Declan laughs, as if any of us are anywhere close to settling down and having kids. That’ll be a cold day on the equator, at least as far as I’m concerned. Grey could stand to have a family. Chase will probably have enough kids to populate a football team.
Me? No, thank you. Not part of the contract or the terms of service for my future.
Coach Hammer gets off the phone and holds up his massive hand, indicating we keep quiet. He paces along the bank of windows overlooking the practice field. “I understand the pranks are part of the game, the camaraderie, and the glue that holds the team together in some ways. But you went too far. I’ve had a lot of heat coming down from up high lately about your—” He turns his hand in a circle. “About your antics.”
I lift and drop my shoulders. “Oh, come on, we were just having fun. We thought it was only going to be Brandon, not the commish.”
“Elyse was mortified.”
“More like the commish was mortified,” I mutter.
Hammer tilts his head at what we’ve collectively dubbed ashut upangle. “Connor.”
Truth is, all he needs to do is use my given name and I stand at attention. He’s alpha in this office and I respect that.
“Yes, sir.” My Appalachian accent slips out, revealing the many times I’ve uttered those two words.
“I need you to understand what is appropriate and what goes over the line,” Hammer says.
Chase nods.
“Filling someone’s car with balloons? Harmless. Coating the inside of a locker with molasses? Amusing. Stealing all the toilet paper rolls and removing them from the building?” Hammer winces. “Mooning the commissioner, his daughter, our newest player, and a bunch of officials?”
“Hilarious,” I say, only loud enough so the others can hear.
“Boys, there are consequences.”
“A fine? I’ll pay for it,” I say, taking responsibility.
Hammer gives a subtle shake of his head.
“Penalty?” Declan asks.
“Community service?” Chase suggests.
Having been around for so long and seeing the many moods of Coach Hammer, Grey remains quiet, as though he senses it’s bad.
“No, you’re going to finishing school,” Hammer says.
I bark a laugh. Confusion and questions fill the room, namely that this is some kind of joke.
“Sir, we all finished school and have diplomas to prove it,” Declan says. Then, under his breath, he adds, “In my case, just barely. But all the same...”
“I think Coach is saying that he has to make an example of us,” Grey says.
“Not me. This is coming directly from the commissioner.” Hammer plops into his seat and then tosses a newspaper down on the desk between us with the headlineFull Moon Over Boston.
Declan and I chuckle. Chase cracks a smile. Grey is as stony as ever.
“You guys are terrible with the press.”
“They say any kind of press is good press.”
“The problem is we’re lacking in actual good press. You’re all cocky. Not at all humble.” Coach casts a look of disapproval, mostly in my direction.
“Come on, it’s all hype,” Chase says.
“The fans love to see us getting rowdy,” Declan adds.
