Off Season (The Blake Boys Book 15) Read online

  What she said made sense. If he put aside the snarky remarks the boy had made about him, he probably would have helped T.K. without question. But what if he weren’t up to the challenge? He’d been a great motivator to his teammates, but mentoring one-on-one with a know-it-all kid was a different story. Riley needed someone whose words could pack a heavy punch and get him thinking about his future. There wasn’t a quick speech Seth could rattle off and fix everything—the qualities Riley lacked took time and patience to cultivate. That meant spending time with Riley and being thrust back into the limelight. The media had finally cooled their heels on knowing his every move, and he could even turn on a sports show and not hear his name. It felt good to be slipping back into anonymity. That would change, and it would give T.K. the wrong impression that Seth would be willing to work for him. But another thought crossed his mind. Maybe Morgan thought they were spending too much time together. He’d felt like they’d been connecting on an even deeper level, but maybe she felt like he was smothering her.

  “Do you want me out of the house?” He searched her eyes.

  “No.” She caressed his face. “I love the time we’ve been spending together. I just don’t want you to get bored.”

  “That would never happen. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to be away from the house until we get you to a doctor and find out what’s been making you so tired and achy.”

  “That’s not necessary. I feel so much better after my nap. It’s probably just a bug.”

  “But still—”

  The noise from the baby monitor interrupted the conversation. It was Gabe’s turn to make bubbly baby sounds.

  Morgan got up and slipped on a nightshirt and her bathrobe. “That was nice while it lasted.”

  “I’ll go downstairs and check on the campers.” Seth went into the closet in search for a T-shirt and a pair of sweats.

  “You know what? If Mackenzie’s asleep, leave her in the tent. She’ll be so excited to wake up with the rest of the kids in the morning.”

  “Great idea.” He pulled his shirt over his head. “Do you really think I can make a difference with Sloane?”

  “I know you can.”

  “If I do this, the press is going to go bonkers speculating why I’m hanging out at the Tomcats stadium with their star quarterback.”

  She shrugged. “What’s to speculate? You’re visiting to catch up with old friends and making new friends.”

  Seth scratched at his beard. “Let’s make a deal. I’ll help T.K. with his Riley problem, if you promise to see the doctor soon.”

  “Are you serious? That’s really a different—”

  “Since when are you not up to a challenge?” Seth interrupted.

  “OK. If I’m still feeling out of it, I’ll go.”

  “I’ll call T.K. tomorrow.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  When Seth pulled up to the Tomcats stadium, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of nostalgia. The structure held a special place in his heart. He’d daydreamed about his own shot at football stardom when he’d attended games here as a youngster. This was definitely where it all began for him. He anticipated chatting with a few old friends and some of the staff, so he was glad he’d arrived early. He’d dressed casual today, even though he was tempted to wear a suit. It was force of habit for him to be dressed to the nines when he went out in public, but Morgan said a suit would convey the wrong message. Especially if he wasn’t there to accept a job from T.K.

  From the curious looks on their faces, he knew they were intrigued about his presence there and wouldn’t be surprised if his visit was a sound bite on sports talk shows by the end of the day. After mingling, the security guard hit the button for him to go upstairs. The doors to the private elevator opened and Logan Holbrook, T.K.’s son, stepped out.

  “Seth!” Logan beamed and gave him a hug. “It’s good to see you, champ.”

  “Logan! It’s been too long. I can’t remember the last time I saw you.”

  “J.J.’s wedding.” Logan smiled.

  “That’s right. How’s your wife Melissa?”

  “We’re divorced.”

  “So sorry to hear that. You looked so happy at the wedding. You were talking about starting a family.”

  “We were ill-suited for each other. Luckily we learned that before we invested too much time.” He shrugged. “I call it the Holbrook Curse.”

  “I’m sure the right person is out there for you.”

  “Well, I’m definitely not following in T.K.’s matrimonial footsteps.”

  “How’s Austin? What’s he up to these days?”

  “Finding new ways to soil the family name. Not that it’s too hard to do.”

  “I thought that was your job?” Seth mused. Logan was no slouch to controversy either. He could remember many times the Holbrook brothers caused a ruckus in their high school. They pulled pranks and enraged the faculty, basically anything that required T.K. to make frequent visits to their school. John Jacob mentioned one time that he thought the Holbrook boys acted out as a way to get their parents to reunite and save the family.

  “We alternate.” Logan laughed. “Come on, I’ll escort you to the old man’s lair.”

  They stepped into the elevator, and Logan inserted a key and pressed the button for the top floor. “So you still feeling the high of going out on top?”

  “Domestic life doesn’t allow me to linger on past accomplishments.” Seth said with a laugh as they stepped off the elevator and proceeded down the hall to the executive offices.

  “It’s good to have you back in Texas full time. I hope to be seeing more of you and the family.”

  “We always have room for one more at the weekly poker game. You should drop by sometime.”

  “I’d like that. Hanging out with the Blake boys is one of my fondest childhood memories.”

  Seth grinned. “Come on by the ranch so we can get reacquainted and I can bleed your wallet dry.”

  Logan stopped at his father’s office door. “You know, even though you turned down his offer to work for him, I’m glad you decided to help him with Riley.”

  “It’s the least I could do for an old family friend.”

  “You were the son he always wanted. My brother and I tried for a long time to be part of his football life. Heaven knows he wasn’t part of our family life after the divorce. Funny thing is, I always wanted a father like yours.”

  Seth looked in Logan’s eyes. There was still a lot of regret there. T.K.’s obsession with football had driven a wedge between them. Well, that and the fact that T.K. screwed their mother over in the divorce settlement.

  “Well, it’s a good sign you’re still working here. Maybe you two can mend fences one day?”

  Logan sighed and put his hand on the door handle. “I work here because my old man is trying to buy my affection with a high-paying job. Regardless of whether or not I can do it. Besides, he’s too busy running his empire and chasing after that young thing that’s making a fool out of him.”

  “If you want a different kind of relationship with your dad, demand it. It may not be as hard as you think.”

  Logan nodded but didn’t otherwise respond.

  Seth continued. “We play poker at J.J.’s house on Thursdays.”

  “I’ll try to make it next week.” Logan was about to turn the door handle when T.K. opened it himself.

  “I thought I heard voices out here.”

  “T.K., always good to see you.” Seth shook his hand.

  “I see you’re catching up with Logan here.” T.K. turned to Logan. “We’re still on for dinner tonight, son?”

  “I’ll have to check my schedule,” Logan drawled. “Seth, it was really good seeing you.”

  “You too, Logan.”

  T.K. escorted Seth into his office. “Thanks for coming down.”

  “Not a problem. Anything for you.”

  T.K. gave him an incredulous look. “Where was this enthusiasm six months ago when I asked you to come work for
me for the third time?”

  “OK. Almost anything for you.” Seth laughed. “Where is the superstar?”

  “He should be on the field. I want you to know how much I appreciate you doing this for me.”

  “I still have my reservations. I’d like to meet him before I commit to mentoring the kid.”

  “Fair enough. I respect that. The team is practicing. We can go meet him now if you want.”

  “If I agree to do this, I’d like to keep our chats low key. I don’t want to turn this into some big thing and get tongues wagging.”

  T.K. gave him a sly grin. “So in other words, you don’t want Jimmy Fontane to think you’re a traitor who bolted from Philly to work for my team?”

  It was a concern. He liked Jimmy and valued his friendship. It would be a professional courtesy to consider working for the team he’d retired from before entertaining other offers. “Considering a post career offer from your old team first would be the right thing to do. Regardless if I wanted it or not. I’ll call Jimmy and give him the heads-up about this arrangement if it goes any further than today.”

  T.K. shook his head. “You get that damn work ethic from your daddy. Everything has to be straight forward and above board.”

  “That’s the only thing that keeps you from drowning.” Seth winked. He went over to the panoramic window and looked out at the stadium. “There still isn’t a view quite like this in all the state of Texas.”

  “I know it. I just wish my mule-headed sons felt the same about my legacy.”

  “You know, it’s never too late to make another effort to reconnect with your sons.” Seth gave an encouraging smile. It seemed liked Logan and T.K. were both reaching out, but neither were listening to the other.

  “Right now, I’m trying to rectify another mistake I made.” T.K.’s eyes trailed to the portrait of his current wife on the wall opposite his desk. The private line on T.K.’s phone system rang. He tensed and rubbed the back of his neck.

  “I have to take this call. It’s the wife.” T.K.’s jaw ticked.

  “No worries. I’ll go introduce myself to Riley.”

  “Lunch is on me. They’re holding a table for us in the restaurant.”

  * * *

  It wasn’t hard to find Riley, who was holding court with some of the other players in the training room, bragging about a new endorsement deal he’d just landed. In a high performance atmosphere like professional football, it wasn’t hard for bravado to become contagious. The vets had been around and knew better, but the younger players were hanging on to his every word. The team was in danger of being poisoned by Riley’s “me first” philosophy.

  “Seth!” A familiar voice called out to him. It was his friend Ross McKinney. “Everybody, Seth Blake is here!”

  “Ross, how are you?” Seth hugged his friend, then made the rounds of greeting the other players he’d been friendly with over the years. Although, they were on opposing teams, there was still a camaraderie among football players. They were cut from the same cloth regardless of the team they were on or position they played. Everyone was happy to see him except Riley. The audience that had surrounded him a moment ago left him standing there looking silly. Seth could see the look of anger on the young man’s face because Seth had just stolen his thunder.

  “What on earth are you doing here? Don’t tell me T.K. finally convinced you to work for the front office?” Ross said.

  Seth held up his hands. “Nothing like that. Just visiting.”

  “Tell me the truth. You miss all this, don’t you?”

  Seth laughed. “Smelly locker rooms, grueling practices, and listening to a bunch of grown men complain about their love lives? Not in the slightest.”

  “Well, we certainly would like to see you around,” Ross said in a lower tone.

  “My family has a stadium box. I plan on getting good use out of it now that I’m in Texas full time. Morgan and I would love to have your family over to the house.”

  “I know Mandy would love that. I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll make plans. Sloane, get on over here and meet the man you called a washed-up has-been in that interview last month.” Ross waved him over, then quietly said so only Seth could hear. “He’s an asshole.”

  “So I’ve heard,” Seth mumbled back.

  Seth bit back a smile at the slow death march Riley did toward the group. It reminded him of the theatrics of the boys when they dreaded doing something. That cocky smile was replaced with a sullen look, and he didn’t seem all that confident now. Morgan had said that the young quarterback was obviously trying to emulate Seth’s “it” appeal in interviews and on magazine covers. But as far as he was concerned, Riley had a long way to go.

  “Seth Blake, meet Riley Sloane,” Ross said.

  “So you’re the new Seth Blake?” Seth raised an eyebrow and extended his hand to the young man.

  “Nice to meet you,” Riley said with a tight smile.

  He could tell Riley was bracing his shoulders so they would appear wider than they were. Seth had watched footage of him last night. He had the build and the agility, but he hesitated. A lot. He lacked the instinct and the faith in his teammates to get the job done. And by looks on the faces in the room, there were major trust issues going on.

  Seth folded his arms over his chest. “I hear you’re going to break every record I have in two years’ time?”

  “It shouldn’t be that hard to do. I’m much younger than you.” Riley folded his arms over his chest too.

  “And while you’re basking in your greatness, do you have a plan to help this team win a championship? Or does that not factor into your plans? Because you won’t achieve even a fraction of what I did if you don’t believe you need every single person in this room.”

  The room quieted.

  “Hey man, it’s not all on me,” Riley protested.

  “First lesson, kid. Your team is your responsibility. They can only play as well as the person who’s giving them direction. You’re not looking out for number one; you’re looking out for ten other numbers on that field. How can they trust you when you don’t know your position?”

  Before the infuriated quarterback could answer, a group of Regency security specialists flanked the training room. He knew that meant T.K. was on his way. They cleared the area and one of them radioed that it was OK to enter the premises.

  Riley’s jaw clenched. “What are you doing here anyway, Blake? Feeling nostalgic? I heard you were on your ranch digging ditches and riding horses.”

  T.K. interrupted, “He’s here at my request. I thought maybe he could talk some sense into you.”

  The players disbanded and went back to their exercise machines.

  A pink sheen spread across Riley’s cheeks. “Mr. Holbrook, you can’t be serious.”

  “On the contrary. I’ve never been more serious in my life. Talk to Seth or I’ll be implementing some tough love.”

  Riley glared at Seth like he was waiting for him to protest too.

  “I don’t like this any more than you do,” Seth responded to the annoyed look on Riley’s face. “I’m here for T.K. and this team.”

  “I don’t need any advice from him,” Riley said, turning to T.K. and scowling.

  “You should consider yourself lucky to be in the presence of this man,” T.K. replied. “It would be a miracle if you can accomplish a fraction of what’s he done for this sport, despite your high opinion of yourself.”

  The look on Riley’s face said he’d rather eat glass, but defying the owner of your team was career suicide.

  Finally, Riley spoke to Seth. “You want to meet for dinner or something? I think I can fit you in sometime in the next two weeks. I have a lot of publicity gigs scheduled. I can get us a table at Jasmine, that new Asian fusion restaurant.”

  “My ranch. This weekend at noon. Don’t be late.”

  “Noon? Who’s up before noon on a Saturday when it’s not a game day?” Riley rolled his eyes.

  “Take it or leave it,�
� Seth shot back. He took back what he’d said earlier. His kids never pouted this badly.

  “He’ll take it,” T.K. replied.

  Riley shrugged, turned, and stormed off toward the locker room.

  “Not a minute later, kid,” Seth called after him. “Or I’ll tell my security team not to let you on the property.”

  The older players sported smiles, reveling in the scolding Seth had just given Riley. Seth knew Riley would have given them attitude somewhere down the line if any of them had gotten in his face. Team politics were at play, and he knew they were probably instructed to play nice with the star quarterback. First thing to do with an out-of-control teammate, get an inspirational talk from the head coach about the importance of unity. Seth waved good-bye to the guys and followed T.K. out into the hall. Ross made the gesture with his hand indicating he’d give him a call.

  “That went better than expected,” T.K. said with a grin.

  “And you thought me coaching soccer at the boys’ school was a waste of my time. I gave that speech last week.”

  “Let’s grab something to eat. Have you tried the Buffalo wings in the executive clubhouse? Sam loves them.”

  “I think they helped induce labor when she was pregnant with Gabe,” Seth mused.

  “I have a good feeling about this.” T.K. patted him on the back and proceeded to the escalator.

  Two hours later, Seth ruminated on his meeting with Riley as he headed back to the ranch.

  He’d agreed to talk to the kid, but more than ever, he wasn’t sure if it would do any good. Riley wasn’t interested in listening to anything but the sound of his own voice. Bragging about making boatloads of money to your teammates was never a good idea. They might be laughing and joking with him to his face, but they were secretly stewing and talking about him behind his back. Riley had yet to make the correlation that the limelight had a high price when your team didn’t trust you. He was glad T.K. was feeling optimistic, because he knew he had his work cut out for him.

  Still, Seth couldn’t help but notice the change in T.K.’s demeanor when Logan had sent a text during lunch saying he couldn’t make their dinner date. The tense relationship with his sons, rumors of his marriage troubles coupled with high expectations for a successful season would have driven any man crazy. But not the gruff, old tycoon who was his father’s good friend. Or at least he wasn’t letting it show.