Off Season (The Blake Boys Book 15) (7 page)

Sam and Isabelle’s chatter brought her out of her thoughts.

“What do you think?” Sam said as she used her phone to take photos. “There are tons of things you can do in this space. But Jared did design this unit with your bookstore in mind.”

“He did?”

“He took measurements at Reed Bradley and asked Michelle about any extras you guys would want in a bigger space. Of course there will be a state-of-the-art security system, and Regency’s commercial security will patrol the entire perimeter of the square.”

Thank goodness for Michelle. She was always on top of things.

“You could set up the café a little closer to the front door this time.” Isabelle pointed to the space in the corner. “And there’s definitely enough room for a lecture area. This could be your new home away from home.”

“I think it’s great.” Morgan sighed. “No, it’s perfect.”

Sam took more pictures. “Good. You and Michelle just have to sign the lease.”

“Maybe my kid will give me a break on the rent,” she said.

The ladies had lunch after they finished inspecting the property. Sam and Isabelle were going on about John Jacob’s grand gestures to his grandkids while Morgan tuned in and out, still lost in her own thoughts much of the time.

When they returned to the ranch, Morgan decided to pay her generous father-in-law a visit. She dropped off Sam and Isabelle and headed to John Jacob and Teri-Lyn’s house. The aroma of fresh lemons hit her as soon as she opened the door, so she followed the pleasing aroma into the kitchen. Teri-Lyn always had a pitcher of fresh squeezed lemonade on hand.

“How’s the world’s greatest mother-in-law?” Morgan kissed her on the cheek then poured herself a glass. Whether it was iced tea at her grandma’s house or lemonade at Teri-Lyn’s, it reminded her of when people took the time to make something homemade. It just felt like a little more love was in there when someone made it themselves. There was enough to quench the thirst of an army.

“I’m fine, sugar. Did you like the space?”

Morgan gave her a knowing look. “I loved the space.”

“Six months isn’t a whole lot of time. But I’m sure the family can help you pull it together.”

“Did you know about Mackenzie Square?”

“I sure did. Isn’t it cute?”

“Yes, it is.” She rolled her eyes. “Speaking of my new landlady. Is Her Cuteness taking a nap?”

“She’s having a tea party with her grandpa.” Teri-Lyn handed her a tray of sandwiches. “Can you take these goodies into the playroom for them? I’m going to check on Gabe and Owen.”

“Sure.”

Morgan resisted the urge to take a picture with her cell phone when she saw John Jacob hunkered down at the kiddie table talking to Mackenzie. She gave them both a kiss on the cheek and joined them.

“I hear there’s an important stock holder’s meeting going on in here.” She winced as she gripped the table as she sat down on the tiny chair. “Hi, Mackenzie.”

“Hi, Mo—” She stopped when she locked eyes with her mother.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. She could have sworn her daughter had stopped on purpose.

“Are you OK?” John Jacob furrowed his eyebrows and reached out to help her.

“I’m fine.” She smiled. “Getting old.”

He laughed. “I doubt that.”

“How was the scouting mission? Did you like the space?” John Jacob’s eyes gleamed.

“It was perfect, but you knew that.” She gave him a knowing look. “Just like you knew Seth helping T.K. with that new quarterback was a good idea.”

“Talking to that boy will be good for him.”

“I agree.”

“So are you taking the space?”

“I’d be a fool to pass it up. I’ve already sent pictures to Michelle and she loves it. Mackenzie Square is going to be a premier shopping center. There will be just enough shops for people in these parts to enjoy without making them scared about over-development.”

“I’m glad that’s settled then.”

“I’ll let you two continue with the tea party.” Morgan tried to push off the table and stand, but her legs weren’t cooperating so she plopped back down.

John Jacob gripped her arm to steady her. “Are you sure you’re OK?”

“I’m fine. I’ve just been having a harder time bouncing back from that flu I had last month.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“That it was a new, wicked strain, and I may need to rest more than usual. And I didn’t follow his advice.”

“Not surprising.”

“I’ve got too much living to do,” she said in the Southern drawl she’d been trying to perfect over the years.

“Using my own words against me.” He shook his head.

“I just need to rest.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for building Mackenzie Square. One day she’s going to see that and understand what you did for her future.”

When she arrived at home, Seth was back from the stadium. He was sitting in the family room watching sports footage of a Tomcats’ game. Books on the history of the Tomcats were strewn about on the table. She remembered those days of his intense scrutiny of the games he played so he could critique his performance. He was so engrossed he hadn’t realized she’d come into the house. It was quite the turn-on to see him so focused. She knew that was always when the big picture in his mind became clearer. Morgan slid onto his lap and put her arms around his neck.

“I take it the meeting went well.” She gave him a light peck on the lips.

“As well as to be expected. Riley is livid, and T.K. couldn’t care less. We set a date and time for him to come to the ranch. I don’t want our talk to turn into some kind of photo op for him.” He caressed her back. “But it was nice to catch up with Ross and some of the guys. What do you think about having Ross, Mandy, and the kids over?”

“I think it’s a great idea.”

“How did the real estate expedition go?”

“You mean that staged fox hunt at the new development that your daughter owns?”

“The one and the same.” Seth grinned but kept his eyes glued to the screen. “I thought it would be a fun surprise.”

“You knew the plan for Mackenzie Square and the prospective bookstore location?”

He nuzzled her neck. “Yes.”

“And you still withheld this information from me?”

“Yes.” He slid his hand underneath her blouse and caressed her breast.

“You should have told me.”

Seth tugged on the button on her capris. “I should have. I’m an awful husband. You should punish me in some kinky way to teach me a lesson.”

“I like the sound of that.” She moaned. “We have a couple of hours before your mom drops the kids off.”

Morgan yelped with glee when Seth stood with her in his arms and headed for the stairs. On his way he leaned down and captured her lips, then rested his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. “Babe, did you make that appointment?”

“I called a few times and the line was busy. I promise to call them again in the morning.” She nipped at his ear hoping to distract him.

“Promise me you’ll do it tomorrow.”

“I promise.”

* * *

Since Tate and Isabelle had taken Owen for a checkup, and Parker wanted to spend some time with Gabe before she left, that left a rare moment for his mama to have some free time. So Seth volunteered to drive the boys to school while Teri-Lyn went over to the nursery to look for the new blossoms she wanted to plant at Bo and Summer’s house to bloom in time for their wedding.

He listened attentively as the boys talked about the exciting things that were going on in their young lives. He liked his designated car pool day when he got to drop the kids off at school. Jake was nervous about his part in the school play, while Connor and Jack looked forward to the next soccer game. Colby and Matt liked the arts and crafts time the most and looked forward to a project coming up that would allow the kids to draw in chalk on the playground floor.

As soon as he pulled up to the drop-off line in front of the school, the boys said a quick good-bye to Mackenzie and hopped out of the vehicle. He gave them each a high five, thankful they’d allow him to do that. They were getting bigger and parental affection was becoming passé. Morgan, determined not to let her babies grow up too fast, would still wrestle with them until they relented and let her fawn all over them.

He waved at their teachers and got back in the SUV. The ring of an incoming call blasted in the cabin of the car. He looked at the display on the SUV’s bluetooth screen. It was J.J.

Seth hit the button and called over his shoulder to Mackenzie. “Sweet Pea, it’s Uncle J.J.”

“Hi, pretty girl,” J.J. said. “You hanging with your dad today?”

“Hi, Uncle J.J.!”

“Hey, brother,” Seth said. “What’s up? You still in Kansas?”

“No. I wrapped up business early so I could get back to Samantha Jane and the kids. Do you mind picking me up from the airport?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind a detour afterward. Mackenzie and I were on our way to do some shopping.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

“We’ll be there in thirty to pick you up.” Seth disconnected the call and looked at his daughter, who was playing with a stuffed animal, in the rear view mirror. “Sweet Pea, we’re going to get Uncle J.J.”

Seth turned on the radio and found his favorite sports talk radio show, the Jeb Turner Recap. No surprise, the conversation was about the upcoming season for the Tomcats. Despite the acquisition of new talent like Riley, analysts were still predicting it would be another tough season for the team. Riley’s personal escapades were discussed more often than his performance on the field. Already, rumors of a wild lifestyle had tongues wagging that the real show was his off-field antics. This was exactly the kind of behavior T.K. was trying to curb.

The conversation then turned to Seth. It was no secret he was back in Texas. Jeb and a few other local sports show personalities had called his agent Luke a few times and asked if he could call into the show or do an in-studio interview. He’d declined, not wanting to rehash his past so soon. And he certainly didn’t want to publicly critique the Tomcats’ upcoming season. Sure, he had tons of opinions, but he’d purposely wanted some distance from that world so he could decompress and assess his next move.

“Someone should beg Seth Blake to come out of hiding and coach the Tomcats,” Jeb declared. “It wouldn’t be a long drive to the stadium for him anymore.”

Seth turned off the radio and began singing the alphabet song that Morgan was teaching Mackenzie. He wasn’t as velvet-voiced as Tate, but his off-key howling always put a smile on his daughter’s face. When they finished, he thought they’d give another side project he’d been working on a shot.

“Sweet Pea, say ‘mommy.’” He winked at her in the rear view mirror.

She didn’t answer.

“How about ‘mama’?” He peered in the mirror again.

“Morgy!” she yelled.

He chuckled. “We’re getting closer.”

He had no doubt that his daughter could say it, but why she was so staunch in her refusal to say the word at such a young age baffled him. He wanted them to have a strong, loving bond. Morgan had missed out on those close mother-daughter moments because her mom had died when she was so young. He had a feeling this was going to be one of many battle of wills between his wife and daughter.

A half hour later, they picked J.J. up from the airport. He opened the hatch so J.J. could deposit his bags and they were back on the road.

He looked at his brother. “Did you get a lot of work done in Kansas?”

“I got the project back on track. Nothing gets people focused like a surprise visit from the boss.”

“Back on track in a matter of hours? I’m impressed.”

“I didn’t give them an option. I wasn’t spending another night away from Samantha Jane and the boys.”

Seth grabbed a parking spot in front of a trendy accessory boutique. “We’re here.” He unclipped his seat belt and got out. J.J. got out too and unfastened Mackenzie for her car seat.

J.J. looked at the fancy purses and accessories displayed in the window. “What on earth do you need out of there?”

“Your niece needs barrettes. If I’m going to learn how to do her hair, she needs—” Seth motioned to the window. “—stuff like that.”

J.J. bit back a smile. “All right. Let’s go shopping.”

As soon as they stepped into the store, a saleswoman rushed to help them. She cooed at Mackenzie, but Seth could tell she was trying to figure out who they were. Then it finally clicked. She tried to keep her cool and asked him if he was
the
Seth Blake. The young lady held up her cell phone and showed him that a picture of him kissing the Super Bowl trophy was her screen saver. Then she honed in on J.J.’s face, so J.J. saved her the trouble and introduced himself.

The salesclerk excitedly ushered them around the store, showing them merchandise, and if Mackenzie reached for it, Seth would throw it into the shopping basket. In addition to the things for Mackenzie, he found a purse and shawl he thought Morgan might like. He knew she would say he went overboard, but he couldn’t help it. Besides, the peace offering served a dual purpose. She complained about being cold lately, even when the weather seemed pretty warm to him. And he hoped his gifts would soften the blow when he came home with all these bags of stuff.

The saleswoman told them there was new stock that hadn’t been unpacked yet in the backroom and asked if they would wait a few minutes until she sifted through it. They agreed and took a seat on the sofa near the fitting room. Mackenzie pulled a tiara off the display table next to Seth and put it atop his head.

“Don’t you look precious?” J.J. laughed.

Mackenzie dug into their basket and put two jeweled combs in her uncle’s hair. It was Seth’s turn to get a few laughs. “Reminds me of Eden’s pageant days.”

“My niece doesn’t need to hear about the past.” J.J. gave his brother a long look. “When is the chat with Riley Sloane?”

“This weekend.”

“T.K. still giving you the hard sell about working with him? Officially, I mean.”

“Nah. He said he’s given up.”

“T.K. never gives up.” J.J. bowed his head so Mackenzie could drape a turquoise necklace on him. “I think it’s nice of you to do him this favor though.”