The Axelridge Series Book 4 Griff's Red Card

GRIFFIN

I cross my arms and eye my dad. “What are ya on about?”

“The gaffer be on us about An Fáidh.” O'Neal shakes his head and leans back, tossing an arm over the back of the couch behind Mallory.

“Fate? Dad, c'mon. Not again.” I cross my arms and tilt my head.

“Wha? It's high time these lads settled down. With the moon on the horizon, they need be getting to work.” He says with conviction.

“That none of yer business and ya know that. Now, I've brought Ivy to meet ya and let’s have a nice stay, yeah?” I raise a brow to him and give him a look to quit.

“Alright.” He reaches out and takes Ivy's hand. “C'mere to me, Lassie! Sit down. Take the weight off. Uh…here.” He waves his arms to Patrick and Jonson. “Git up, ya arses! Give the lady some room, boy!”

Ivy throws me a concerned look and I nod to tell her she’s fine.

“Hang on!” Patrick scowls as he gets up.

“Griff!” My dad waves me to the couch.

“Sorry, mate.” I smile at Patrick and he just shakes his head. I clap his back and sit down next to Ivy.

He sits down on the edge of his chair. “How do ya know me Griffin?”

“We work together.” Ivy smiles.

“What kind of work?” His brows cinch.

“I'm an environmental scientist.” She responds.

“Environmental scientist. Ya study dirt and things?” He asks as he leans an elbow on his knee and rubs his chin.

Ivy chuckles. “It’s a little more complicated than that. No, I own a company that tries to improve the environment. We invent ways to clear up pollution and hopefully make the world a better place to live in.”

His brows go up as he sits tall. “Well, that’s a fine how do you do, ain’t it?!” He chuckles. “People really pay for these?”

“Not people directly. It’s more government sponsored.” She says.

“Ach! Gombeen jackass politicians. Who needs ‘em?! You’re a fine thing not to be working for the likes of them.” He growls.

“Da…not the time.” I warn. The last thing I want is my father in a political debate with my girl.

He nods. “Yer right! Sorry. It’s a grand job, Miss.”

Ivy looks out the window. “You know. I bet I could develop some agricultural devices that would help you on the farm. I could…reduce costs. Generate resources that you may be paying for. I could really bring the fields back to their true potential, if you like.” She smiles as she turns back to my dad.

“How much?” He leans to her and narrows his eyes, suspiciously.

“I don’t know without doing some research, but if I could hazard a guess, I could increase food yield by at least 80 percent…” She states.

“He means bobs, love.” I correct.

My dad smiles at her as her brows go up.

“Oh.” She glances at me then back to him. “Well…I guess if it’s a research test project, we’d have to pay you for it for use of your land.”

“That’s my kind of science!” He grins.

I chuckle hard, lean on my knee and hold my head as I shake it.

Ivy grins. “We'll talk soon then.”

“Forgetting that. You two be standing under the moon, yeah?” He grins as he leans on his knees.

“Oh, well…I haven’t actually pop the question yet, but there’s been some talk.” I rub Ivy’s back as she leans to my chest.

“What’s the hold up, boy?! Ask away!” He sits up and motions to Ivy.

“Wha…here?” My brows go up as I look to my boys. They’re all kicked back with smiles on their faces.

Ivy’s cheeks burn red as she shrinks back.

“Why not? Good as time as any.” He laughs.

I look at me dad then Ivy. I chew my cheek. “Naw. I think I have something more special in mind.” I smile and she smiles back.

“Fine. But it better be before you leave.” He holds a finger to me. “I don’t want to find her answer over the ringer, git me?”

“Yeah. I hear ya, Da.” I laugh and squeeze Ivy’s shoulders.

“If ya all done giving out, Angus. Food’s on out the back.” My mother stands as she wipes her hands.

“Grand!” My dad jumps up as does everyone else.

“Hungry?” I ask Ivy.

“Famished.” She responds.

I lace my fingers in hers and lead her out to the back of the house.

I don’t know how my mother does it, but I salute her.

Three large picnic tables are under the trees filled end to end. She could feed Axelridge with the lot she made. Be sure, every morsel will be eaten.

The sheep quietly graze in the fields behind us and the sun peeks through the leaves as we all sit to enjoy the closeness of our pack.

Conversations go around as we devour the tables. Listening to Ivy laugh at jokes being tossed and watching her talk with my family was exactly what I wanted to see.

Her brothers were her life until Richard took them away. She only knew pain and regret from her grandmother. I wanted to show her she can put all that behind her. That family is still something she can trust and what happened to her has no bearing on the future.

The breeze blew the table clothes and leaves above our heads as everyone ate and drank.

McDonald sang out as he entertained the table with the team. My cousins ribbed my dad more about his crotchety ways. My mother entertained Ivy by talking about the farm and the food. I don’t doubt we will have more women for Ivy to friend in time, but right now, she has a good one in me Mum.

As they talked, I walked over to the teams table to get some of a dish my mother made for McDonald. It’s bleeding good, if you ask me, but most are turned off before they even try it.

“Gotta try this, love.” I sit back down and set the plate in front of her.

“What is it?” She asks as she looks at the small pile of ground meat.

“I’ll tell ya after. Try it.” I grin as I lean my elbow on the table.

“I don’t know…” She eyes me suspiciously. “Tell me.”

“Naw. Not until the forkful. Me mums watching. Get on with it.” I motion to her to eat up.

She fills her fork, flicks her eyes to me then puts it in her mouth. I watch her closely as she chews. Her jaw falls and her eyes widen.

“Oh my God…This…This is amazing…what is it?” She takes another bite and glances at me.

I lean to her. “Haggis.”

“Haggis?” She scrunches her brow.

My boys start snickering from the next table as McDonald crosses his arms with a smirk on his lips.

“It’s sheep. Heart, liver, kidneys…all mashed up with onions, oatmeal and pepper.” I look to my mum who nods proudly. “Then it’s stuffed in a sheep’s stomach and boiled. It's McDonald's favorite so me Mum makes it for him on occasion.”

She catches her lips with her fingers then turns to me. “Sheep’s stomach.”

“Aye. Good right?” I smile.

She looks to my mum who’s leaning on the table with a raised brow.

“Yeah. It’s amazing! I just…could do without the details.” She laughs and I laugh too as I kiss the side of her head.

“We'll turn her to a Scot yet, Griffin!” McDonald yells.

“Not bleeding likely!” I yell back and the tables roar with laughter.

I kiss her lips and my table awes which causes Ivy to blush and hide in my chest while I laugh and hug her head.

After supper, we wandered the yard hand in hand, enjoying the scenery of the farm and the chickens me Mum has loose.

As we talk and walk near the tents my team set up, I see something that gives me a great idea. A ball bag.

I lean to Ivy. “C'mon.”

“What?”

I drag her to the tent and pick up the bag. “Ya wanted to learn so, I’m showing ya.”

She smiles and we run to a large side yard that my dad had as an informal pitch in my younger years. It’s about half the size of an official pitch with two metal goals on either end and no markings on the grass.

With my family’s laughter floating on the air in the background, I set us up.

“Your own soccer field. Griff, this is amazing.” She flops her hands to her side and shakes her head.

“Me dad fed me talent. He'd give his back if ya needed it.” I place down pylons at various distances and walk over with the black and white checkered ball.

“He loves you so much. You’re lucky.” She says quietly.

I walk up to her and hold her cheeks. “It may not be the same, Ivy, but I will tell ya, he loves already.”

She’s smiles and I get on with it.

Pointing to her nose, I make sure I have her full attention. “The key is control. Knowing where ya want the ball to go and moving yer feet accordingly.”

I drop the ball at her feet and go over what part of her foot does what in conjunction to her body.

“Go on. Give’r a kick.” I stand back.

She swings her foot back and kicks, misses and drops to her arse.

I double over. “What was that?!”

“Stop laughing! Kicking a ball was not something I learned as a child.” She scowls as she stands.

“Alright, love. I’m sorry. Try again. This time, watch the ball.” I instruct.

She lines up and kicks the ball. It rolls across the grass and hits a pylon.

“Good. Kicking is step one. Now, the difficult part. Ya want to push it so it only moves as much as you need to, to dribble it down the pitch.” I say as I walk over, pick up the ball and bring it back.

She kicks the ball and it rolls off.

“A little less power, love. Ya ain't scoring yet. Just running.” I drop the ball and stand behind her. “Face it, point the toe and push with the laces.” I fix her posture as my lips sit by her ear. “Just push it. Don’t kick.” I whisper.

I see a faint pink rise on her cheeks as small grin grows on my lips. “Have control. See where ya want it to go and make it happen.”

I hold her hips and she lets out a shaky breath. She pushes the ball and it travels a couple of feet.

“Good. Again.” I step back and watch her kick the ball forward. “Don't scoop it, just push.”

I cross my arms as I watch her move the ball to the pylons.

I run in front of her and point passed a pylon. “Over here. Right foot.” She pushes it between the pylons and chases it. “Good. Stop it and push it back around.” I point to the next ones as I hop backwards. “Same thing, C'mere to me.” As I hop in front to show the path.

It's messy, but she looks so gorgeous kicking a ball. Never thought I’d see it in that light.

She giggles with excitement as she watches her feet and travels the ball along the grass. It almost gets away when I snap my fingers at it.

“Eh! Don’t let it loose, grab it. Back this way!” I bark as we travel down the line of pylons.

“Alright, come back! Left foot!”

When we get to the end, she kicks the ball in a U-turn and travels back down the pylons with her left foot to the other end.

I arch a brow. “Good, love. Step three.”

She’s nowhere near ready for me, but me legs be itching something fierce.

I take the ball from her and kick it behind me. I turn, catch up, stall it then kick it around my feet. I raise my eye to her. “Take it.”

I dance the ball around my ankles as she comes in and tries to steal it with her feet.

“No! Not that way!” I laugh as I spin and kick the ball out of her reach then back through her legs. I turn around her.

“Not fair!” She yells.

I kick it through her legs again. “Plenty fair. C'mon outsmart me smart girl.” I tease.

She tries a few more times then gets frustrated. She grabs the ball with her hands and tosses it down the field. “There.” She says in a huff.

“That’s not fair play.” I laugh.

“I outsmarted you.” She smirks.

“The games not over yet.” I go kiss her, fake her out then break into a run after the ball.

“GRIFF!”

She chases after me as I get to the ball and she manages to take it from me. Can't have that. I catch up, grab her by the waist and we fall to the grass. When we roll to a stop, I slam my lips on hers and kiss her with everything I have in the light of the setting sun.

If there was ever anything that needed to be, this day was absolutely perfect.