The Safety's Sideline Obsession

Family Dinner

Caylee

“Who wants dessert?” My dad asks with a teasing look. He knows it’s a silly question. The only person likely to refuse is my mom. The rest of us eat like him and we never turn down dessert.

I glance across the table to see my younger brother Alex make a ‘seriously dad’ face at him.

My older brother, Sean nudges me. “What are you going to order Caycay?”

“Something you won’t try to steal half of.” I tell him with a look. He grins.

His twin, Liam, laughs as he hears that. He answers “There’s not much the human garbage disposal that is Sean Jameson will not eat.” I nod and hear my younger sister, Quinn add in. “Like you are any better Liam. Our brothers are like human tapeworms with the amount of food you’ve stolen from Caylee and I growing up.”

My mama starts laughing at that nodding her head with a knowing grin. She tells the waitress she is skipping dessert. I watch my dad look at her with a soft smile. He’ll order something she likes and make sure she gets a few bites. Sure enough, I hear him order the chocolate cake which is one of her favorites. I smile watching them as she shakes her head when he orders. She knows exactly why he picked that one. My parents are adorable and it doesn’t even bother any of us Jameson kids to admit that. They still hold hands constantly and my dad is embracing her any chance he gets. They have a forever love that we all hope to find too.

“I can’t believe this will be our last family dinner for a month.” Mama says gazing at all of us. She looks slightly sad. My older brothers were both signed in the spring by the NFL team my dad played for, the Tarrant Tornadoes. Sean is a wide receiver while Liam is a tight end like my daddy was. With their game schedule, they won’t be available many weekends until the season is over.

Sean smiles at her. “Don’t worry Mama, we’ll figure it out. And you’re coming to some of our games. We’ll take you to dinner when you do.”

Dad laughs. “We’ve been waiting for this day sweetheart. The day when our grocery goblins start buying dinner for us.” He grins at my brothers who both laugh.

I leave in two days to go back to college beginning my junior year at Harrisville University, my parents alma mater and where my brothers went too. They played football there the last four years and this will be my first year without any of my siblings in the same school as me. I won’t know what to do without the twins popping in randomly to eat with me or have impromptu movie nights.

I lost one of my best friends too for this year. Violet Mitchell, the daughter of my mom’s best friend Delaney and her husband Clint who is one of dad’s best friends. She’s also dating my brother Sean and will be my sister-in-law soon as besotted as they are with each other. Sean has found his forever love and he is more than proud of it. They’ve been together since they were sixteen. Earlier this summer she moved in with him.

As they bring out our dessert, Sean grumbles a little seeing I ordered key lime pie. He’s not a pie eater but Liam is. I move it closer to Sean knowing it’s in danger otherwise. Alex and Quinn are splitting up their desserts to share. They’ve done that since they were little. I look over to see my dad sliding the cake plate closer to Mama. She takes a few bites before handing him the fork.

I’m busy fending Liam away from my pie when I hear my dad call out. “Hey Noah!” My eyes quickly dart up to find intense bluish green eyes locked onto mine. They move away to Dad as he says “Hey Uncle Webb, Aunt Sof.” He moves closer to them as my mom stands to embrace him. A soft barely there smile on his gorgeous face as he leans down to return the hug.

Noah Sterns, the son of Mama and Dad’s best friends Colby and Ava. Oh and one of my older brothers’ best friends too. He’s the same age as them, two years older than me. Sean and Liam stand up to give him the usual quick back patting guy embrace. I take the opportunity to study him. He got a haircut I notice. His dark brown hair was pretty shaggy when I saw him last at the beginning of the summer. Now the sides are short and the top a little long. Blue eyes with a tinge of green under thick brows and a tan complexion to round out a face of a Greek god model. He doesn’t smile much, his expression always serious. Nor does Noah talk much. He’s always been the quiet one out of Sean and Liam’s circle of friends. Violet’s twin Eli and another family friend, Chad round out their quintet. He’s huge at almost six four with the toned physique you could drool over. Most of the campus females did it any time he walked past them. Not that I did…at least in public. But summer pool parties and my dreams, that was another story.

Dad’s voice breaks me out of my perusal of him. “Ready to go back to school?”

His familiar deep voice, with such a rich timbre, fills my ears as I listen closely. I suppress the shiver I get every time I hear him talk. “Yes sir. That training program was intense.”

Mama adds “We’ll come pick up your boxes to haul on Tuesday. Are you sure you don’t want to ride with us sweetie?”

Again, he smiles at my mom. He’s always had a soft spot for her. “Thanks Aunt Sof but until my truck is fixed, I’ll need a way around campus. I’ll take my bike.”

Yeah he rides a motorcycle too. A sleek black one that he’s had since high school. Helps further the badboy reputation he has on campus. He’ll be starting his senior year there. He’s the same age as my brothers but Noah had to be held back in high school due to an accident and he’s a year behind them now. The girls around the school whisper all sorts of things about Noah. Things I usually have to plug my ears for.

A waiter walks up with a huge to go bag handing it to Noah. “I’d better get this home. Dad’s probably starving. Bye everyone.” He raises the bag in a wave and I catch his eyes one more time before he reluctantly walks out. His eyes linger for only a second and my cheeks start to burn. He has that effect on me with one damn look I swear. I hurry to look down as the door shuts behind him hoping none of my family noticed. I glance up to find Mama staring at me. I let out a slow deep breath reminding myself how things are. Silly Caylee, he’s one of your oldest family friends. Part of the circus that has raised all of us.

I take a deep centering breath and look up to find my mama watching me with a soft smile. “Is your pie good sweetie?” She asks.

I take a big bite nodding. “Delicious.” Liam uses the opportunity to swipe his fork in and steal some. I pretend to stab him with my fork. Sibling defense over snacks is such a real thing and normally I’m faster. My reaction time is off and I refuse to acknowledge why. Until the little voice inside reminds me it’s because of Noah, the first crush I ever had and sometimes it’s hard to remember that I need to forget about him. Not look at him in that light anymore. This year should be interesting with just he and I on campus. Though I may have no classes with him but I can’t help but find him anytime he is nearby. I seem to be drawn like a magnet to him no matter how many times I tell myself it can’t go anywhere. Vaguely in the back of my mind is the guy I’ve been dating for almost a year.

I wonder how this year is going to go…..

Noah

I slowly climb on my bike after securing the bag. Glancing back toward the door. I almost sat down when they invited. Anything to see her up close for a few minutes after weeks of nothing. Drinking in the sight of her while not giving that away. Caylee Jameson, my secret obsession that I cannot forget no matter what I do. This year it will be just she and I from our family of friends at Harrisville. Her brothers not around for the first time ever as a buffer….though she’s still dating him. I pull my helmet down shaking my head at myself. One thing’s for sure, it should be an interesting year.