The Friendship List(91)

More significant, she missed him. They’d spent so much time together on the trip and now she hadn’t seen him in two days. She felt as if she were going through withdrawal. Not just from the sex, although she did miss that a lot, but also from him. She needed to see him and be with him to right her world. Every minute with him had been wonderful. Okay, not counting the last ten minutes—those had seriously sucked.

“I think these are done, Mom,”

She handed him the meat thermometer so he could check, then held out the serving platter when he nodded. The chicken pieces he’d just finished were piled on top of the previous ones. In most households that would have been enough for five meals. In hers, she was hoping to have leftovers for lunch. Her son could pack away more food than any five people she knew.

They took their seats at the table. Coop put three thighs and a breast on his plate while she served him salad in the side bowl.

“All your laundry done?” She asked. “You were using the washer all morning.”

“I had some clothes from before.” He gave her a sly smile. “You know, Mom. Some guys still have their moms doing their laundry.”

“I’ve heard that. Would you like to go live with any of them?”

He shook his head as he sighed. “No. I want to stay with you, even if you won’t do stuff like that for me.” He pointed to the heaping platter of chicken. “You make me cook sometimes. It’s unnatural.”

“It’s on a barbecue. I thought guys were into the whole fire thing.” She made a low grunting noise. “Me like fire.”

He chuckled as he tossed the thigh bones onto the empty plate she’d left on the table. “I kind of like it, but the chicken’s better with lots of sauce.”

“We did a healthy marinade instead. Lucky you.” She waited for his rueful grin before switching the subject to one that wouldn’t make him as happy. “Talk to Coach yet?”

Coop put down the chicken breast he was demolishing. “Why would you ask that?”

So no, he hadn’t. “How long are you going to hide from him?”

“A few more days. I don’t want him to yell at me.”

“Maybe if you’d tried to protect his daughter, you wouldn’t be so worried.”

“Mo-om, we’ve been over this. Luka’s my friend. I wasn’t going to rat him out. Plus, he really loves her. He’ll take good care of her.”

“If that’s what you really believe, then you shouldn’t be worried about talking to Coach.”

Her giant son hunched in his chair. “I don’t think he wants to hear that Luka’s in love.”

“You can’t hide out forever.”

“I can hide for a while more.” He looked at her. “If he comes asking, don’t tell him where I am.”

“Oh, please. I’m not lying for you.”

“Not telling him the information isn’t the same as lying.”

“Not telling him the information is what has you hiding from him in the first place.”

“Mom, please. You don’t know what it’s like to have Coach mad at you. It’s really, really bad.”

Not information she wanted to have, because right now, Keith wasn’t very happy with her, either.

“My advice is to go to him and tell him you’re sorry. Get it out of the way before the problem gets bigger. But it’s your decision, so you’ll have to live with the consequences.”

Coop looked at her. “I’m hiding for as long as I can.”

She sighed. “Some parents get to be proud of their kids.”

“Some kids don’t have Coach Kinne wanting to punch them out.”

She patted his arm. “I’m sure he won’t touch your handsome face.”

“I’m more worried about my ass, I mean my butt.”

“If it gets ugly between the two of you, I can always step in.” Assuming she was still someone Keith listened to. Or cared about.



twenty-three


Thaddeus knew he had it bad. The make-out session with Unity had changed everything for him. In those few minutes of mind-blowing kissing, he’d let down his guard and now he couldn’t put it back up. Ironically, his guard was the only thing that would stay down—just thinking about Unity got him hard in about two seconds, a situation made all the more awkward when he was at work. Worse, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Their quick daily texts were a poor substitute to seeing her in person. Or even talking on the phone. But he refused to act like some lovesick kid. He was a man who knew how to handle himself and act with restraint.

All of which sounded great, but didn’t explain why he was pacing in his living room when what he really wanted to do was call her and ask if he could drive over to see her.

“Note to self,” he muttered. “Next time, find a woman who lives on my side of the mountains.”

His phone buzzed. He lunged for it, nearly slamming his shin into the coffee table. Yup, he had it so bad.

Are you still at work?
He studied the text, grinning like a fool because it was her. God, he was an idiot. No. I came home early. “Because I couldn’t stop thinking about you and getting a hard-on. I literally had to stay at my desk for an extra ten minutes before I could leave.”