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Treyvon: Okay then. Someone’s serious.

Jaxon: That’s what I call cute.

Linc: So cute.

Treyvon: Cuteness overload.

Me: I’m going to study game tape.

Chapter 17

Marcus

This kind of comfort, sometimes,

comes from the least expected person.

~ Anonymous

I park in front of Hearthstone the next day after practice, walking up the walkway to the office with a spring in my step. My legs ache from today’s workout, but I’m still practically jogging to the door. We’ve got the inspection on my new house today. They rushed it so I could be there before I take off for our weekend game.

When I open the door to Hearthstone, Cass is standing at Loretta’s desk. Her head snaps up.

I should have called her first to warn her I was coming. The expression on her face does not say Happy to see my boyfriend at my workplace.

Loretta starts singing Dolly Parton’s Here You Come Again.

“Not the song, Loretta,” Cass says.

“Why not?” Loretta asks, stopping mid-line to look up at Cass.

“We’re … new. Not yet in the Here You Come Again territory.”

“Okay,” Loretta says. And then she starts singing something about me being a potential boyfriend and all the girls better not touch me. I don’t know the song, but the lyrics are funny—about a woman being possessive of a man she just met.

I crack up.

Cass looks at me, slightly amused and still smiling. “Loretta has a Dolly song for every occasion.”

“I love that,” I say.

“You love Dolly?” Loretta asks.

“What’s not to love?”

“Oh, Cass, honey. He’s a keeper,” Loretta says.

“Because he possibly likes Dolly, or basically doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with her?”

“That and he’s the quarterback for the Thunder.” Loretta smiles at me like I can do no wrong.

I brace myself for Cass’s sassy comeback.

“Well, despite the fact that I could find a man who approves of Dolly on every corner in the state of Tennessee,” Cass says, smiling at me again. “It’s true I can’t find another Thunder quarterback.”

“Not one to fill your fantasy league team,” Loretta says and then she slaps her hand over her mouth.

She looks at Cass. “Sorry, hun. I don’t know if you told him yet and I promised not to leak it, and here I go opening my big pie hole and spilling all the beans.”