Page 36 of Offside Rules

He glances at my phone. I’m not asking how much he heard. Between the eggs and the omelet, he probably got the point.

"You asked about the next trip before I left," he points at the fridge where a Hawkeyes season game sheet is now hanging up where it wasn’t before. I don’t know how I missed it. He must have put it there this morning before I came in. "That goes through the end of the regular season."

I walk over to it, scanning over the dates. Home games and away games are marked separately, and he’s written the departure and return times for the next trip in the margin.

"Thank you." I lay it on the clear end of the island. "I just need to know when I can leave things out without getting in your way."

"You don’t have to put everything away when I’m home." He looks at the boxes. "Keep going. I’m not waiting for you to finish so I can use the kitchen."

The San Diego game is farther down the page, a little less than five weeks away. Hopefully, I’ll be cooking downstairs by then. My parents can see the repaired kitchen, Beau can see that I’m doing fine, and we can have one dinner without somebody asking whether Wolf is leaving me alone.

That would be nice.

"You’re gone three nights next time?" I ask.

"Yeah. We leave Monday after practice. Get back early Thursday morning."

"Okay." I look at the return time. "Should I clear out before you get home?"

"At three in the morning?"

"If I’m still baking."

"You can be here. I don’t mind when you’re around. The apartment always smells good too."

I go back to packing before he catches me smiling.

"How’s Sprinkles?" he asks.

"Four tries to start her yesterday."

He sets his mug beside the sink. "I think I know what’s wrong. I ran the diagnostic when we did your route, but I wanted to check a couple things before ordering parts. Then we left town."

"You think you can fix her?"

"I think so. What’s your lightest delivery day?"

"You don’t have to do that."

"I know. What day?"

I press the lid onto the last box. Paying a mechanic is one thing. Having Wolf spend his morning fixing my truck is another favor I’ll have to explain if Beau finds out.

"Let me check my orders."

"Let me know." He takes the top two boxes and carries them to the cart by the door. I follow with the last one. "And if she won’t start today, call me."

"I’m not making you my regular driver."

"I didn’t apply for the position."

"Good. The pay is terrible."

"I noticed."

I laugh as I secure the boxes. Beau would hate that I’m considering letting him fix Sprinkles. He’d hate the laughing too.

Wolf points back toward the island. "And I’m leaving the tape alone."