The Guy Named Harrison: Book Two

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Luke's parents were awesome. Eileen and Tom Kuechly happily welcomed Harrison, Carrie, and Riley into their home for a few days. They were like a third set of grandparents to Riley. Harrison knew them so well for so many years even though Carrie hardly knew them, they already felt like family.

Luke also did a great job of showing them around his home of Cincinnati. Yesterday they went and watched the Reds get crushed by the Dodgers. Quite a few of the guys Carrie met during her internship with the Dodgers still played for them. So she got to see a few familiar faces as Luke threw out the first pitch. It was so much fun to sit and watch a professional game with Harrison. Especially because it was baseball. Carrie loved baseball after football and she got to spend some uninterrupted time with her husband. Harrison was always so busy with football, they never really had a chance to go to a professional baseball or basketball game.

Carrie helped Luke's mom, Eileen with an early dinner as the guys played with Riley. Uncle Luke was an instant favorite of hers. She absolutely loved Luke. Every time Luke came over or they went to Luke's, she always wanted him, and that was perfectly okay with her parents. Less time they had to watch her for.

She slid the tray of chicken into the oven. "So Carrie, when did you decide you didn't want to go into acting like your mom?"

"When she tried to make me sing solo on broadway," Carrie answered with a smile, getting them both to laugh.

"Just like Luke didn't want to be an electrician like his father."

Carrie loved getting to know the Kuechly's. She learned so much more about Luke and his family. Like the fact that Luke's older brother John was in the military. And Harrison was in with his mom on a plan to surprise Luke with his brothers return from his three year deployment during their Salute to Service Night.

Just then Luke walked into the kitchen holding Riley. "Need any help mom?"

"Carrie and I are all set. We just put the chicken in. And it looks like you already have your hands full," Eileen answered.

"Riley is getting the full tour of the Kuechly household where Uncle Luke grew up. Isn't that right Riley?"

She smiled up at him and Carrie had to add, "you can watch her anytime you want."

➄➈

The reason for the early dinner was that Luke was taking the two of them to a football game at the high school he attended while his parents watched Riley.

St. Xavier had arguably the best football program in all of Ohio. When Luke was there, they won a state championship. And Luke said they continue to be a playoff team almost every season.

Harrison and Carrie waited for Luke as he bought tickets. Harrison wore his glasses under a white Nike hat, a Panthers pullover, and jeans. Carrie wore a hat and jeans as well, but also wore one of Luke's oversized St. Xavier football sweatshirts.

He came back with the tickets. "Let's go."

This was like a homecoming for Luke. He eagerly led them to the exact spot along the fence where his parents stood and watched the game.

The game between St. Xavier and a rival Ohio team had already started when they arrived. And that was because Riley didn't want Luke and her parents to leave.

Carrie looked around as Harrison and Luke broke down every play the Bombers ran. "That was awesome," Harrison admitted. "He broke right through the O-line."

"That was our favorite play to run on defense. No offense in the state could stop us."

➄➈

Throughout the game, people walked by where they stood and asked Luke for a picture or autograph. Carrie was quite surprised how few people recognized the faces of the Panthers defense. Nobody recognized Harrison. And he was perfectly fine with that.

They watched a guy walk past and call Luke Clark Kent. Luke gave him a high five and he kept walking.

"What's with Clark Kent?"

"People called me that when I went here. Because I wore my glasses in school, they said I looked a lot like Clark Kent."

Harrison started to laugh after making the comparison himself. "That is so true."