No Strings Attached. Millie Criswell

a winning season this year thanks to him.”

      “Why that’s wonderful, Ross! Why didn’t you tell me and your father about this?” Lilly’s proud gaze fell on her son, who looked uncomfortable, not to mention extremely annoyed with his girlfriend.

      “I’ve helped out with a few practices. That doesn’t make me a coach,” he insisted.

      “With your football background you’d be very good at it, son,” Fred said. “Perhaps you should think more about it. It’d be a good way to occupy your time. You know what they say about idle hands and all.”

      “Yeah, Ross, you’d be great. And you’d be able to put your football skills to use.” Jack reached for his iced tea and sipped the cold liquid.

      “Ross would rather sit on his butt and collect his disability checks than work for a living. Right, bro?”

      “That’s not fair, Lucas,” Ellen said, coming immediately to Ross’s defense. “Ross was injured. It’s not his fault that—”

      Ross shoved his chair back and stood, cutting off whatever else the well-meaning woman was about to say. “I don’t need a champion, Ellen—I can speak for myself. What I need right now is some fresh air. I’m going outside.” He stormed out of the house, banging the screen door behind him.

      All eyes turned to Ellen, whose face filled with apology. “You’ll have to forgive Ross’s rude behavior. I think he’s upset about something, but I don’t know what it is.” And if she did know, loyal Ellen wasn’t saying.

      Fred’s face reddened in anger. “Ross was downright rude to you, Ellen. You shouldn’t have to put up with that. I raised him better than to be disrespectful to women.” Samantha’s father didn’t get mad often, but when his children disappointed him, he could go from zero to ballistic in three-point-two seconds.

      “He’s not himself, Fred,” Lilly said, playing the role of peacemaker and overlooking her son’s obvious flaws as she so often did.

      “Horseshit! That boy needs a good swift kick in the behind. Quit coddling him, Lilly. He’s not a boy anymore.”

      “Maybe I should go talk to him,” Jack suggested, and Samantha’s mother breathed a sigh of relief.

      “Would you, Jack? Ross has always listened to you.”

      Samantha shook her head, doubting Jack would have much luck with the pigheaded man.

      JACK FOUND ROSS down by the pond, seated on a bench he’d built years ago in high school wood shop.

      “For chrissake, Ross! What the hell’s the matter with you? In all the years I’ve known you I’ve never seen you behave like such an asshole. I feel sorry for Ellen. You seemed to really enjoy running her down. What gives?”

      Ross tossed pebbles into the water, one at a time, making concentric circles on the surface. After a moment, he looked up. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Since I lost my football contract, I’m at loose ends. I’m dying here, Jack.”

      “But that was over two years ago, man. Surely you’ve adjusted by now? Life goes on. You need to get over this pity party of yours and get back into it.”

      Ross shrugged his wide shoulders. “It’s not easy going from the limelight to spreading lime on a field. I’m not cut out for this kind of life. I’m bored…with everything.”

      “So move. Do something different. No one’s making you stay here.”

      “That’s just it. I don’t know what I want to do. Ellen wants me to take the coaching job that’s been offered and settle down to the quiet life here, raise a bunch of babies and watch the grass grow. But I’m not sure I can do that.”

      “Do you love Ellen?”

      The question hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity before Ross replied, “To be honest, I’m not sure. Ellen’s a great girl, and I like her a lot. But I’m not sure if what I’m feeling is love or just comfort at being with her.”

      Samantha’s words rang in Jack’s ears: Ellen is Ross’s security blanket.

      “You’ve been dating this woman off and on for two years. Talk about stringing someone along. If you’re not serious about her—”

      “I don’t know if I’m serious. If you haven’t noticed, Ellen’s not the most exciting woman in the world. She’s so structured and naive. I’m just not sure I could stand that for all eternity. Hell, I’m already bored. What would another twenty or thirty years bring?”

      “Have you spoken to her about it?”

      “That would be like kicking a puppy. I don’t want to hurt her.”

      Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “You and Samantha are a lot alike. You never make things easy on yourselves.”

      “Is Samantha still trying to sell her book?”

      Jack decided to not tell Ross about his sister’s plans to get pregnant. No sense borrowing trouble when there wasn’t any…yet. “Yes, she’s very determined to be published.”

      “At least Samantha knows what she wants. I wish I were that lucky.”

      “Maybe you should explore your options. Try coaching for a while, do a few other things and see if you like any of them. You’re not going to get any answers sitting on your ass being rude to those who love you and are only trying to help.”

      The tall man sighed. “I guess I owe everyone an apology for the way I behaved at dinner.”

      “You sure as hell do.”

      Ross appeared genuinely contrite. “I hate that.”

      Jack laughed. “Yeah, men never like saying they’re sorry. We think it’s too wimp-ass.”

      “Lucas shouldn’t have baited me.”

      “Lucas has been baiting you since the day you were born. That’s what brothers do. But he loves you and I’m sure he’s concerned. You don’t hide your feelings very well.”

      “He’s a good guy, even if he is my brother.”

      “Look,” Jack began, “if things don’t work out for you here or you need a place to work things out, come to New York for a visit. There’s always something happening there.”

      “Thanks. I’ll think about it. I guess I’ve got a lot to think about.”

      Jack sighed. “Don’t we all?”