Page 3 of The Interception (Southern Sports Sweethearts #2)

Chapter Two

Ender

I cannot begin to imagine why my entire home is covered in multi-colored glitter, but if I were to hazard a guess, I would say it has something to do with the three-year-old dancing in her mother’s bathrobe, blasting eighties ballads into her kiddie karaoke machine at the top of her little lungs, while boasting the worst lipstick job imaginable.

My niece, who manages to wake up at five in the morning without waking anyone else, has also fed herself, evidenced by the trail of cereal from the kitchen to the living room.

And the puddle of milk on the kitchen floor.

“I’m so sorry. I’ll clean it up, and I’ll get one of those door alarms today.

I swear, I turned the monitor all the way up, and I still didn’t hear anything.

” My older sister, Sarah Beth, has strawberry-blonde hair that sticks up everywhere, and the dark circles under her eyes are a heavy indicator she didn’t sleep well.

“Hey, it’s okay. It can all be cleaned, and Lula is happy. I’m not worried about it, sis.” I pick up the half-empty cereal box and pour myself a bowl, then grab the milk carton from the floor. Totally empty. Good thing cereal is just as good dry.

“Ender, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m exhausted all the time, Lula needs my love and attention right now, and the lawyer said it could take a whole year to get Asher’s death benefit.”

I forgo the cereal to comfort my sister, whose husband’s death has impacted us all. Despite careful planning, the state managed to tangle his estate in probate court, leaving my sister and niece with very little to live on.

“Sarah Beth, when I asked you to move in with me, I knew it would be an adjustment, but I love having you and Lula here. She brightens up my days, and if she’s happy, then I’m happy.”

“I know but it’s—” My sister chokes up again and I squeeze her shoulders.

“I know. You need your own space, and I promise somehow we’ll get the house back, okay?”

Sarah Beth wipes her face and puts on that tough exterior we Langleys are known for.

Losing Asher in a hit-and-run car accident devastated our whole family, but somehow I know we’ll come out on the other side of this stronger.

I wish there was a way to convince her I genuinely like having them here, even if the circumstances are horrible.

“Have you given any thought to what you’re going to do for the Bay Bridge Cook-Off this year?

” She throws the question over her shoulder as she begins the arduous task of cleaning up.

Lula is now engrossed in a cartoon show about a princess who learns to ride dragons, so we’re safe to begin the decluttering process without interruption.

At least, Sarah Beth is. I have to get ready for practice.

I entered the first year on a whim because I love cooking.

I never expected to win, but once I did, I was hooked on the thrill of the competition.

Still, I can’t imagine having time to devote to it this year.

“I’m not sure there’s time this year. Coach Holmes has been on us every practice, pushing us harder than ever, and we need to get things squared away for you. I don’t know how—”

“Ender Langley, you promised me this wouldn’t interfere with your life. You let me worry about the estate. You go to practice, and tonight we can figure out some amazing dishes. You’re already entered, and there is no reason you can’t make this year your seventh win.”

“Sarah Beth, it’s not that important.” I wave it off, already prioritizing everything else that needs to be done this week.

She huffs and puts both hands on her hips. “Ender, it’s important to me. I want to cheer for my brother, okay? I need the distraction after months of bad news and turns I never anticipated. Will you please take the competition seriously for me?”

I run my hand through my hair and let her words sink in.

If winning the competition will bring her some much-needed joy, then I’ll do my best. Still, I’m not sure how I’ll manage to juggle everything on my plate.

The Timberwolves have to prove themselves this year, or the owners, the Dawson brothers, might pull the plug on our team.

Of course, winning the cooking competition again might bring some much-needed attention back to the team.

Attention and fans we lost, thanks to a crummy season last year.

“Ender.” Sarah Beth sounds like our mom, which means there really is no way out of this. I’m going to have to figure out how to manage everything, including planning some spectacular and innovative recipes to ensure another win.

“All right, all right. After practice, we’ll sit down and do some brainstorming. I’ll have to see what the theme is this year, but yeah. I’ll do it.”

“You don’t even know the theme? Ender, it starts tomorrow.

” With a huff, she throws her hands in the air and gets back to cleaning.

Meanwhile, I’m left trying to figure out how she can convince me to do something so easily.

Then again, she always was the mother hen of the family, especially after we lost Mom.

“Go, Ender. Dad is going to call and check in on us later, and I don’t want to tell him you not only might lose the competition because, as usual, you failed to plan anything, but also that you got axed from his favorite football team because you were late for practice.”

“Actually, Leo is picking me up so you two can have the truck today. You said you had errands to run, and it’s cheaper to borrow mine than to call for a car.”

“You sure you’ll let me drive the beast?

Last time you acted like the thing was your child.

” She smirks at me and settles on the sofa beside Lula, still engrossed in her princess show.

She snuggles up to her mother and my heart aches all over again.

They deserve to have Asher in their lives, loving them and protecting them far better than I ever could.

The protecting part at least. I love them with my whole heart and can’t imagine my life without either of them.

I can only thank God they weren’t in the car when the accident happened.

“I’m positive.” Thunderous knocking on the door startles her.

“Good gosh, tell him to leave the door on the hinges.” Sarah Beth chuckles and shakes her head, but her death grip on her child hurts my heart.

She’s been extra protective of Lula lately, which makes a lot of sense after losing Asher.

Knowing I can never make her feel as safe as her husband did kicks me in the gut every time I think about it.

I pull open the door and let Leo step into the foyer. “Hey man, how’s it going?” His gaze shifts from me to Sarah Beth, who is equally as interested in Lula’s television show. He then follows the trails of glitter and cereal to the kitchen and raises an eyebrow.

I pull on my hat. “It’s going. Ready?”

“Yep. Hope you’re ready to suffer in this humidity. It’s already a swamp out there.” Leo glances at my sister again just as she turns and makes eye contact.

“Hi, Leo,” she says and waves. There is no way she remembers that she’s wearing her hole-filled back-up robe, that her hair is a hot mess, and she hasn’t brushed her teeth yet.

Or maybe she knows and doesn’t care as much as she used to.

Either way, she seems to have made Leo’s day. He smiles and nods her way.

“Morning, Sarah Beth. Morning, Lula.”

Lula waves over her head but her focus stays on the show. The child is a savage when it comes to making a person feel completely irrelevant, but she makes up for it with her sweet cheek kisses and snuggles.

“We should head out.” I nudge Leo, who waves and steps out on the porch. Leo ruffles his black hair and motions inside the house. “Is she actually doing as well as her perky and sweet hello implies?”

I shrug and follow him down the walkway to his car. “I think she’s trying, but things keep coming up that make everything worse. Some days are better than others.”

Leo nods and unlocks the car. He knew Asher, not nearly as well as I did, of course, but he knew him well enough to miss him, too.

Between my father and my brother-in-law, the Charleston Timberwolves never had a dull moment in the stands.

Once, they both got the whole stadium dancing and doing the wave after every touchdown.

I can’t believe we’ve been without him for three months.

Fortunately, the conversation between us shifts from my family tragedy to his latest surprise. “You’ll never believe what I got yesterday.”

“If you say another car, I will not be surprised. Where are you going to put it?” My gaze drifts from out the window to him. He merely chuckles and shakes his head.

“I did not get another car. I found a stray dog on the side of the road, and my friend, she is pregnant as the day is long. I don’t know what I’m going to do when she has those puppies, but for now I have a new dog.”

Oh no. I know exactly where one of those puppies is going to end up, especially if Lula has any say in the matter.

And she does. I’ll give my niece anything she wants, even a fluffy ball of frustration that will no doubt chew everything I own and use my living room as a bathroom.

Best to know what I’m getting into before it even begins, so the next logical question comes to mind.

“What breed is it?”

“She’s smallish, maybe forty pounds. Who knows what the father was. Does that mean I got you on the hook for a puppy for Lula?” Leo turns and grins at me.

“You like setting me up, don’t you?”

“It’s not my fault you’re easy to convince.” He chuckles and looks back to the road.

We’re almost at the practice field and already Coach is outside shouting orders at the few people who dared arrive earlier than our scheduled practice time. Marshall and Sanderson are running drills while he bears down on them, screaming bloody murder.

“This is going to be a great day,” Leo says with a groan and pulls into a space.

It probably will be, but if anything can take my mind off of the problems at home, it’s a grueling day of drills in the bright sunlight, coupled with humidity that could kill a whale.

Granted, I’ll hate it while we’re in the middle of it, but once we stop for the day and I shower, I’ll feel great.

Then all the memories will flood back in, the ones I try not to think about in front of my sister.

The ones where I knew Asher first, and it was just the two of us running wild through the pecan fields of his grandparents’ farm.

Then we grew up, and Sarah Beth caught his eye as more than just his best friend’s older sister.

“Hey man, you all right?” Leo peers down from the side of his car, his door still wide open.

I bite back the emotion that surges forward and nod. “Yeah, I’m good. Let’s go show these guys what playing football really means.”

“Son, I know you’ve won this thing six years in a row, but I’m not sure this is the year to be playing with your career.

You know what the Dawsons expect this year, and if we don’t deliver, it’ll be our necks on a chopping block.

They’ll sell the team or shut it down entirely.

” Coach Holmes doesn’t want to say no to a couple of missed practices so I can compete in the Bay Bridge Cook-Off, but he’s right.

The Timberwolves are in a precarious position this year.

“I’ve checked and double-checked the schedule. I won’t be late for games, only two practices. Leo and a few of the guys have already agreed to make them up with me. I won’t let it interfere with the Timberwolves.”

Coach sits back in his folding metal chair—because to him any degree of comfort is for babies—and grumbles under his breath. He nearly worked us to death today, and he means it when he says no. There is no negotiation, so I have to make sure he has every reason to say yes.

“Listen, it will get eyes on the team again, fill the seats, and maybe that will boost morale. No one feels good playing in a half-empty stadium. With people in the seats again, it’ll feel like something worth fighting for.”

He raises his gray eyebrows and steeples his fingers under his chin, which is an odd position given there are no armrests on which he can rest his elbows. Sometimes I wonder if Coach is one pass to the head away from total insanity, but I don’t dare ask.

“You make a fair point. Last year’s cook-off win got us on the cover of a few magazines despite the lousy year.

With the way we’re playing this year, you winning again could really do us well.

” He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales, drawing out the torture.

I need this for Sarah Beth. Another breath and slow exhale.

“All right. I’ll allow it but I can’t see you slip.

If there is even a hint of exhaustion or distraction, you’re off the competition. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir. You have my word. There will be no distractions, no missed games, and I’ll play like my life depends on it.”

He nods again, and his expression softens. “Kid, I know you will. I’m not heartless, and I know this competition is important to you. Six consecutive wins isn’t something to scoff at, but with your sister depending on you, your primary income is more important. Focus on the long run.”

Unease settles in my chest. If the Timberwolves are sold or shut down, there is no guarantee all of us will find new positions with other teams. Even if I do, there is every reason to believe it would mean moving to another state, away from Sarah Beth, who needs me.

And if I didn’t, well, that might be worse.

Zero income until Sarah Beth or I find a job.

I can’t imagine there are many people hiring stay-at-home mothers of small children or former running backs, so I recommit to making football my priority.

Here’s hoping the cook-off sorts itself out.