Page 38 of Zone Protection

Ten minutes later, I’m parking on the street in front of my house. When I walk in, the scent of a home-cooked meal makes my stomach grumble.

Charlie is in the kitchen, pulling something out of the oven.

“Hey, Chuck. What up? Smells awesome in here.”

The sound of my bag dropping to the floor makes her jump.

“Jesus, that scared me!” She looks at me and laughs. “Sorry, I’m a little jumpy. I’ve been watching scary movies for the last few hours while I was waiting for you guys to get home. I’m thinking that probably wasn’t the best idea now. Every little noise has me looking over my shoulder.”

I walk over to where she’s standing and look into the pan she just pulled out. “Brownies, huh? Is that our dinner?”

She clears her throat. “No, it’s just a treat for us for after dinner. I made some lasagna and a salad for us. I know you guys like to carb-load the night before. But this is a healthier lasagna. The sauce is homemade versus canned, so less preservatives. And the cheese is organic, and the noodles are whole grain with added protein.”

I nod a few times. “Awesome. Thanks, sugar. Is it ready now, or do I need to wait around for a bit?”

She opens the oven, then closes it. “I’d say another ten to fifteen minutes.”

“Sounds good. Thank you for doing this.”

“Of course. Are you sticking around to hand out candy and watch a movie, or do you have plans?” she asks.

I bring my hand up behind me and scratch my neck. “I’m not going to be around for the movie and trick-or-treaters, no.”

She nods and smirks. “Okay, got it.”

“I’m going to go drop my stuff in my room and call my mom. Give me a shout when dinner is ready.”

“You got it.” She shoots me a thumbs-up.

I pick up my bag and take it to my room. My room setup is pretty plain. I have one of the smaller rooms in the house, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m a simple guy. I just need a bed, bathroom, a dresser or a closet for my clothes, and I’m good to go. I set my bag on the floor at the end of the bed and then sit on the edge.

I pull my phone out of my back pocket and call my mom.

“Hey, Arch. Whatcha doing?” she says when she answers.

“Hey, Mama. Just got home from practice and going to eatsome dinner. What are y’all up to? Doing anything for Halloween?”

“Well, the boys have a game tonight at seven, but then some of the guys are coming back to the ranch to stay the night. Dad made the corn maze again this year, and we set up some snacks and stuff in the shack for them. But I have a feeling it’s going to be a late night. Austin is already asking if he and his friends can sleep out there with the older boys, but that’s a big no. I know Ace and Anders won’t keep an eye on them. And apparently, some girls will be coming over, too, although I said they can’t spend the night.”

She keeps talking, and I lie back on my bed and smile. I miss my family. The past few summers, I haven’t been able to spend a ton of time there due to training. About the time I get home and get on a schedule, I have to turn around and come back here for the school year to start.

My family plays up the holidays big time. Mom and Dad decorate the house and the shack—which is an old ranch-hand cottage that we converted into an entertainment area for us and our friends. I lost my virginity in that shack, and by the fact that my brothers are having girls up there tonight, I’m guessing they’re messing around too.

I hear the front door slam and voices in the hall.

“That all sounds like fun, Mama. I’m gonna have to let you go though. The rest of the guys just got home, and I think our dinner will be ready soon. I’ll give you a call after our game tomorrow. Tell Dad to text me when he gets up here, and I’ll try to see him before the game.”

“Okay, baby. Keep yourself safe tomorrow. I should be able to be at the next game since the boys’ regular season will be over. We’ll find out if we’re moving on to the playoffs after tonight. Tell the boys good luck for me. Love you!” She makes a kiss sound.

“Bye, Mama. Love you. Tell the boys I said good luck if they haven’t left yet.”

“Will do. Bye, Arch.” She hangs up.

I get off the bed and shoot a text to Emma to let her know I’ll head her way in fifteen minutes. Then I pocket my phone and walk out toward the kitchen.

The guys are sitting at the set table, and Charlie is bringing food over and placing it in the center.

I pull out a chair and sit. “This looks great, Chuck. Thank you again for cooking.”

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