Off Season (The Blake Boys Book 15) by Rhonda Laurel

Avery glared at him to stop gushing. She extended her hand to Riley. “Nice to meet you.”
    “The pleasure is all mine, Avery.” Riley happily shook her hand and flashed her a devilish smile. “Beautiful name, just like you.”
    “Thanks.” Avery blushed. “Do you like to ride?”
    Before Riley could part his lips, Seth shot the quarterback a deadly look. “Choose your words very carefully, hotshot.”
    Riley let out a nervous laugh. “I’m more partial to fast cars than stallions. I've driven at full speed in my Bugatti.”
    “Surely you’re joking?”
    “No, I have the owner’s manual in the car if you’d like me to prove it. We could pop over to Seth’s house, and I could show it to you. I bet I could open it up on the dirt roads on this ranch.” He winked at her.
    She recoiled in disgust. “No, thanks. It sounds dangerous. But if you want to speed around like a lunatic, maybe Uncle Tyler would let you use the race track.”
    “Of course I don’t always go that fast,” Riley backtracked. “There’s a real race track here?”
    “He’s a real race car driver.” Avery put her hand on her hip.
    Seth laughed to himself. Avery was a safety nut and the last girl who would be impressed by that fast, flashy toy Riley drove.
    “I prefer equestrian racing,” Avery said. “There’s nothing more liberating than being one with a horse while riding the open terrain.”
    “I could learn to appreciate that. I’m a quick study.” Riley stroked his chin.
    Seth’s jaw ticked. “Now’s a good time to learn when to shut your mouth.”
    “Uncle Seth, is it OK if I have dinner at your house tonight? I thought I’d help Jake with his lines for the school play afterward. I took a drama workshop and I could show him a few things that may help with stage fright.”
    “You know you never have to ask. I’m going to try my hand at the Asian meal Michelle prepared on her show last week.”
    “Sounds delicious. Will Aunt Morgan have hotdogs on standby?” She scrunched her nose.
    “Of course. See you at five sharp.”
    Seth stood in Riley’s line of sight as Avery walked Comet into the stables. “I’m only going to say this once. If you go anywhere my niece, you’ll be on the injured list for the rest of your life.”
    “What?” Riley gave him an incredulous look while trying to catch another glimpse of her over his shoulder.
    “Mount your horse, Romeo.” Seth straddled his horse Iris. He watched Riley’s inelegant attempt to get on the horse. It was downright cringe worthy. “Is there a problem?”
    “No.” Riley said as he failed to straddle the horse again. “This country stuff doesn’t come natural to me.”
    Seth grinned. “Sounds like the whining of a pampered city boy.”
    Riley’s horse Opal must have sensed his hesitation, because she wouldn’t move when Riley maneuvered the reins. Seth got closer and put his hand on Opal’s head.
    “Opal, we’re going to give him a break today. He’s a city boy and a little nervous, even though he’s trying not to show it.”
    The horse calmed down and allowed Riley to get into the saddle. He thought the horseback tour of the ranch would be a good icebreaker and he was right. Seth started slowly at first, on flat land, so Riley could get comfortable. Soon they picked up a steady rhythm, so Seth went up the sloping hill in the direction of Bo’s house. The view was spectacular, and you could see all the homes on the ranch. They started talking about different things, everything except football. Seth got down, strode over to the fence, and leaned against it. Riley followed suit.
    “What do you want out of your football career, Riley?”
    “A Super Bowl ring. Make that multiple rings. Like you.”
    “OK. You can’t do it alone. How are you going to convince your team to help you achieve that?”
    “It’s a no-brainer. They were hired to do a job too. They want it just like I do. I know in your hay day being buddies and bonding in the locker room