Page 69 of Keeping it Real

“Yes!”Gus mouthed as he gave Alek a fist bump.

“Deal,” Collin said.“I’ll text you the details in the morning.”

The wind whippedaround the sidelines of the football field the following night.Sheridan gave up trying to tame her hair and snuggled deeper into her shearling coat.She was grateful they’d be watching the game from the relative comfort of the owner’s suite.Not only would it be warmer, but it would also make controlling Hattie much easier.The dog had spent most of her life surrounded by a rowdy bar crowd, but that didn’t compare to seventy thousand football fans after an evening of tailgating.The poor thing was already a little jumpy.

“So let me get this straight,” Sheridan said, working hard to keep her teeth from chattering.“The owner of the Growlers is Max Kellogg’s sister?”

“Half sister,” Alek explained.“Norm Clark founded Cream City Breweries, which now belongs to his oldest, legitimate son, Norm, Junior.Mr.Clark left the Growlers to his oldest daughter, the Timber baseball team to his other daughter, and the Mayhem to Max, which was a surprise to everyone since Norm had never let on to anyone that he had a fourth child.”

“Wow.That sounds like it would be a bestseller if someone wrote it.”

“Right?”he replied.“Mrs.Ciaciura—that’s the sister who owns the Growlers—is the only sibling who has a relationship with Kellogg.Norm Junior wants nothing to do with him.And the other sister is on husband number three or four.I don’t think she even lives in the States any longer.”

“Well, thank goodness for his sister.It’s cold out here.Why do they have to play at night?”she muttered.“In November.”

Alek stepped closer, his body providing some shelter from the cold.“Don’t worry.It’s only until halftime.And I’ll be sure to warm you up when we get home.”

“You’re forgetting that I’m only going to be home for a few hours,” she told him.“I’m filling in on the two a.m.to two p.m.shift tonight.”

Finn hadn’t “flooded” for two weeks.Still, it was a risk not being home in the morning.Based on how Alek had dealt with Finn about the issues at school, she had no doubt he would handle things without embarrassing Finn.

He made a grumbling noise.She patted him on the shoulder.“It’s for a good cause.I’ll have Thanksgiving weekend off.I hear the pool at the hotel in Tampa is amazing.”

“Wait until you see the Jacuzzi tubs in the rooms,” he murmured with a wink.

“Alek!”A boy wearing a Growlers jacket and pom-pom hat sprinted toward them.

“Kyle, my man.”Alek wrapped him up in a hug.“How are you?”

“Great!Whoa!Is that Gus Ferguson?”Considering they were standing on the sidelines with most of the Growlers team milling around them, it was odd to see the boy so starstruck.

“It is.”Alek motioned his friend over.Gunner, Finn, and Hattie came with him.“Kyle, this is the man, the legend, Denis Gus Ferguson.Gus, this is my pal, Kyle Prince.Don’t let the football gear fool you.He’s obligated to wear it because his sister is married to the QB.The kid’s really a hockey fan and a genius with a puck and some lumber.”

Gus shook the boy’s hand.“Sounds like someone I want to know.Nice to meet you, Kyle.”

Alek finished the introductions.“And this is Gus’s son, Gunner, also a magician on skates.And this guy is Finn Cobert.Hockey is in his blood, too.His dad and I played together in college before he went on to play for Boston.”

Sheridan looked on with gratitude when Alek’s hand landed on Finn’s shoulder as naturally as if he’d known the boy all his life.The way his explanation about Jamie rolled off his lips so easily made her heart swell, too.The animosity he normally displayed whenever the subject of Jamie arose was nowhere to be seen when he was around Finn.His thoughtfulness made her adore him even more.

Hattie nosed her way into the circle of boys.

“Oh my gosh.You are even cuter in person.”Kyle nuzzled the dog’s head.“I wish I had a dog like this.Or any dog.”

A beautiful redhead all decked out in Growlers gear joined them.“I tried for years to get Mom to get me one,” she said.“But maybe you’ll wear her down, Kyle.”Her face lit up with a stunning smile when she spotted Alek.“Hey, you.”

Sheridan felt a little kick to the chest at the familiar way Alek embraced her, holding on for longer than was necessary, in her opinion.She nearly jumped at the sound of an angry snarl behind her.

“Down, boy,” the woman hugging Alek said when she stepped out of his embrace.“I married you, remember?”

A very tall man in a Growlers uniform made a point to step between the woman and Alek before pulling her into a possessive side-hug.

“Bergeron,” he bit out.

Alek taunted him with a cocky grin.“Van Horn.You must not be treating your wife right if she’s hugging other men.”

“Knock it off, both of you,” Collin demanded as he slipped between them.“We recently put all that bad blood press to bed.Could you two at least act like you like each other?”He glared at Alek.“You both represent the same city.The goal is for you to share fans, remember?”

Gus snorted as he leaned in to give the Growlers quarterback a man hug.“Hey, his fans don’t have a problem with me,” Gus said with a laugh.“Can my boy get a pic with you?”

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