Rough Love (Tannen Boys 1)

Katelyn’s eyes go as big as saucers, and Mark’s lips twitch like he’s fighting off a grin. He says softly, “Did you tell him yet?”

I’m done with this shit and growl, “Tell me what?”

The brothers don’t speak, enjoying letting me twist on the hook too much, but Katelyn takes pity on me. “Mama Louise doesn’t make fried chicken with just anybody. There are only three people in the whole wide world she will do that with, actually. Though I guess there’s four now, each of us standing in this room.”

They watch the realization dawn on my face with glee, and I look over to see Mama Louise inspecting me carefully. She waits a long beat, during which I feel judged, analyzed, and evaluated, before she gives me a small flour-coated thumbs-up.

I’m honestly not sure if it’s approval that I’ve chosen Allyson or that Allyson has chosen me. But it’s a stamp of approval, one I realize I hold in high regard. Mama Louise is a smart woman, maybe too smart for our own good, but she’s made something special here with our motley ragtag crew.

I meet her eyes, telling her what I can silently, and dip my chin in appreciation. She smiles sweetly and goes right back to helping dip another chicken leg in egg wash like nothing happened.

But something did happen.

We just became a family in my eyes. All of us—Bennetts, Tannens, and Meyerses. Though I wonder how long it’ll be before I can change Allyson and Cooper’s names? Or hell, I’m progressive enough that if Allyson wants me to change my name to match hers, I could do that.

She’s got work stuff to think about, and Cooper might not want to change his name. But we can talk about that, the three of us, and decide for our family.

Because that’s what we are. Our little family of three inside this large mishmash of a clan.

Chapter 32

Bruce

I raise a glass of lemonade, and a sea of drinks lifts around me. As an unofficial team sponsor, Hank let us borrow a big section off to the back for our team lunch to celebrate the end of the season, and we’re all gathered around the mismatched tables that have been shoved together. I wouldn’t bring kids in here at night when things get a little rowdy, but for a daytime lunch, it’s fine.

Hell, I think Hank’s even enjoying having the kids here. He hasn’t come out from behind the bar on his bum leg, but he’s sitting at the end closest to our table eavesdropping with a smile big enough to wrinkle his face. Well, he’s got wrinkles all the time since he’s an old guy, but the lines are deeper as his teeth flash with laughter.

“To a great season, a great team, and a great experience. I never thought that pulling over to yell at some unruly kids . . .” I pause, glancing at Cooper and Johnathan, who bump each other’s shoulder good-naturedly.

“I never thought that would change the entire course of my life, but you boys did that and I’ll be forever grateful. I might’ve taught you a bit about the game of football, but I hope that in a bigger way, you learned something about life. It ain’t always pretty and perfect, or even what you’d planned, but it can be good anyway, especially if you work for it. And when you’ve got a team . . . because a team is like a family. I’m proud of each and every one of you.”

They’re not platitudes and every kid here knows that. I’ve made an honest investment in them, and they’ve returned the favor by trusting me to do right by them. Just like a team should be.

We’ve had a hard season, winning a few and losing several, but these boys played their hearts out, no matter what the scoreboard said. Or who the roster listed as coach.

Yeah, after the incident with Kyle, the association wouldn’t let me be a coach anymore. It sucked ass and pissed me off, but I understood. They’ve got rules that are black and white for a good reason, and even if it’s in self-defense, they can’t have coaches punching people out.

But practices are held at a public park, and with the boys’ parents’ permission, I happen to wander by on Tuesdays and Thursdays around seven to set up a delivery point for Shayanne’s smashed pumpkin and offer a bit of advice.

But it isn’t ‘coaching’ per se, I think with the smallest smirk.

It was totally coaching, but we kept it quiet and unofficial. After studying the code of conduct, Allyson had deemed that ‘legal’ in her professional opinion. Legal or not, I wasn’t going to abandon my guys.

The games were harder, though, because I had to be a spectator and sit in the bleachers, but I was glad the association at least allowed me that because they did uphold Max’s ruling and ban Kyle.