“Starky’s rules. He wants to see you all clean up and revamp your reputations. You can settle down and make honest men of yourselves, but no fooling around, if you catch my meaning.” He clears his throat.
Most of the guys on the team have a reputation for being players—off the field as well as on. I’m no exception. Chase is. I’m not sure what Grey’s deal is, other than he doesn’t kiss and tell.
“You mean we can settle down, as in get married?” Chase asks.
“If you’re not planning to meet her at the end of the aisle, don’t bother.”
“The grocery aisle?” A chuckle rolls out of me.
Coach looks like a defeated parent who doesn’t know what to do with the likes of me.
I shrug. “What? You didn’t specify which aisle.”
“The Bruisers used to be more family-oriented. Time we return to our values.”
Grey stiffens.
Not having signed up for this, I glare.
Chase wears a private smile.
Hammer grips the edge of his desk. “I’m not telling you that youhaveto get married, but Marsha was the best thing that ever happened to me. She taught me what matters in life. And look at one of our own—Rylen learned that lesson too. There’s something powerful about finding that special someone instead of playing the field. There’s security, comfort, fun, love...”
“Ah, look. Hammer is getting all mushy on us.” Bitterness laces my voice. I’m all too familiar with how a sweet little love story ends.
The coach nails me with a hard look, reminding me of my place in the pack. “A real man isn’t afraid to love, Connor.” He opens his gaze to include the others. “During this monthlong period, there aren’t going to be any pranks or bad press. Not one of you, as you call it, will be players—with women. Do you understand? Bonus points if you can settle down. Now, get out of here. I have work to do.”
Various sounds of resigned affirmation come from the guys as we exit the office.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Coach calls. “At the end of the month, there will be a ball.”
“A what?” Grey asks.
“A football?” Declan asks.
Hammer chuckles. “Something like that.” Then he picks up the phone, dismissing us.
We form a huddle in the hallway, all of us ready to spout off. Okay, that’s mostly me, but this is ridiculous.
When you spend this much time with a bunch of dudes, you learn to read their body language almost better than the words they use. That said, no one is happy.
Grey’s gaze is level but a reprimand nonetheless. “Listen, you know what this team means to me. We’re going to follow orders.”
“Good luck keeping Wolf away from women,” Declan says.
Chase says, “You heard him. If one of us screws up, we’re all off the team. We’re going to approach this like we would a game. We need a playbook...of rules.”
I shift away, never a fan of rules. Declan shoots me a glance of sympathy. Getting me to follow rules is like trying to fold a piece of paper in half more than twelve times. Can’t be done. Seven is the average. Those are facts.
Chase tugs me back into the huddle. “This is serious. I’ll repeat what Hammer said. If one of us screws up, we’re all out.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re waiting to get married.”
Chase shrugs like nothing will dissuade him from honoring his faith.
Declan’s hand wanders to the chain around his neck and hidden under his shirt. “It’s just a month.”
As for me, faith is a nice idea, a quaint concept. Not something I fully embrace, well, at least that’s what I’d say if asked. I don’t really know where I stand other than on the wrong side of the football field if I make the wrong move.
