I Hate Football Players 3 | 18+

Chapter 81: Logan

"You two look better." Mom smiled warmly at me the next morning when she and Brody entered the apartment, then wrapped Ellie first, then me up in a tight hug.

"We slept pretty well," Ellie admitted as a pink flush crept over her cheeks, then nodded at the dining room table. "Hope this is okay."

Only Ellie would say that.

In addition to some egg and sausage casserole, I'd helped Ellie this morning with bacon, a fruit salad, and my breakfast smoothie. And by 'helped,' I'd put a package of bacon slices on a sheet she'd gotten ready then drooled until they were done in the oven. I was less than excited about all the vegetables she'd tossed into the smoothie and the pond scum color that sloshed some definite chunks around my glass was less than appealing. But I trusted her, plugged my nose, and chugged it down with the hopes it held game-day appropriate ingredients.

Earlier this morning, Ellie and I pulled the dining table out from the wall, borrowed two chairs from Wes and Charlie, and set up breakfast for four. While the lower part of me hoped for a quickie round with Ellie before Mom and Brody came over, my mind reminded me that probably wasn't the best drain of my energy before an earlier game.

So for now, I settled for the warm knot that tugged in my chest at the sight of Mom and Brody as they sat down at our breakfast table with me and my girl. Brody sat on my left, Ellie my right, and Mom across from me.

"Better than the hotel's dry cereal," Mom admitted and scooped herself a full plate.

"So this is what homemade, edible food tastes like." Brody grinned across the table at Ellie.

"Shameless," Mom groaned quietly, then smiled at Ellie. "Brody seems to share the same lack of appreciation for my cooking efforts as Logan did."

"Burning efforts," Brody corrected her but looked at me. "Scotts Valley's fire department already knows our location."

"Listen to this one torment me." Ellie and I pitched our heads sideways like a tennis rally as Mom poked her fork in Brody's direction. "Takes cooking classes this year and thinks he knows everything."

"Really?" I lifted my eyebrows at Brody and the mental image as he stood in a kitchen, let alone cooked in one. "If I'd had the chance, I'd have taken it."

"Trying to avoid food poisoning," Brody responded quietly but his grin never wavered.

"Nothing more attractive than a guy who can cook," Ellie spoke up, then closed her closest eye at me in a wink. Brody's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink at her compliment and he dropped his eyes to his now half-eaten plate.

"Bacon didn't cook itself, baby," I teased her between my two inhaled pieces.

Since most of this food was too filling for a mid-day game, after my smooth chug, I'd gotten two pieces of wheat toast with peanut butter and some yogurt. Ellie had successfully converted me over to whole Greek yogurt, although I still felt it tasted like I ate sour cream and, contrary to her opinion, a handful of strawberries tossed on top hadn't deterred that taste. I couldn't not eat bacon though and nabbed a few pieces right before Brody took half the plate.

Now that just Mom and Brody were here with me and Ellie, Dad's most recent text resurfaced in my mind and slightly dampened my good mood. Our strained relationship hadn't improved with my further distance away but it hadn't gotten any better either. One side glance at Ellie's face, the smile that tugged at her lips between bites, and I knew she deserved to know about whatever shit I dealt with, particularly since they planned to visit here in two weeks.

"Mom," I started and cleared my throat from my last bite of peanut butter toast. "Dad texted me last weekend, said he's coming up here in two weeks for the Arkansas State game but is there more than that?"