I straightened and regarded my son’s friend, Joe, who was not seventeen or eighteen but sixteen, which was shocking. He looked like he could be a Marine. And he was very cute.

“Yes, Joe. I’m Ms. Hathaway.” I offered my hand. “Nice to meet you. Auden’s talked about you.”

He took my hand briefly then let it go, looking this way and that shyly, as he said, “Yeah. Cool. He’s a good guy.”

“He is,” I agreed.

“Anyway, thanks for doin’ this.” He threw out a hand. “Totally cool.”

“Happy I could help,” I told him.

“Right. Great. Anyway, later,” he muttered and moved to the line.

“Later, Joe,” I called after him.

Mickey’s lips came to my ear. “You and Josie gotta get the fuck outta here or the situation is not gonna be good.”

I pulled my head back so I could catch his eyes and he lifted his so he could give them to me.

“Why?” I asked.

“’Cause your boy’s friend just met his friend’s MILF of a mom and Josie is pure MILF too. So you two better take off so the league doesn’t grow three times its size just so boys can get a look at the possible ass they’ll be tapping when they’re old enough to know what to do with their dicks. Ass they’ll tap because they were smart enough to train to be a fighter.”

I reared away, not getting far as Mickey’s arm around my shoulders tightened, but that didn’t stop me from exclaiming, “Mickey! Really!”

“Babe, I used to be sixteen,” he returned. “Mrs. Getty next door is now seventy-five but she once was forty-five and she saw a lot of sock time.”

I leaned into him. “I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.”

“Think of what poor ole Joe is thinkin’, he’s gotta go to school tomorrow and face his friend with the hot mom.”

“Stop talking,” I ordered sharply.

Mickey burst out laughing.

“Stop laughing,” I demanded hotly.

He didn’t.

What he did was bend to me and touch his mouth to mine still laughing.

I didn’t pull away because there were people around, but I did glare at him when he was done.

“This, right here,” he said. “Again, all you. What you gave the boys, one of ’em my son, the way I feel standin’ beside you with the way you look and what you did for this league. Another flash of happy.”

I instantly stopped glaring.

“Thank you, baby,” he whispered.

I pressed my lips together so they wouldn’t tremble.

“You gonna cry?” he asked.

“No,” I mumbled, but even one syllable, it was shaky.

“Best not kiss you again,” he noted.

“If you say one more gross thing, I’m not having sex with you for a week.”

I got another easy grin. “Like you can hold out that long.”