Page 25 of True Honey
Silas clapped his hands together, “right yeah,” he said, turning to look at the open door behind him. “Tour first? Then if you have heavy stuff I can get some of the guys to help.”
“Guys?” I asked, I knew that he worked for the University but I hadn’t actually dug much into the living situation. My only thought was getting August into a stable situation, not stopping to think that maybe my decision was brash and dangerous.
“Better to show you…” Silas laughed but I didn’t find the humor in his surprise. “Follow me,” he said.
August looked over at me nervously and I gave him a tiny smile of reassurance before wrapping my arm over his shoulder and leading him into the house.
“Holy crap,” August said, audibly as surprised as I was. The house was all dark, polished hardwood and restored Victorian architecture.
“Wow,” I gasped and Silas turned back to look at us.
“This is Dansby House,” he said with a proud smile. “You’ll hear the team call it the Nest, but before you panic, it’s not a frat house.”
He had taken the words right out of my mouth and I eyed him cautiously, a silent,you’re going to have to prove that statementquickly passing between us.
“The only parties that happen here are in family birthdays and small celebrations, we don’t keep booze in the house, and the guys are all pretty behaved give or take a few.” He explained, showing us the massive living room stocked with a few nice couches and a massive television.
“How many players live here?” I asked him.
“Almost all of them,” he answered. “But you won’t even hear them. Between practice, therapy, classes and games… They keep pretty busy.”
“Right,” August said, “so we’re moving into a dorm?”
“No, no,” Silas said quickly, “my great grandfather and grandad had the house built years ago to give the team and staff housing away from the university. A couple of years back I had the basement converted. The apartment is downstairs. It has its own entrance.”
“So you guys are rich?” August asked, and I felt my entire body turn to ice in embarrassment, but Silas just laughed.
“The fan favorite term isstupid rich,” he said, smiling over his shoulder at us. “I just wanted you guys to be familiar with the main house. You’re welcome to come up here whenever. The T.V. is bigger and usually Tucker has a stash of ice cream you can get into.” He led us into the kitchen which was beautiful and somehow looked brand new but vintage all at once.
“This is the door to the apartment inside the house,” he pointed to a door that I had assumed was a closet. “There’s a door at the bottom that has a deadbolt so you never have to worry about anyone coming down there. To be honest sometimes I think they forget that I live downstairs…” he said with a smile.
“No we don’t.” A young blond kid wandered into the kitchen with a smile on his face that screamed trouble. “Cael Cody,” he said, holding a hand out to me. “Who’s this?” he asked.
“Drew… Courtney, and my son, August,” I said, taking his hand. He looked over at August with a softer smile before leaning against the massive marble island in the middle of the kitchen.
“They’re renting some of the rooms in the basement,” Silas said.
“Strapped for cash, Grandpa?” Cael teased and Silas eyed him with an annoyed look. “I’m going to go find Dean and Josh. We’re supposed to help Ellawith something for Arlo’s birthday tonight but they went missing an hour ago and I’m pretty sure they’re—”
Silas cut him off. “Get!”
“Gone.” Cael scurried away with a laugh, swiping a rogue hat off the hooks at the back door and disappearing.
“He’s funny,” August said when the door clicked over and I turned to look at him with a sigh.
“He’s a big kid,” Silas said, clicking the basement door open. “Come on, I’ll show you downstairs before everyone gets home.”
We followed him down to the basement and it was like stepping into a different world.
It was bright downstairs, the walls were painted a neutral color and the lights around the apartment were loud and all on. Upon entry there was a long, pristine gray and marble kitchen with running cabinet lighting and a massive steel fridge way too big for one man.
The living room was off to the right of it, with a huge modern but cozy looking sectional, covered in pillows with a television that barely looked smaller than the one on the main floor.
The floor was a lighter gray wood panelling that matched the color of the wall and turned the entire apartment into a stone box.
“Your rooms are back here,” he said, leading us past the living room to a hallway, “Auggie, this is you.”
“I get my own?” he said, looking at me and I nodded, watching the smile on his face grow with excitement. It had been a while since we could afford an apartment that provided him with his own space. The room was smaller but had a comfortable looking bed and was dressed in dark sheets and a red comforter.
