“Starky’s rules. He wants to see you all cleaned 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.
“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?” I shrug.
Coach glares.
“What? You didn’t specify which aisle.”
“The Bruisers used to be more family-oriented. Time we return to our values.”
Grey stiffens.
Wolf glares.
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 Wolf’s voice.
The coach nails Wolf with a hard look. “A real man isn’t afraid to love, Connor.” He turns his gaze to the rest of the group. “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?” I ask.
Hammer chuckles. “Something like that.” Then he picks up the phone, dismissing us.
We form a huddle in the hallway, all of us locked and loaded with complaints. 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. No one is happy.
Grey levels us all with his gaze. “Listen, you know what this team means to me. We’re going to follow orders.”
“Good luck keeping Wolf away from women,” I say.
“You’re one to talk,” he fires back.
Chase ignores this. “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.”
Wolf shifts away, never a fan of rules. Me neither, for the most part.
Chase tugs him back to 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. It may not have been a popular lifestyle choice, especially among the football team, but he honors his faith.
My hand wanders to the chain around my neck and hidden under my shirt. “It’s just a month.”
“The playbook rules: no kissing, no touching. Eyes up, hands off. No flirting, no dating...” Grey starts.
