Page 58 of Third and Ten

“I’ll make sure he replaces it later. And I imagine you’ll have a nice Afterschool Special talk prepared?”

“Absolutely, except my version usually begins with a ‘mais bruh’ and ends with early-morning Mass. If that’s all right with you, of course.”

“You have my permission to knock some sense into him any way you see fit,” she says, smiling. “I trust you.”

Before I can properly react to that, Ethan taps on the window to signal he’s done. I stare at Tenley a second longer before I turn and open the door, burying my face in the collar of my shirt and going for the bucket first.

“I’ll get that, JD,” Tenley says behind me, so I back up and let her take care of it. She has a few choice words for her nephew as she shuffles over to the side of the house to set it down.

“Come on, wingman. Up you go.” I lean into the passenger seat so Ethan can fold over my shoulder again, and he doesn’t protest as I carry him into the house. I wave at Mr. Jude in his chair in the living room before stopping to greet Mrs. T with a cheek kiss as usual. She hands me a bottle of water for her grandson, looking more amused than worried, and I continue on to drop Ethan down onto his bed.

“Coach,” he begins as I search the room for a trash can.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry again. Thank you for coming to get me and for not telling Aunt Ten everything.”

“Drink some of that water. And don’t thank me yet. I’m still planning to make you regret your decision in the morning.”

“I already do,” he mumbles after taking a few sips from the water bottle. “Coach?”

“Yeah, E?”

“Sorry I barfed in your cooler.” Then he lies back and immediately begins snoring.

I laugh to myself and turn to walk out, but my breath hitches when I find Tenley leaning against the doorframe. She clears her throat and looks away quickly. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear any of that if you want me to.”

“For his sake, anyway.”

She nods again, then gestures toward the front of the house. “Walk you out?”

CHAPTER 18

JD

I bid Tenley’s parents good night before we walk out to the front porch together. “Well, I guess I’ve found myself in your debt, once again,” she says, and I think she might be stalling. “What will it be this time? Another dinner at our house?”

She’s offering to feed me? Unprompted?

“Hey, I thought I told you to quit keeping count. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me anything.” Our eyes meet for a second, and I’m suddenly reminded of what I wanted to say to her earlier today, something about her black bra, though I don’t want to push my luck just yet.

“So, you’re really going to turn me down?” she asks, smiling playfully. “And here I thought you liked my cooking.”

“Your cooking is delicious, but your company is even better, if I’m being honest,” I return.

“Mm-hmm.” She looks away. “Can I say anything that you won’t twist around and use against me?”

“Tenley, of all things I’d like to hold against you, words have never crossed my mind.”

She throws her head back and laughs. “There you go again.” Then her expression falls and she narrows her eyes as she stares at something over my shoulder. I turn and immediately spot the security camera mounted on the porch overhang. She crosses her arms and shifts her weight to one side. “I would invite you to stay a little longer, but I’m sure your friends are waiting on you.”

“I meant what I said earlier.”

“Well, either way, I’ll have to offer you a rain check, because I have a feeling we’re being…monitored,” she says, pulling a face at the camera.

“Really? Are we that interesting?” I ask, gesturing back and forth between us.

“Apparently,” she says, embarrassed again.

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