Off Season (The Blake Boys Book 15) Read online

  “How did the real estate expedition go?”

  “You mean that staged fox hunt at the new development that your daughter owns?”

  “The one and the same.” Seth grinned but kept his eyes glued to the screen. “I thought it would be a fun surprise.”

  “You knew the plan for Mackenzie Square and the prospective bookstore location?”

  He nuzzled her neck. “Yes.”

  “And you still withheld this information from me?”

  “Yes.” He slid his hand underneath her blouse and caressed her breast.

  “You should have told me.”

  Seth tugged on the button on her capris. “I should have. I’m an awful husband. You should punish me in some kinky way to teach me a lesson.”

  “I like the sound of that.” She moaned. “We have a couple of hours before your mom drops the kids off.”

  Morgan yelped with glee when Seth stood with her in his arms and headed for the stairs. On his way he leaned down and captured her lips, then rested his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. “Babe, did you make that appointment?”

  “I called a few times and the line was busy. I promise to call them again in the morning.” She nipped at his ear hoping to distract him.

  “Promise me you’ll do it tomorrow.”

  “I promise.”

  * * *

  Since Tate and Isabelle had taken Owen for a checkup, and Parker wanted to spend some time with Gabe before she left, that left a rare moment for his mama to have some free time. So Seth volunteered to drive the boys to school while Teri-Lyn went over to the nursery to look for the new blossoms she wanted to plant at Bo and Summer’s house to bloom in time for their wedding.

  He listened attentively as the boys talked about the exciting things that were going on in their young lives. He liked his designated car pool day when he got to drop the kids off at school. Jake was nervous about his part in the school play, while Connor and Jack looked forward to the next soccer game. Colby and Matt liked the arts and crafts time the most and looked forward to a project coming up that would allow the kids to draw in chalk on the playground floor.

  As soon as he pulled up to the drop-off line in front of the school, the boys said a quick good-bye to Mackenzie and hopped out of the vehicle. He gave them each a high five, thankful they’d allow him to do that. They were getting bigger and parental affection was becoming passé. Morgan, determined not to let her babies grow up too fast, would still wrestle with them until they relented and let her fawn all over them.

  He waved at their teachers and got back in the SUV. The ring of an incoming call blasted in the cabin of the car. He looked at the display on the SUV’s bluetooth screen. It was J.J.

  Seth hit the button and called over his shoulder to Mackenzie. “Sweet Pea, it’s Uncle J.J.”

  “Hi, pretty girl,” J.J. said. “You hanging with your dad today?”

  “Hi, Uncle J.J.!”

  “Hey, brother,” Seth said. “What’s up? You still in Kansas?”

  “No. I wrapped up business early so I could get back to Samantha Jane and the kids. Do you mind picking me up from the airport?”

  “Sure, if you don’t mind a detour afterward. Mackenzie and I were on our way to do some shopping.”

  “I don’t mind at all.”

  “We’ll be there in thirty to pick you up.” Seth disconnected the call and looked at his daughter, who was playing with a stuffed animal, in the rear view mirror. “Sweet Pea, we’re going to get Uncle J.J.”

  Seth turned on the radio and found his favorite sports talk radio show, the Jeb Turner Recap. No surprise, the conversation was about the upcoming season for the Tomcats. Despite the acquisition of new talent like Riley, analysts were still predicting it would be another tough season for the team. Riley’s personal escapades were discussed more often than his performance on the field. Already, rumors of a wild lifestyle had tongues wagging that the real show was his off-field antics. This was exactly the kind of behavior T.K. was trying to curb.

  The conversation then turned to Seth. It was no secret he was back in Texas. Jeb and a few other local sports show personalities had called his agent Luke a few times and asked if he could call into the show or do an in-studio interview. He’d declined, not wanting to rehash his past so soon. And he certainly didn’t want to publicly critique the Tomcats’ upcoming season. Sure, he had tons of opinions, but he’d purposely wanted some distance from that world so he could decompress and assess his next move.

  “Someone should beg Seth Blake to come out of hiding and coach the Tomcats,” Jeb declared. “It wouldn’t be a long drive to the stadium for him anymore.”

  Seth turned off the radio and began singing the alphabet song that Morgan was teaching Mackenzie. He wasn’t as velvet-voiced as Tate, but his off-key howling always put a smile on his daughter’s face. When they finished, he thought they’d give another side project he’d been working on a shot.

  “Sweet Pea, say ‘mommy.’” He winked at her in the rear view mirror.

  She didn’t answer.

  “How about ‘mama’?” He peered in the mirror again.

  “Morgy!” she yelled.

  He chuckled. “We’re getting closer.”

  He had no doubt that his daughter could say it, but why she was so staunch in her refusal to say the word at such a young age baffled him. He wanted them to have a strong, loving bond. Morgan had missed out on those close mother-daughter moments because her mom had died when she was so young. He had a feeling this was going to be one of many battle of wills between his wife and daughter.

  A half hour later, they picked J.J. up from the airport. He opened the hatch so J.J. could deposit his bags and they were back on the road.

  He looked at his brother. “Did you get a lot of work done in Kansas?”

  “I got the project back on track. Nothing gets people focused like a surprise visit from the boss.”

  “Back on track in a matter of hours? I’m impressed.”

  “I didn’t give them an option. I wasn’t spending another night away from Samantha Jane and the boys.”

  Seth grabbed a parking spot in front of a trendy accessory boutique. “We’re here.” He unclipped his seat belt and got out. J.J. got out too and unfastened Mackenzie for her car seat.

  J.J. looked at the fancy purses and accessories displayed in the window. “What on earth do you need out of there?”

  “Your niece needs barrettes. If I’m going to learn how to do her hair, she needs—” Seth motioned to the window. “—stuff like that.”

  J.J. bit back a smile. “All right. Let’s go shopping.”

  As soon as they stepped into the store, a saleswoman rushed to help them. She cooed at Mackenzie, but Seth could tell she was trying to figure out who they were. Then it finally clicked. She tried to keep her cool and asked him if he was the Seth Blake. The young lady held up her cell phone and showed him that a picture of him kissing the Super Bowl trophy was her screen saver. Then she honed in on J.J.’s face, so J.J. saved her the trouble and introduced himself.

  The salesclerk excitedly ushered them around the store, showing them merchandise, and if Mackenzie reached for it, Seth would throw it into the shopping basket. In addition to the things for Mackenzie, he found a purse and shawl he thought Morgan might like. He knew she would say he went overboard, but he couldn’t help it. Besides, the peace offering served a dual purpose. She complained about being cold lately, even when the weather seemed pretty warm to him. And he hoped his gifts would soften the blow when he came home with all these bags of stuff.

  The saleswoman told them there was new stock that hadn’t been unpacked yet in the backroom and asked if they would wait a few minutes until she sifted through it. They agreed and took a seat on the sofa near the fitting room. Mackenzie pulled a tiara off the display table next to Seth and put it atop his head.

  “Don’t you look precious?” J.J. laughed.

  Mackenzie dug into their basket and put tw
o jeweled combs in her uncle’s hair. It was Seth’s turn to get a few laughs. “Reminds me of Eden’s pageant days.”

  “My niece doesn’t need to hear about the past.” J.J. gave his brother a long look. “When is the chat with Riley Sloane?”

  “This weekend.”

  “T.K. still giving you the hard sell about working with him? Officially, I mean.”

  “Nah. He said he’s given up.”

  “T.K. never gives up.” J.J. bowed his head so Mackenzie could drape a turquoise necklace on him. “I think it’s nice of you to do him this favor though.”

  Seth nodded. “I saw Logan when I went to the stadium. I invited him to our poker game. He and T.K. still aren’t getting along. It’s a shame. I think if they had a better relationship, they could get a grip on the team. It’s clear there’s a disconnect somewhere between the field and the executive office.”

  J.J. looked him in the eye. “Too bad you’re not interested in working for the Tomcats. You have an analytical mind like no one I’ve ever seen. You could remedy a lot of their problems.”

  “Well, I have new things to keep me occupied, like this little lady.” Seth assisted Mackenzie, who was now putting barrettes in her own hair.

  “When the time is right, you’ll dive into something. You can do anything you put your mind to, including rocking that tiara.”

  Seth let out a hearty laugh. “Look at the two of us. Sitting in an accessory shop sporting fancy hair gear. We’ve had our picture taken at least five times, and they’re probably being plastered across social media as we speak.”

  J.J. smiled. “Probably. The things we do for our kids.”

  They left the store with eight bags. Seth prayed Morgan wouldn’t kill him. J.J. wanted to stop by the office to pick up some files before he went home. At Blake Enterprises, Mackenzie was immediately the center of attention. Bo and Channing ended a meeting early just to play with her, while Anna Beth scooted down to the cafeteria to get her some applesauce.

  With his daughter occupied, Seth perused the executive offices. This section of the floor was pretty quiet, mainly because it was where the offices of the missing Blake sons were housed. Jared’s office was there as well, but he was in Philadelphia. Just like Tyler and Tate, each of John Jacob’s sons had an office that served as a blanket invitation to join the family fold in any capacity they wished. The view of the city was breathtaking. Now he understood why Channing said he’d got lost in thoughts when he gazed out at the hustle and bustle below.

  He called Morgan to see how she was feeling, but her phone went to voicemail. She didn’t say she’d be busy, but she was always up to something around the house. He waited a few minutes and called again. She still didn’t answer. It wasn’t like her not to pick up the phone.

  Seth scrolled his contacts until he found the number for his parents. “Hey, Mama. Can you do me a favor and check on Morgan?”

  * * *

  A day of shopping was just what Morgan needed to get her bearings. Seth was off on an adventure with Mackenzie and the boys were in school. The conference call with Michelle about the plans for the new bookstore had wrapped up pretty quickly this morning, and she’d felt like getting some fresh air. It had been ages since she’d shopped in the middle of the day.

  Connor and Colby had experienced another growth spurt and it was time get them some bigger outfits. She loved her boys, but it was more peaceful shopping without them. She’d picked up a few essentials for everyone, though her greatest find was a dress for Mackenzie that would be perfect for Bo and Summer’s wedding. She thought Mackenzie was a bit young to be a flower girl, but the couple insisted she’d be fine. She was pretty sure Seth would be carrying her down the aisle, helping her with flower girl duties.

  She hit the button for the trunk and began unloading the car. She heard the whir of an engine and looked up. It was Teri-Lyn approaching. She parked the golf cart and came over to help with the bags.

  “Hi, Teri-Lyn.” Morgan kissed her mother-in-law on the cheek. “You wouldn’t believe the luck I had today. As you can see, I was in need of a little retail therapy.”

  “What did you get?” Teri-Lyn peeked into the bags.

  “Some things for the kids. A few new shirts for Seth.” She pulled out a shoebox from one of the bags. “I think Connor and Colby’s feet are growing every week. And I saw this cute flower girl dress for Mackenzie, so I bought it in two sizes in case she grows a lot before the wedding. If Summer doesn’t like them, I can return them. It was so pretty I didn’t want to let it get away.”

  “You should have told me you were going shopping. I could have come with you.”

  “It was spur-of-the-moment. Besides, I didn’t want to ruin your first day without any kiddies to take care of.”

  “I told Seth it was probably something like that. He called a few times and didn’t get an answer. He was worried.”

  “My phone is at the bottom of my purse. You know I’m paranoid about someone getting their hands on my phone.” Morgan scooped up the shopping bags and closed her trunk. “You want some tea? I can show the rest of the things.”

  “OK.”

  Morgan put on the kettle and then sent Seth a quick text to let him know that she was fine. He didn’t sound angry when he texted back, he’d said he loved her and that he and Mackenzie would be home soon. Satisfied they were good, she went through each bag showing Teri-Lyn the items she bought. Saving the best for last, she unzipped the garment bag that held Mackenzie’s flower girl dress.

  She held it up in the air. “What do you think? I carry a swatch of the bridesmaids’ dresses with me. I think that will match perfectly.”

  Teri-Lyn put her hands on her cheeks. “I think it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Mackenzie’s going to be adorable in this.”

  “I like it too. Let’s just hope she makes it down the aisle without sitting on the floor.” Morgan took a few pics of the dress and sent them to Summer. “That should be one less hassle for Summer.”

  They made their tea, then took a seat at the table. It was nice to hear how excited Teri-Lyn got about her gardening. Her latest project, finding a flower to plant for Mackenzie, was becoming quite an undertaking. She wanted to find just the right flower to convey her feisty granddaughter’s essence.

  “How about mums? Maybe that will get her to say ‘mommy.’” Morgan poured some cream into her tea. “Although, she does look like a daisy girl.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like that in a little girl.” Teri-Lyn laughed. “She’s definitely got your spirit.”

  “So she gets the not-so-stellar attributes from me?”

  “She does things in her own time. Same as you not going to get a follow up at the doctor or maybe some testing to see why you’ve been feeling so energy-depleted lately.” Teri-Lyn sipped her tea and stared at the wall.

  “I feel OK.” She bit her lip. “Today.”

  “How about yesterday or a few days ago?”

  “It comes and it goes. Today was a good day.”

  “How many continuous days of feeling bad need to occur before you decide you need an updated assessment? If you don’t like your doctor, I can find you another one.”

  “Dr. Fulton’s fine. I’ve always been gun-shy about doctors and hospitals.”

  “But you’ve had the kids and you’ve visited many of our family members in the hospital.”

  “When I was pregnant, I knew why I was there. This is different. I—”

  “Don’t know what you’ll discover?”

  “Exactly.” Her cell phone pinged. It was a text from Summer saying she loved the dress. “The bride approves.”

  “Good. Bonnie will be thrilled too.” Teri-Lyn smiled. “I’m going to finish planting these beautiful azaleas I got from the nursery.”

  “If I don’t feel any better, I will see Dr. Fulton again. I just wish Seth didn’t worry so much. He should be focusing on the next phase of his life, not fretting over me feeling a little tired.”

 
“You and the kids are the next phase of his life. He loves you to pieces, and in this family we worry and hover. It’s what marriage is all about.”

  Morgan took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you for stopping by to make sure I was alive.”

  Teri-Lyn hugged her. “Anytime.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Seth thought a run around the ranch would be good to clear his head before his meeting with Riley. For the last three days he’d expected the wily quarterback to call with an excuse of some sort, but he hadn’t. T.K.’s stern words must have stuck with him. At least he’s capable of listening to the guy who signs his paycheck.

  He smiled when he saw J.J. waiting for him in the distance.

  “I didn’t think you’d make it,” Seth said. “I thought for sure you’d be passed out.”

  J.J. joined him and matched his stride. “Believe me, in my mind I’m still in bed cuddled up next to Samantha Jane, and Jack and Gabe are sound asleep. But the knee’s been getting a little stiff lately, so here I am. Is the big meet today?”

  “Yeah. He’s coming by in a few hours. The run is meant to pre-empt the tension I’m sure will coming my way later. I hope T.K. isn’t expecting any miracles.”

  J.J. laughed. “I sympathize with you. You turned down the man’s offer to play for his team. You won’t work for his organization. Riley becoming some sort of protégé to you is the next best thing. If that doesn’t work out, he’ll try to recruit Jake when he plays.”

  “Jake hasn’t made any mention of wanting to play football.”

  He promised himself he’d never push his kids toward football, no matter how much he loved the game. And he wanted his kids to pursue something they felt passionate about. Jake loved to play sports, but he didn’t express interest in any particular sport. He and Derek bantered all the time about Connor’s future as a professional hockey player. He knew his son had a natural affinity for it but if the time ever came, it would be Connor’s choice.

  “Mark my words,” J.J. said. “My nephew’s going to be the next Blake to play professional football.”