Off Season (The Blake Boys Book 15) by Rhonda Laurel Page B

too immediately took control of the crowd and informed them he was there to talk about their winning streak, not his. He told him the most valuable lessons he’d ever learned about football happened on the field they were all standing on, where he learned about respect for the coach and his teammates. He wrapped up his talk by saying that even if it looked easy, there was lot of hard work involved and sacrifices in the pursuit of greatness.
    Coach let the boys out of practice early, but they stuck around anyway. In addition to the upcoming game on Friday, they were excited about the banquet to honor the coach for his thirty-five years with the school. Seth and Ross promised to attend and asked if they could visit more and help out with the team. By the time Seth and Ross got back on the road, Seth was feeling good. Talking to young men who had big dreams and that hungry look in their eye for the game was just what he needed to clear his head. He was hopeful that he’d made a difference. And it also reinforced the feeling that his work with Riley wasn’t done yet.
    Ross laughed. “Earth to Seth?”
    “Sorry.” He shook his head. “I zoned out for a minute there.”
    “What’s going on?”
    “I wonder if someone had gotten to Riley around that age, maybe his ego wouldn’t be so out of control.”
    “Perhaps,” Ross replied. “If you’re going to keep working with him, you might as well work for the Tomcats.”
    “If I help Riley, I will be helping the Tomcats, and right now that’s all I have to give.”
    “If that’s all you can give, we’re collectively grateful for the help. But who knows? Maybe you’ll change your mind.”
    Seth smiled. “Yeah. Who knows?”
     
    * * *
     
     
    Jake’s debut was today and two days later they were scheduled to leave for Philadelphia for Grandma Reed’s party, so Morgan and Seth agreed to divide up the various errands for both events. Normally that would have been fine, but she’d barely been able to get out of the bed today. She didn’t respond to their alarm clock, so he got up and helped the kids get ready. When he came back after giving Mackenzie her bath and saw she was still asleep, he gently nudged her.
    When he asked her how she felt, she didn’t answer because Connor entered the room asking about a blue shirt he’d wanted to wear. She got out of bed and scurried to his room to help him, then returned like a fireball to their bedroom, getting ready herself. He could tell she was putting on the hectic show for him. Once they were downstairs eating breakfast, she tended to the kids and snacked on some fruit, all the while avoiding his concerned stare. The kids ate and were ready to go.
    He looked at her. “Babe, I think I’m going to do all the errands myself. I think you should get some rest after you call Dr. Fulton.”
    “It’s silly for you to do all of that by yourself. I can help. I just need an energy drink or something,” she said as she put snacks into the boys’ lunch boxes. “Maybe I just need some Vitamin C—or is it B that gives you a shot of energy?”
    “Right now it looks like you need the whole alphabet,” he said in a low voice so only she could hear.
    She shot him a dirty look. “Don’t start.”
    “OK, I’ll finish. Call Dr. Fulton.”
    Morgan maneuvered around him and handed the boys their lunch. This wasn’t going well. He took a deep breath. “How about I do three quarters of the list? You can do everything closer to home.”
    She gave him a grumpy look but then relaxed. “Thanks. I would appreciate that.”
    “Good.” Seth nodded. “Let’s hit the road, boys.”
    “OK, little girl, let’s get you cleaned up so I can drop you off at Grandma’s.” Morgan unbuckled Mackenzie from her high chair to pick her up, and Mackenzie almost slipped out of her hands. It scared the daylights out of both of them, but the little girl simply slumped back down in the high chair.
    Seth could see the look of terror on Morgan’s