Free Love Notes and Football by Rhonda Laurel Page A

he was at a hundred percent, and that’s where he needed to be to get his job done safely. The league was being pummeled these days about injuries and concussions, and many great retired players were living in never-ending pain because of their dedication to the game.
    “You ready babe?” Morgan asked softly and smiled at the boys who were sitting in their portable baby seats.
    “Ready,” Seth said as he came into the living room wearing his uniform and helmet.
    Jake had cried for an hour the first time he’d seen Seth dressed in his football gear, so Morgan thought getting the boys acclimated to the sight earlier would alleviate the fear of their father’s helmet. Morgan gently rubbed Connor and Colby’s arms as Seth came closer to the couch. She looked at her infant sons, whose eyes were focusing on Seth as he inched forward.
    Jake smiled at them. “It’s OK babies. Just Daddy. He’s not scary.”
    Seth waved to them.
    The twins continued to stare at him for a bit but it wasn’t until Seth took off the helmet that the babies gave him a faint smile.
    Seth removed his jersey and his upper body padding. “We have been blessed to have to children with even temperaments.”
    “Think you can watch them for a while? Jake and I have are going to make cookies before I go to my dad’s house,” Morgan said.
    “Sure.” Seth turned to the twins. “Boys it’s time for your first lesson in football basics.”
    Morgan led Jake into the kitchen and took out her cookbook. The recipe yielded two dozen cookies, but she’d learned her lesson. Seth ate them as fast she made them, so she tripled the recipe. She took the step stool from the pantry so Jake could climb up and see what was going on.
    Morgan and Jake pressed out the first batch with cookie cutters and she placed them in the oven. She then hit the play button on the iPod and Jingle Bell Rock started blaring from the docking station. She grabbed Jake’s hands and swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the music. She was having so much fun she didn’t realize Seth had entered the kitchen. Morgan swung around, breathing hard from her dancing, and saw him leaning against the door.
    “Hey!” she panted. “Where are the boys?”
    “Taking a nap.” Seth held up the baby monitor.
    Morgan narrowed her eyes. “I don’t see how you get them to sleep at the same time.”
    “I know how to coax team work.” Seth snagged a gingerbread man.
    “These are for my dad. I’ve made you a batch of your own so you won’t deplete the inventory.” She glared at him and placed the last few cookies in the tin.
    “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Seth asked as he moved closer to share a gingerbread arm with Jake.
    “No, that’s OK. I won’t stay long. I’ll be back before the babies wake up.”
    Seth looked at Jake. “What are the chances the three of them will nap at the same time?”
    “Slim to none.” Morgan snapped the top on the cookie tin and grabbed her keys. “Have fun, Daddy.”
    Morgan got out of the car with the tin of cookies and bounded up the porch steps. She was going to have a good talk with him. He was pushing himself doing yard work and fixing things around the house when no one was around. If he kept that up, he was going to wind up back in the hospital.
    “Hey, cookies!” Curtis helped her out of her coat and led her into the kitchen.
    “Later. Right now I’ve come here for another reason.”
    “Uh-oh. I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
    Morgan took her time making herself a cup of tea but finally sat down when she heard him tapping his fingers on the table.
    “Dad, I think you should move.”
    “What?”
    “Jared’s new development is breaking ground soon, and I think moving to a smaller, newer place with less upkeep would be good for you. Seth and I would love to give this to you and Sydney as an anniversary present. It would mean a lot to both of us if you said yes.”
    “To tell you the truth I’ve been