“I noticed that, which is why I want to work with the defense on a particular maneuver and maybe force a few turnovers.”

“Good idea.”

“Are we still going with the same offense as last week?”

Shawn nodded. “Pretty much. “I think we should focus on the passing game, move Schumacher to the tight-end position. I’m going to run Justin through the receiver drills as well.”

Jake nodded. “Good move. He’s a big boy but he’s agile as all get out, can catch a ball and move down the field in a hurry. Opponents will never see these trick plays coming.”

The two men were joined by more coaching staff and the strategizing session continued. Practice went great and while the boys were boasting their undefeated season, Jake warned them not to get cocky. For them, he explained, the hard work was just beginning.

Once he left work, the real challenge began for him as well. He fired up his SUV and navigated the city streets by rote, his mind back in the office and on the conversation he’d had with his brother.

“It was just a date, man.” Jake laughed to further convey to his older brother how unimportant his night with Dominique had been, even as he silently kicked himself for even bringing her up. All of his other brothers were married, happily, and had kids. They’d not been as scarred by their father’s death as Jake had been. And there was little if anything about one brother’s life that the other brothers didn’t eventually know about.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Harold replied, not buying Jake’s casual act for a second. “But it sounds like much more than that. What’s her name again?”

“Dominique.” As Jake said it, a warm, fuzzy feeling rose up inside him.

“Tell me about her.”

“She’s the editor of a magazine for full-figured women, some bougie executive gig in which she’s obviously in control.”

“It wouldn’t happen to be Capricious, would it?”

“As a matter of fact, that’s it. How do you know about it?”

“Man, Mary grabs each issue out of the mail and reads it like the Bible.” Mary, Harold’s wife, could cook southern cuisine like nobody’s business. Which was part of the reason this couple and their children were all overweight. “I must admit that while in the bathroom I’ve even picked it up a time or two. Come to think of it, one of my favorite articles was about big and tall NFL dudes.”

Jake’s interest was immediately piqued. “Who was in it?”

“Michael Oher, Brian Waters, Will Shields, Mario Williams, Nick Fairley, cats like that. Large, in charge, and playing the field.” Harold laughed, remembering the catchy phrase that had pulled him into reading not only that article but most of the magazine. “Good stuff.”