Read Online Breaking Tackles: A Taking Flight Novel by Erin Brown - Free Book Online

been?”
     
    “Haven’t had time,” I say. Between two-a-day practices, conditioning, weight training, and team meetings, I barely have time to shower and sleep, let alone squeeze some sightseeing of my new hometown in.
     
    “I figured,” she says. “But you definitely will have time this weekend?”
     
    “Definitely,” I say, before asking, “So how is everyone back home?”
     
    “Good,” Courtney says. “Well, I haven’t actually seen anyone since the end of the semester, but Luke is moving into the frat house early next week since he’s president now and I think Sophie is coming up the day after him. Kate is already all moved in to the sorority house for something called Spirit Week—it has to do with recruitment, I don’t know—and Willa won’t be flying in until the day before school starts.”
     
    “She’s getting in as much time with Dan as possible I’m guessing?”
     
    “That’s exactly it. I seriously thought she was going to stay at John Jay after the summer intensive so they could finally be done with long distance. But, she didn’t.”
     
    “Well, she does have a full ride to Mizzou,” I point out. “Plus, you, Sophie, and Kate are there.”
     
    “True,” she says. “But there’s only so much “hoes before bros” a girl can take.”
     
    I laugh and then hear the truth in the joke. “I’m excited that you’ll be here soon.”
     
    “Me, too,” she says, her voice becoming a little dreamy. “I’ve missed you.”
     
    “I miss you, too,” I say. “More than I realized.”
     
    “I don’t know if I should be offended by that or not.”
     
    “You know what I mean,” I say as I turn into my apartment complex, rolling down the window to scan my entry card.
     
    “If what you mean is that you miss me more than you love football, I do.”
     
    I smile at that. Mostly because of how true it is.
     
    “That is exactly it. I can’t wait to show you around New Orleans.”
     
    “Do you actually know of any places other than your apartment and the field house to show me?”
     
    “The McDonalds drive-thru on the way to the field house?”
     
    She laughs long and hard at that. “Are you single-handedly keeping them open?”
     
    “It’s possible.”
     
    “How the team nutritionist hasn’t put you on a better diet, I do not know.”
     
    “I’m pretty sure they don’t care what I eat so long as I keep doing well in practice.”
     
    “Maybe so,” she says. “And McDonalds is greasily delicious.”
     
    “So what you’re saying is that we’ll be eating lots of McDonalds while you’re in town?”
     
    “Hell to the no,” she says. “Café du Monde or bust, baby.”
     
    “For every meal?”
     
    “Of course not,” she says casually. “I expect to eat at at least one celebrity chef restaurant.”
     
    Shit. I should have thought to make reservations somewhere.
     
    “Okay,” I say, hoping I can call one of my teammates and see if anyone any connections.
     
    “I was kidding,” she says. “Those places are crazy expensive, right?”
     
    “Do you want to go?”
     
    “I mean, those restaurants are supposed to be some of the best.”
     
    “I assume they’re famous for a reason. I’ll make us reservations.”
     
    “You don’t have to. Really.”
     
    “Nope. We’re going.”
     
    “Can we even get reservations this late?”
     
    “I’ll make it happen.”
     
    “Okay,” she says warily. “But if you can’t, it’s really not a big deal. I’m happy to just go to the store and pick up Easy Mac if that means spending time with you.”
     
    “We wouldn’t even have to go to the store for that. I have Easy Mac in the pantry.”
     
    Courtney laughs and says, “Perfect. Just clean your apartment, take me to Café du Monde, and we’re set for the weekend.”
     
    “Yes ma’am.”
     
    I hear someone in the background talking to Courtney and she says, “Hey, I’m so sorry, but I have to go to family dinner.”
     
    “On a