Golden Trail (The 'Burg #3)(42)

Jasper and Tripp stayed close, so did Colt, Morrie, Cal and Gabby as well as the milling crowd. Finally, Cosgrove left the locker rooms.

Layne moved right in, Cosgrove saw him and lifted a hand.

“Don’t need this Tanner, those boys are my boys on the field.” And he moved to walk by Layne but Layne got in front of him and stopped him with a palm flat on his chest.

Cosgrove looked down at Layne’s hand, his face got red and his head shot back but before he could say a word, Layne removed his hand and spoke.

“You got this weekend to come up with a good excuse to tell the School Board when they investigate the formal complaint I’m lodging first thing Monday morning.”

“Those boys are mine on the field,” Cosgrove clipped.

“I agree, to coach, to motivate, to teach, to train. I get discipline. What I do not get and will not tolerate is you takin’ out your frustration that you will not live your dream through your kid by puttin’ your hand on my kid in anger.”

Cosgrove’s eyes narrowed. “Who do you think –?”

“I think I’m a man who watched another man slap and shove my son with such force, he had no choice but to physically retreat.”

“He was padded!”

“Yeah, but I counted, Cosgrove, you hit him seven times. Seven times for lookin’ into the crowd. He just tagged a pass most college kids can’t tag, ran over forty yards and you hit him seven times for smiling into the crowd.”

“He was padded, Tanner!” Cosgrove bellowed.

“Good luck with that at the School Board hearing.”

“I do not need this shit,” Cosgrove muttered and moved to pass him, Layne moved to block him and Cal and Colt flanked him.

Cosgrove looked around the men, all three taller, leaner and fitter than him and halted.

Then his eyes narrowed and his voice dropped low. “Don’t cross me, Tanner. That same School Board is lookin’ for reasons to lose your new girlfriend and, you get in my face, I’m thinkin’ I might find some.”

Layne pulled in breath to control his anger.

“Maybe we should give him a shovel,” Morrie, standing behind Layne, suggested. “It’ll make him diggin’ that hole he’s diggin’ a whole lot easier.”

Cal chuckled but Layne stared in Cosgrove’s eyes.

“You do not wanna take me on,” he said quietly. “I’m givin’ you good advice, Coach, you do not wanna take me on.”

Then before Cosgrove could reply, Layne turned, saw Jasper was close to Morrie, his eyes on his old man.

“Go get some pizza, Bud, yeah?” Layne ordered.

Layne stared at his Dad as he said slowly, “Yeah.”

“Good game,” Layne muttered, stopped himself from clapping Jasper on the shoulder and walked by him to Tripp who was standing with Gabby.

Tripp he slapped on the shoulder, his fingers curling around, he gave his son a few gentle jerks.

Then he said, “Go have fun, Pal.”

“Okay, Dad,” Tripp whispered, looked at Layne for three beats then peeled off and followed Jasper who was walking side by side with Keira out of the grounds.

Layne looked around and, still not spotting Stew, he asked Gabby a question he really did not want to ask.

“You need a ride home?”

“I’m good,” she said softly and the way she spoke made Layne focus on her. “Wish they had that all their lives, Tanner,” she went on and Layne felt his neck muscles contract before she finished on a whisper. “But it’s good they have it now.”

Then she hurriedly turned and just as hurriedly walked away.

Morrie clapped him on the back as he walked by, Layne tipped his chin up at Cal and Colt as they made their way passed him toward their women and he gave Dave, Ernie and Spike the high sign which made Dave nod and all of them begin to move away while Rocky approached.

“How’d that go?” she asked, her eyes going beyond him, indicating she was referring to the showdown with Cosgrove.

“I’m not thinkin’ good,” he replied and she got close and bumped him with her shoulder.

“Tell me over pizza,” she invited. “All this talk about pizza and I’m starved. I think it’s my turn to treat.”

He looked down at her to see she was talking in a light way but her eyes were intense, studying him and trying to read him without showing she was.

“Sweetcheeks, we got two pizza places in this ’burg and both of ‘em will be crawling with kids.”

“We’ll get Reggie’s, take it to Merry’s.”

That sounded like a plan.

“You’re on but I’m buyin’,” he said, turning and throwing an arm around her shoulders, pointing her to the exit.

“It’s my turn,” she repeated, sliding her arm around his waist.

“Baby, you just put down first and last and a deposit. I’ll get pizza.”

She walked one foot crossing in front of the other so her weight pressed into him, taking them both off stride and he remembered she’d do that too, all the time, just to horse around when they’d walk close together.

That new bullet scored through his gut but he was able to handle it when she yielded.

“Okay, Layne, you’ve convinced me. You’re buying.”