Page 70 of Clean Sweep
“Boyfriend?” I snorted. It sounded so . . . teenager.
Max sent me a half-glare, then leaned against the seat with a hand on his stomach, his ravenous hunger satiated. For now. He’d always run like an oven. Hot all the time, and he burned through all the food I could shovel his direction in a matter of hours.
My annual Christmas dinner—which would happen closer to New Years this year—was his favorite holiday. He could eat a huge meal, then go back for seconds, thirds, and fourths for hours afterward. He’d burn it off the next day playing football.
With only the power of my Mother-magic and the smell of BBQ nearby, I’d been able to stave off the inevitability until now. Eating with the three of them gave me deep joy. Nothing made me as happy as watching my boys interact in the weird way boys did.
My only hope was that Max had eaten himself into a BBQ coma and would succumb before his brain remembered.
No such luck.
The past hour of not answering their questions hadn’t prepared me for what I would say, but I did know two things.
1. A warning to Tanner would be in order.
2. Less was more.
“Spill what?” I asked not-so-innocently.
Max rolled his eyes so hard his head lolled back.
“Ma!” he cried in that unique, frustrated way that only he had. “Stop being facetious and tell us about the beau-friend already.”
“Do you know what the wordfacetiousmeans?” I asked.
Nicholas glanced over. “Wow, bro.” He whistled. “College is giving you book smarts. Haven’t you been hit in the head too many times for this?”
Blake chuckled, but remained buried in his phone.
Max glared at both of us.
“Not funny. I happen to have an impressive tutor.” He waved a hand. “Continue with the boyfriend story, Ma.”
After years of raising them, I knew when to concede. “There’s no boyfriend, but there is an interest.”
“Who?” Nicholas asked.
I rolled my lips. “Ah, Tanner Beck.”
Max laughed. “Damnit! I was wrong.”
“Maximillion!”
“Sorry.” He held up two hands. “Sorry, I’ll watch my language. Landon is going to rub this in my face forever.”
“What were you wrong about and why are you laughing?” I asked.
Max chuckled again with a shake of his head.
“Landon told me he thought something might be happening between you and coach, but he hadn’t confirmed it yet. That’s all. I said he was wrong and that you’d probably never look at another man again.”
How should I feel about a statement likethat? My head couldn’t quite wrap around what he meant, so I let it go.
“Blake?” I drawled.
“What?” he cried. “I didn’t say anything!”
For some reason, that gave me relief.
