too long. “I’m excited to meet her.”

“How’s Theodore doing?” Cooper asks, scratching his ass.

I roll my eyes. “He’s fine. Why.”

“Nothing. Just asking. Wasn’t sure how the ‘burbs were treating him.”

I blink at him. “The ‘burbs?”

Cooper pouts. “Yeah. The burbs. The suburbs. He’s a little man of the suburbs.”

Rolling my eyes, I continue to get ready for practice.

Leo walks in a few minutes later looking sheepish. “How have things been?” he asks awkwardly, retrieving his cleats from his locker.

I glance at him quickly, wondering where he’s going with this. I’ve had enough grilling to last a lifetime the last few days.

“I mean, it’s going fine. Why?”

“I was just wondering,” he shrugs.

“Leo.”

“How’s Heidi?”

I groan. “Why is this a thing we’re talking about? I feel like you’ve asked a million times in the last week.”

Leo shrinks back, almost wincing at my words. Looking across the locker room I watch as Owen’s eyes find his, and he immediately ends his conversation with one of our linemen and saunters over like some kind of criminal who knows he’s about to be caught.

“How’s it going?” He smiles.

“Get to the point you fuckwits,” I demand, looking around at the three men surrounding me.

“We were just wondering how things were. How you’re feeling. How you’re holding up. That kind of thing,” Leo says. He looks constipated as the words leave his mouth, and it takes me a second to realize it’s because he’s trying to hold back a small smile.

I stare at him blankly and watch as Cooper and Owen’s eyes shift to Leo.

Several awkward, terrible seconds later, Leo claps his hands in front of him. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” he says, lifting his hands up in front of him.

“Then why even start to grill me? You guys know you’re absolutely terrible at this right?”

Cooper looks down at his feet, his lips pressed together while Owen looks equally suspicious.

A few more awkward seconds later and Leo stands up quickly, nearly knocking down the chair that was sitting next to the bench. Grabbing my arm, he pulls me around the corner.

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