Did she follow my career? “Why, Parker O’Neal, have you been stalking me?” I smacked my palm against my forehead because I used her maiden name. She didn’t correct me.

“I always knew you were going to go far, so yes, I tracked your career. I was disappointed you chose the Vikings because come on, they haven’t done anything magnificent since the seventies.”

My laughter startled Crowbar awake. I put my hand on his back to calm him. He put his head back down on the pillow once he realized I wasn’t getting murdered. “They took a chance on me, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. Plus, I got a chance to coach some good quarterbacks.” I must have been exhausted because I asked her a question that I shouldn’t have. “What else did you stalk me about?” Was I really flirting with my quarterback’s wife? I panicked before she even answered. “No, never mind. Don’t answer that. It’s late and I’m tired.”

“You never got married. I knew that before dinner the other night.”

I was quiet. I could either be truthful or play it off. There was only one right answer, even if it was a half-truth. “I’m too busy to have a relationship.”

“Come on, Sutton. You always wanted kids.”

There was a pregnant pause. “That’s true, but I didn’t want to have failed relationship after failed relationship and not have anything to show for it. At least being a workaholic takes my mind off other things. Some people can have it all, and some people can’t.”

“I understand. Actually, I don’t. I’m just saying that so you’ll still talk to me.”

I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. What was I doing? “How are your parents? Grayson was kind enough to tell me that they talked about how much they hated me long after we were over.”

“Our relationship is strained to put it mildly. They’re good with the girls, but I’m careful not to let them control them like they did me.”

“That’s a good thing,” I said.

“What’s even better is that they are in Baltimore and don’t have any plans to move to Connecticut anytime soon.”

“Wait. Did they follow you around?”

She sighed heavily. “They did. First Miami, then Pittsburgh, then Baltimore. Thankfully, they really like it there and it’s close enough, like a five-hour drive or one-hour plane ride, so they don’t feel the need to move yet. And I emphasize yet.”

“Your mother hated me. Hated me.” I emphasized hated both times.

“My mother hated everybody I dated. Nobody was good enough.”

“She was probably excited when you dated Grayson. I mean, college graduate, NFL quarterback. That’s probably her dream come true.”