Love Notes and Football Read Free

he’s one of the strongest people I know. I don’t believe he’ll let this lick him.”
     
    * * *
     
     
    Seth’s excitement about the new season had diminished since the news of his father-in-law’s heart attack, but he vowed to keep his head in the game. There had been some trades and a few new players, but the structure of the team remained intact. His teammates Patton, Elton and Mike were in a good mood, happy that he had re-signed with the team. His agent, Luke, informed him that there were some new endorsement deals coming down the pike, including Hard Target. The footwear retailer wanted to do another buddy commercial with Patton and him. They’d had a blast shooting the last one.
    Seth walked back to the locker room, in desperate need of his custom shower after the grueling practice. He smiled when he opened his locker and saw the picture of Morgan and Jake on the door. He listened as the guys were ribbing each other about their off-season antics. There had been parties and wild exotic vacations. He used to be the go-to guy for parties, but these days he scheduled play dates. Since he was no longer the most eligible bachelor in Philadelphia, he’d turned into the old man of the team.
    “Blake, we’re going out. You in?” Lamont called out behind him.
    Seth sighed. “No thanks, Lamont.” He was determined to stay as far away from Lamont Brayer as he could. His attempts to be friendly to him ended last year after that fiasco of a dinner party. Seth turned around and caught Lamont looking at the picture of Morgan and Jake. He closed his locker and pulled a T-shirt over his head.
    “Wife got you on a short leash?” Lamont laughed.
    “Sure does. And it has a diamond-studded collar.” Seth grinned.
    There were a few laughs from the other guys. Lamont’s jaw ticked but he didn’t respond. “What about you, Patton?”
    Patton slammed his locker shut. “Nina has some work to do tonight, so I have bedtime duty with Gabby.”
    “I wouldn’t let no wife and kids slow me down,” Lamont said, shaking his head.
    “I’ll leave the night life to you single boys. I like going home to my woman, who I love very much, and I get to read my little boy a story tonight.” Seth slung his duffle bag over his shoulder. “Patton, you ready?”
    Seth and Patton burst out laughing as they made their way around the corner to the elevators. Lamont’s attempt to make them feel bad for being happily married had fallen short in a big way.
    “Can you believe that idiot?” Patton asked.
    Seth scratched at his five o’clock shadow. “I liked it better when Lamont hated my guts.”
    “How’s your father-in-law?”
    “He’s doing a little better, but we’re still waiting to hear more.”
    “Is it OK to bring Gabby over on Saturday?”
    “Of course. I miss my goddaughter. I haven’t seen her in months.”
    “I feel for Jake. He can’t get away from her. She follows him around the penthouse.”
    Seth laughed. “Well, it’s good practice for having a sibling. I used to follow my brother J.J. everywhere he went. It irritated the hell out of him until one day he gave up and accepted that I wasn’t going anywhere.”
    He hoped arranging play dates would help Jake be open to the impending new addition to the family. Gabby followed him around the house as best she could before Jake would finally ditch her to avoid the kisses she often tried to give him. But Jake was a good-natured child and took it in stride. Seth thought maybe he secretly liked having the ladies hot on his heels, like the rest of the Blake boys.
     
    * * *
     
     
    Morgan leaned the empty boxes against the wall of the guest room. Some of the accent pieces would be packed and moved to the remaining bedrooms, and the rest would go into storage to make room for the new nursery. She surveyed the room and a note on the bed caught her eye. Morgan knew Seth’s embellished handwriting anywhere.
     
     
    Morgan,
     
     
    I know it is tempting to organize the