Bluegrass Undercover (Bluegrass Brothers)

going so I can give my post-game breakdown. Justin is spending the night with Marshall and his dog Bob, so I can spend a little time with you tonight if you don’t have other plans.”
    She turned to him and smiled. Those emerald eyes sparkled and Cade couldn’t help himself. He leaned down and kissed her right in front of all the players, parents, and staff who had come out to see the game. He tightened his arms around her. He loved the feel of her in his arms, but he also knew she’d be mad. She was not in favor of any touching in public, and he had gone and claimed her as his in front of the whole town. So, he held her close in hope that she couldn’t get off a good punch.
    “Okay, I’ll see you tonight,” he heard her muffled voice say from where he had pressed her head to his chest.
    He released her slowly, surprised by the lack of reprimand, and smiled. Oh, yea, she liked him!
    “Be safe going home,” she rolled her eyes as he watched her head for her car.
    “So, that’s what you’ve been busy doing after practice,” Coach Parks chuckled. “What do you think of December? It’s a romantic month, isn’t it?”
    “Ha-ha. Come on , let’s go see if we can salvage this team.” Cade didn’t know if he could or not, but he was going to try.
     
    Cade pulled open the cold steel door to the locker room and walked down the hall to the meeting area where the team met after games. The usual noise of fifty-seven boys talking about the game, girls, and the start to the weekend was absent. Instead only one voice rang out.
    Cade stood at the open door and stared into the meeting room where Trey Everett was up by the chalkboard addressing his teammates who were sitting in the blue chairs waiting for the post-game breakdown.
    “I don’t care what your excuse is Austin. You know that you are not playing as part of the team. You want to go to college on a football scholarship – we all do! But you won’t get there by yourself. I know what you are up to. Hell, this whole team knows what you and the others are up to and we’re saying we’re not putting up with it anymore. Everything we do has consequences and if you all continue down this path, I will turn you in myself. Further, if things don’t change right now we will refuse to go on the field with you.”
    Austin shot up, his long hair wet from sweat sticking to his head, “You can’t do that to me. I can’t afford to go to college without a scholarship!”
    “We know. So, what’s it going to be? Quit S2 and rejoin the team, or have Bobby here start for you? He sure did a good job tonight, didn’t he?” Trey leveled Austin with a stare and held it. Trey may be one of the nicest guys Cade new, but he was also one of the toughest when pushed, and it looked like Austin had pushed him to his limit tonight.
    Austin sat on the chair deflated. “I thought I was helping the team.”
    “You’re tearing it apart,” Ryan said as he stood. “I may only be a freshman, but you all know what I want? I want a championship. I want to see the town plastered with posters announcing the new state champions and our name on the water tower. I know we were given no chance at winning this year, but if we play as a team, we can do it.”
    Cade waited, not wanting his presence to be known as the boys murmured their approval. “So, Austin, what do you say? Are you with us?” Trey asked. The room quieted down and all eyes turned to his quarterback.
    “All the way to State,” Austin smiled. The room erupted in a chant of “State! State! State!”
    Cade walked into the room after a moment of celebration and waited for the boys to quiet down as they saw him head to the front of the room. “I guess I missed something?”
    “Nothing much Coach. We just made a pledge to work together all the way to State,” Trey said from his seat.
    “Sounds like a good pledge. Before we can make it to State we need to look at what has been working for us and what hasn’t. How about a late night tonight gentlemen, and then some hard practices next week so we can show our opponents we’re not letting anything get in our way. ‘Cause, if we win next weekend, we can finish second in the division and be in a good position to make a play for the championship.”
    Cade watched as the same players who last week couldn’t wait to leave, leaned forward in their chairs to get a better view of the breakdown. Not a single person complained at staying late, and not a single person looked at