Page 17 of Necessary Roughness

“What did you call me?”

He didn’t glance at her. “DP. Disney Princess.”

Her mouth dropped open in outrage.

***

PRACTICE WAS OVER in another half hour. Actually, Tanner wouldn’t call it “practice.” They didn’t show the kids the three-point stance or anything remotely looking like strategy, but at least Kiernan the QB didn’t get hurt. The boy who shoved her was also treated to an extra-special lecture before Tanner let him go find his dad in the stands. Naturally, this meant that Tanner had a run-in with the kid’s helicopter parent furious over the fact that he’d dared to scold someone else’s child.

“I’m taking my son off this team,” the father sputtered.

“You do that. I’m sure there’s lots of ex-NFL players willing to work with him,” Tanner said. “We don’t allow the kids to try to hurt each other.”

“You’re a couple of washed-up jocks who have nothing better to do with your time than bully someone else’s kids.”

The normally calm, patient Harrison stared into the guy’s eyes as his mouth formed one flat line. “What did you say?”

“You heard me. You can’t hack it yourselves anymore, so you’re going to tell my kid how to succeed? Not going to happen.”

Jordan sidled up next to Tanner again. She was probably afraid he was going to topple over or something. She was standing close enough that he could breathe in the teasing wisp of pear and flower fragrance she wore, the scent of her shampoo, and cotton clothing warm from the sunshine.

Harrison let out a low laugh at the sputtering parent.

“No problem. We’ll pick another kid off the waiting list for your son’s place this season,” Harrison said. He didn’t crack a smile. “Thanks for stopping by, though.”

The guy stormed away from them.

“I’m in, by the way,” Tanner said. He did his best to sound like he didn’t give a shit. “I’ll be the assistant coach. How often do we practice each week?”

Harrison gave him a nod. “Twice. An hour or so. Games start in two weeks on Saturday mornings.” He raised an eyebrow. “At least you didn’t make me beg.”

“Don’t let it get around.”

“I heard you’re having a drink with Jordan,” Tanner said. “Maybe you crazy kids should detour to my place instead. I’ve got booze, bar snacks, and a big-screen TV.” He also had some pain medication, which he’d decided in the past half hour he needed desperately.

“Will they let me in your neighborhood twice in one day?” Harrison said.

***

JORDAN FOLLOWED HARRISON’S car as he drove through the gated entrance and pulled into the driveway of a very large house. Her parents’ place was nice, but Tanner’s was impressive. One thing was for sure: she needed a more expensive car to be in this neighborhood. She parked her ride parallel to Harrison’s, propelling herself out of the driver’s door. She looked and then she stared.

The house was painted a dark café latte color with coordinating stone façade surrounding the double front door, which was painted glossy black enamel and featured glass panels inlaid with bent iron accents. She couldn’t decide which to stare at first: the imposing house shaped like an inverted L, or the 180-degree waterfront view of Lake Washington sparkling in the sunshine.

“C’mon, girl,” Harrison said. “I’ll ask the old man if he needs any help with the stairs.”

“Fuck off,” Tanner said, but there wasn’t any heat in his voice. He braced himself on his crutches as he took one step at a time.

“He probably hasn’t seen the upstairs of his house in months,” Harrison explained as they trailed Tanner’s careful footsteps.

“I have too. I have an elevator.”

“Oh, yeah,” Harrison said to Jordan. “He has his own elevator.”

“The live-in nurse is currently in my palatial master suite for at least a few weeks,” Tanner said. “I’m on the main floor right now. It’s closer to the kitchen and the deck. It’ll be nice to enjoy my own Jacuzzi again at some point.” He cleared the last stair and increased his speed as he headed to the double front doors, which opened as if by magic.

An older woman with steel-gray hair pulled into a bun on top of her head, wearing horn-rimmed black glasses, and dressed in nurse’s scrubs featuring skulls-and-crossbones-print fabric stared at him. “You were released from Pacific Northwest Rehab three hours ago. Where the hell have you been?”

“Are you my mother?”

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