Chapter 8, enjoy! I'm glad you all like me weaving the storylines from season 4 into this story because I love doing it :)
Sorry it's been so long, I posted all my prewritten chapters and have been on a weeklong trip. I thought I'd have plenty of time to write this summer, but between work, trips, and camps I haven't had much downtime. That and I lost interest in this story for a little while...
"I've got an idea," Eric randomly announced during breakfast on Saturday morning.
"An idea for what?" Tami asked, confused.
"A team building idea."
"And what would this be?" Tami questioned laying her fork on her plate with a clink.
"A team BBQ, get all the guys out here-"
"At our house?"
"Come on, we've done it before."
"I personally think that is a great idea. Your team BBQs were the best," Tim chimed in before taking a bite of his food.
"I'm glad someone agrees with me. Thank you Tim."
"I think it's a good idea too," Julie agreed.
"Well, looks like I'm outnumbered, but you are all helping," Tami stated, looking each of them in the eye.
"I just feel like these boys need to have some bonding time, especially with Cafferty coming over from West Dillon," Eric added.
That night he personally called all the boys to invite them to a BBQ at his home. With the help of Shelley, Tim, and Julie, Tami frantically prepared her home for the event.
•
"Hey! Get up you two!" Tami instructed, turning the light on in Julie and Tim's room. "I need help with stuff for tonight before we have to leave for church." Julie and Tim groaned, but complied with Tami's request.
"Julie, can you clean up the living room? Tim, can you pick up the sticks and crap in the back yard?" Tami asked once the pair was put of bed.
"Yeah," They both agreed before tending to their instructed tasks. Julie cleaned up the numerous baby toys strewn across the living room from Tim's version of daycare. Then it hit her; lots of the boys coming to the cookout were her classmates. Sure most of them knew she had a kid, but being face to face with her classmates wile taking care of her child was something she wasn't sure she was ready for. She didn't get to think much more on the topic before RaeLynn announced to practically the whole town of Dillon that she was awake.
Julie made her way to her daughter's room and removed the crying infant from her crib. She warmed up the baby's bottle and fed her before finishing her task of cleaning the living room.
Tim returned from completing his own task of cleaning up the backyard and a smile instantly appeared on his face when he saw his daughter was awake.
"Good morning Rae Rae!" He greeted her in a baby voice. "Want me to take her while you finish up?" He asked. Julie nodded and handed the baby to her boyfriend. "How about we go pick out our church clothes?" He asked, causing Julie to chuckled.
"You dressing her? Now that's scary!"
"We're gonna prove Mommy wrong, you'll be the cutest little girl at church," He told RaeLynn and he carried her down the hallway and into the nursery.
•
After church, everyone assisted Tami with the last minute preparations for the BBQ. It was nearing time for the players to start arriving. Tim and Coach Taylor were out grilling the last of the meat while Tami and Shelley were setting out the utensils. Julie and RaeLynn were inside changing their outfits when the doorbell rang.
Julie scooped RaeLynn up from the changing table and made her way to the door. She opened up the door to reveal Landry Clarke.
"Landry, hey!" She greeted.
"Sorry, I'm a little early," He replied.
"It's fine. Everyone is already outside."
"Hi cutie," He told RaeLynn who had her eyes focused on him. "Can I hold her?" He asked with a smile.
"Yeah, sure," She replied with a chuckle. She passed the baby to Landry who held her for a solid two seconds before she began reaching for Julie.
"You want your mommy back don't you? There you go." He passed the baby back to her mother before Julie and Landry made their way to the back yard.
"Hi Landry!" Tami exclaimed when they waked out the back door.
"Mrs. T, Coach," He greeted them.
"I'm going inside to let everyone in as they come," Tami announced before going inside the house. Landry and Tim began tossing a football back and forth as the other players arrived.
Once everyone arrived, Coach Taylor blessed the food and they all began eating.
"Do you want me to take her or get you a plate?" Tim asked his girlfriend, and mother of his child, who was holding their daughter.
"You take her, I'll get my own plate," Julie replied before handing her daughter off to her boyfriend.
"You look like a real softie holding that baby," Luke Cafferty stated playfully as he walked past the father daughter duo.
"Ha ha," Tim replied. "Are you still pissed you got transferred over to East, or were you enjoying Aikman?"
"I like playing for Taylor, but the Panthers are going to state, no doubt, and now I'm missing out on that."
"Playing for Taylor will be worth it, I promise. He will make the Lions a team that can eventually go to state. Maybe not this year, but after you've all played together a year, you'll be good. The Panthers this year are only as good as JD McCoy, and you and I both know how that turned out at the state championship last year."
Tim was talking Coach Taylor up to Luke, but he meant every word of it. Little did he know, Tami was behind him and heard every word of praise Tim had to offer about Coach Taylor.
"What's her name again?" Luke eventually asked, changing the subject.
"RaeLynn," Tim answered.
"Coach Taylor has pictures of her all over his office."
"She's pretty great, just like her momma," He replied looking to his approaching girlfriend.
"Hey Julie," Luke greeted Julie.
"Hi Luke," She replied.
"Your baby is a real cutie," He told her.
"Thanks," She responded beginning to blush.
So yeah, there was that long awaited chapter, we'll see where it takes us. Not my best chapter but I've got to take what I can get, I hope you all liked it.