“Yeah, it’s what my Granddad called me when we first started coming here. Joe’s known me for years.” His eyes darted to the front door and then back to me, concern etched in his expression. “But you might as well make yourself comfortable, I don’t trust Tyler not to wait for you.”
“Sorry about that. I’m usually better at screening people.”
“You mean there are men worse than that jackass?”
I took my seat, and Hawk slid in next to me.
“Oh, absolutely. However, the anger is the worst. It makes them more unpredictable. My sister usually checks in on me about halfway through the date. Tyler didn’t even make it that far. I’m sorry, though. This was embarrassing.”
Hawk swallowed his beverage slowly. “Are dating websites the only way to meet people?”
I shrugged. “How do you meet people?”
“I don’t. I avoid every set-up my grandmother tries to plan. She finally seems to be resigned that the baseball team is as close to a wife as I’m going to get right now.”
“And they’re satisfied with that?”
“For now. I think they are holding out hope for my sister Colby to get married. Neither one understood when sheintroduced her girlfriend last year that it meant she was gay.”
“Oh no.”
“Yup. But it’s not like they’ll care or think any less of her. They’ll just innocently step in shit until then.”
“Well, my sisters both have relationships that are intimately connected with the Minutemen Organization.”
He nodded. “I know Kelsey is marrying Drummond at the end of the month. Who is your other sister dating?”
Shit. There I go running my mouth again. Kylie and Luc were not telling anyone connected to Sam that they were dating.
“It’s not exactly public, so please don’t share it, especially not with Sam, okay?”
“Um, okay. As long as they are two consenting adults, I’m not sure what the big secret is?”
“Me neither. But Kylie is refusing to introduce Luc to our family.”
“Luc? Lecompte?”
I nodded.
“What’s the issue? I mean, he’s probably a little older, but why the big secret?”
“I love my sisters and won’t say anything behind their backs that I won’t say to their faces. She’s being an idiot. And it’s going to be uncomfortable as hell while we’re all together at the wedding.”
His eyes widened. “I would pay to be your plus one to watch that.”
“Oh man, that would get some attention. But Sam didn’t invite you?”
Hawk took a swig of his drink. “I only took over the teamrecently. He might have invited my grandfather, but Granddad wasn’t as involved as I intend to be. So, who knows?”
We sat quietly and sipped our drinks.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“You just did.”
“Ha ha. I was thinking about your question earlier today. About how far the organization would be willing to go if a player did something seriously wrong. It’s not black and white, you know?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
