Lisa grinned. “It’s all about tasting.”
Ashley brought me a glass of sparkling wine.
“Do you want to try?” I asked her.
She lifted her hands. “Zane is the cook in our relationship.”
I laughed. “So is Fin.” I turned to Lisa. “You taught them well.”
“I never believed in boys versus girls. Everyone should know how to cook.”
Half an hour later, all six of us were seated around the Griffins’ table that was filled to overflowing with various serving dishes. Theo carved the turkey as we neared dinnertime. The meat was now sliced and covered a large platter.
Neither Fin nor Zane were shy about loading their plates with Lisa’s feast.
“Don’t complain if the potatoes are lumpy,” I said to Fin.
His smile told me what I suspected. He told Lisa I remembered making the mashed potatoes all those years ago.
For the record, the potatoes weren’t lumpy. They were delicious, as was everything else. As we ate, the table filled with football talk. It was different than with my family. The Griffins were fans of both their sons’ teams. Of course, over the years, both Fin and Zane had moved teams. It seemed Theo held an allegiance to all of them, except the LA Rams, he specified.
Theo smiled at me. “Of course, living in Kentucky, the Coopers have always had a special place in my heart. It’s great to see Fin out there wearing the Coopers’ amber.”
My cheeks rose as I looked to the man at my side and back to his dad. “I couldn’t agree more.” I opened my eyes wide. “You should come to a game.”
Lisa shook her head. “I can’t. I watch their games on television after a fifteen-minute delay. That way, I know that we haven’t received a call saying either of them were hurt.”
I’d never thought about being a mother watching her son. “Well, if you change your mind…”
Theo spoke, “The men on my golf league thought you’d name yourself as CEO.”
I took a sip of my sparkling wine. “My aunt is more qualified at this point. She wants to stay on for a few years and help me learn.”
Fin squeezed my knee. “There’s nothing Vee can’t do when she puts her mind to it.”
“Do you enjoy being on the sidelines?” Lisa asked.
“I love it.” I sighed. “There’s an immersion that can’t be experienced anywhere else. I feel connected to the game, players, and coaches when I’m there.”
“Ashley was on the sidelines too,” Lisa said.
A pink hue filled Ashley’s cheeks. “I wasn’t on the sidelines like you.” She shrugged. “I was a Vikings cheerleader.”
“You were?” I asked. “You’re not anymore?”
She shook her head. “It takes a lot of time.” She lowered her lashes and grinned at Zane. “And after one season of hiding our relationship, I chose Zane.”
Fin spoke. “Zane said you’re an athletic trainer.”
“Currently at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. It’s a D1 school.”
“Wow,” I said, “you’re a trainer and cheered. I’m impressed. That was a time commitment.” I didn’t have much involvement with the Coopers’ cheerleaders, but I was aware of the strict NFL rule against fraternization between players and cheerleaders as well as their grueling practice schedule. During the season, the Coopers’ cheerleaders practiced four to five nights a week. The evening practices were scheduled so as to not interfere with their daytime responsibilities. Practice wasn’t their only obligation. Our cheerleaders also had mandatory workouts, community appearances, and full-day game-day commitments. Preseason was even more time consuming.
“I really loved the excitement.” Ashley turned to Zane. “I still attend all the games, but now I wear a No. 53 jersey.”
“We were at the game in Chicago,” Fin said.
“Oh,” Theo roared. “What a game that was.”
