him.
“Please, Mrs. Haggarty is John’s mother. Just Rachel is fine,” she said, looking at Haven expectantly.
Haven finally noticed her glare and remembered her mother didn’t know anything about Brody.
“Mom, this is Brody Jackson. We… um… well, he’s a friend I met through work.” Haven took the box from Brody so he could shake her mother’s hand.
“Brody. That’s a good, strong name. Now where did you grow up, dear?” Rachel motioned Brody toward the kitchen as they followed behind Haven.
“Kansas, ma’am.” Brody glanced around the big house with wood floors and sparkling windows that looked out on a huge backyard.
“Have you lived here long?”
“No, ma’am. Just a few months.”
“And what is it you do?” Rachel took a bowl of salad from Haven and placed it in the fridge then smiled approvingly at the banana cake her husband loved so much.
“I play football. Arena football. Our season started a few weeks ago and wraps up around the end of June if we make the playoffs.”
“Football, huh? Well, I’m sure you’ll find plenty to talk about with my husband. He lives for football season,” Rachel said, asking Brody if he wanted a glass of iced tea. He shook his head but offered his thanks.
“Why doesn’t Dad go to the arena football games, Mom? I’ve got tickets if he ever wants to go.”
“You know how busy he is this time of year getting ready for spring planting, honey. He just doesn’t have time.” Rachel gave Haven a look that said she’d corner her later for a long discussion about Brody.
“Where are the guys?” Haven asked, hoping to postpone explaining to her mother why she showed up with a man who could be a professional model if he ever gave up the desire to play football.
“In the man cave. Your brothers want to go shooting. If you hurry, you can catch them and go along,” Rachel said, pointed to the kitchen door.
“Come on, Brody.” Haven grabbed his hand and hurried out the door into a large three-car garage. He noticed a shiny new pickup parked alongside a newer SUV.
“It’s down here.” Haven held open a door. He followed her down a set of steps into a basement. Mounted deer and elk heads lined one wall. Another held a big screen TV and four big recliners sat in a semi-circle in front of it. Three men stood in front of the biggest gun safe Brody had ever seen.
“Hey, there. Mom said you’re going shooting. Can we go along?” Haven approached her dad and brothers.
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you?” John Haggarty asked, engulfing his daughter in a warm hug. “You get prettier every time I see you.”
“Daddy,” Haven said, embarrassed. Before she could introduce him, Hale and Tom spied Brody standing by the steps.
“Brody, man! What are you doing here?” Tom rushed over to shake his hand before Hale could tell him to be quiet.
“Haven invited me to come along with her today.” Brody returned Tom’s handshake then walked over to shake Hale’s hand.
“You’re kidding, right?” Tom looked from Haven to Brody. Hale gave him a not so subtle elbow to the ribs when he started to say something else, causing him to clamp his mouth shut.
“Daddy, this is my friend, Brody Jackson. He’s a wide receiver on the arena football team.” Haven smiled encouragingly at Brody. “This is my dad, John.”
“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Brody said. Haven did indeed have her father’s blue eyes although his tall, brawny frame closely resembled those of his sons.
“Pleasure’s all mine, son. So you play football,” John said, excited at the prospect of discussing the game with Brody.
He tried to hide the shock of seeing his little girl with a big, strapping man who looked like he belonged in one of the advertisements she masterminded. It was about time some boy turned her head, though.
“You two want to go shooting?” John took out a pistol and handed it to Haven. She weighed it in her hand and returned it to the gun safe, selecting one
“Please, Mrs. Haggarty is John’s mother. Just Rachel is fine,” she said, looking at Haven expectantly.
Haven finally noticed her glare and remembered her mother didn’t know anything about Brody.
“Mom, this is Brody Jackson. We… um… well, he’s a friend I met through work.” Haven took the box from Brody so he could shake her mother’s hand.
“Brody. That’s a good, strong name. Now where did you grow up, dear?” Rachel motioned Brody toward the kitchen as they followed behind Haven.
“Kansas, ma’am.” Brody glanced around the big house with wood floors and sparkling windows that looked out on a huge backyard.
“Have you lived here long?”
“No, ma’am. Just a few months.”
“And what is it you do?” Rachel took a bowl of salad from Haven and placed it in the fridge then smiled approvingly at the banana cake her husband loved so much.
“I play football. Arena football. Our season started a few weeks ago and wraps up around the end of June if we make the playoffs.”
“Football, huh? Well, I’m sure you’ll find plenty to talk about with my husband. He lives for football season,” Rachel said, asking Brody if he wanted a glass of iced tea. He shook his head but offered his thanks.
“Why doesn’t Dad go to the arena football games, Mom? I’ve got tickets if he ever wants to go.”
“You know how busy he is this time of year getting ready for spring planting, honey. He just doesn’t have time.” Rachel gave Haven a look that said she’d corner her later for a long discussion about Brody.
“Where are the guys?” Haven asked, hoping to postpone explaining to her mother why she showed up with a man who could be a professional model if he ever gave up the desire to play football.
“In the man cave. Your brothers want to go shooting. If you hurry, you can catch them and go along,” Rachel said, pointed to the kitchen door.
“Come on, Brody.” Haven grabbed his hand and hurried out the door into a large three-car garage. He noticed a shiny new pickup parked alongside a newer SUV.
“It’s down here.” Haven held open a door. He followed her down a set of steps into a basement. Mounted deer and elk heads lined one wall. Another held a big screen TV and four big recliners sat in a semi-circle in front of it. Three men stood in front of the biggest gun safe Brody had ever seen.
“Hey, there. Mom said you’re going shooting. Can we go along?” Haven approached her dad and brothers.
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you?” John Haggarty asked, engulfing his daughter in a warm hug. “You get prettier every time I see you.”
“Daddy,” Haven said, embarrassed. Before she could introduce him, Hale and Tom spied Brody standing by the steps.
“Brody, man! What are you doing here?” Tom rushed over to shake his hand before Hale could tell him to be quiet.
“Haven invited me to come along with her today.” Brody returned Tom’s handshake then walked over to shake Hale’s hand.
“You’re kidding, right?” Tom looked from Haven to Brody. Hale gave him a not so subtle elbow to the ribs when he started to say something else, causing him to clamp his mouth shut.
“Daddy, this is my friend, Brody Jackson. He’s a wide receiver on the arena football team.” Haven smiled encouragingly at Brody. “This is my dad, John.”
“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Brody said. Haven did indeed have her father’s blue eyes although his tall, brawny frame closely resembled those of his sons.
“Pleasure’s all mine, son. So you play football,” John said, excited at the prospect of discussing the game with Brody.
He tried to hide the shock of seeing his little girl with a big, strapping man who looked like he belonged in one of the advertisements she masterminded. It was about time some boy turned her head, though.
“You two want to go shooting?” John took out a pistol and handed it to Haven. She weighed it in her hand and returned it to the gun safe, selecting one
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