“Richard,” Marlena warns.“Cálmate, mi amor.”
I can’t speak Spanish for shit, but I took four years of it in high school, so I understand it well enough. And I think she just told Coach to calm down. And she called the old goat her love.
Marlena holds out her arm to usher us to the dining room. “Why don’t we have some dinner, and we can get to know you a little bit, Billy.”
I’m sure there’s nothing more Coach wants than to have dinner with me.
We file into the other room, where Marlena has a pot roast steaming in the middle of the dining room table. Giant windows look out to the backyard where there’s a pool and pool house. I have to admit that Coach’s place is pretty dope.
Roxy and I sit next to each other. Coach takes a seat at the end, next to Roxy, and his wife sits across from her daughter.
“So Billy,” Marlena says. “What position are you on the team?”
“Growing up, I played quarterback, and then I got switched to wide receiver my freshman year at Lone Star, and most recently defensive back. I’m the safety.”
“Goodness, that’s a lot of movement. That’s not typical, is it?”
“No, ma’am. It’s not.”
She frowns and glances at her husband, who slices the pot roast like it personally offended him. Then she turns back to me. “Which position do you like the most?”
“I loved playing quarterback, but I’m trying my best to give defense everything I’ve got.”
She nods, but her lips twist, and she side-eyes her husband again.
Roxy places her hand on mine and gives me a sweet smile. “Billy is being modest, Mom. He killed it at all three positions. He was an all-state QB in high school, which is what Coach Sully recruited him for, broke a school record for most receiving yards in one game as a wide receiver, and had five interceptions, the second highest in the conference, last year as a safety.”
When she says it like that, I don’t feel like such a damn loser. “Thanks, biscuit.”
Her mom chuckles. “What a sweet nickname. How did that come about?”
“Rox made these incredible biscuits last fall for the football house. They were rich and buttery. Super flaky. We loved them so much, my roommates and I almost came to blows over who was gonna get the last one.”
Marlena laughs. “I’m guessing that was my mother-in-law’s recipe. She was a fine cook, and she and Roxy spent a lot of time together in the kitchen.”
Coach takes the stack of plates and slaps slices of meat on each one before his wife hands them out. Then she tells us to serve our own sides. There’s mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn, steamed broccoli, and cornbread. Jesus, the women in this family can cook.
My mouth waters as I stare at the mountain of food on my plate. I start to slice the roast when Coach clears his throat and offers me another glare. “In this family, we say grace first.”
He isn’t gonna make tonight easy for me, is he? I nod and put down my silverware.
When he bows his head, I follow suit.
“Dear Lord, thank you for this great bounty. Please bless this food and keep me from committing a homicide.”
“Richard!” Marlena smacks his arm. “What has gotten into you?”
His jaw tightens. “It’s not what’s gotten into me. Shouldn’t you be asking what got into your daughter?”
Roxy gasps. “Dad!”
Holy shit. He’s flipped his fucking lid.
“That’s enough!” Marlena throws down her napkin. “You’re acting like a damn child. If you’re going to be this way, I’m taking the kids out to eat, and you can sulk by yourself. We waited to have this dinner so you could calm down, and now you’re ruining everything.”
Marlena starts to sniffle, and Coach closes his eyes. “Preciosa, I’m sorry.” He clears his throat and then looks at Roxy. “Please forgive me, Roxanne.”
I stare at my plate of food, wondering if I’m ever going to be able to enjoy this roast.
