Sweet Love (NG5)

5 - Secret

When Will came out of the bedroom on Sunday morning, Lana looked him over. "You weren't out late."

He shook his head. "Blame it on the sperm."

"Excuse me?" Lana laughed.

Ryan shrugged. "Don't look at me. Mine are trapped with no exit."

Will glared. "Seriously, dude."

Ryan smiled. "You started it."

"Apparently Cole's into clean living so he needs a regular sleep schedule."

Lana laughed. "Poor Anna."

Ryan said, "Poor kids if he ever figures it out. I never had those problems."

Lana rubbed his back. "That's why you got the snip." Her fingers looked like scissors as Will winced. His genitals were too precious.

He looked around. "Where are the kids?"

"Maddie let them sleep over last night. Do you want to run with us?"

"Yeah. Definitely. Afterwards, can I talk to you about something?"

Lana put her hands on her hips. "You aren't staying?"

"No. I am. It's something else." Not completely, but something else.

The couple looked at each other as he worried about secrets. A knock on the door broke their gaze.

"Hurry. Jack doesn't wait."

Will pulled off his flannel pants and pulled on joggers and a performance fleece pullover. It took him a minute to tie his laces as he remembered Charlotte's request.

Jack smiled. "I told him you would have caught up to the old guys."

Will laughed, because their pace was slower than he was used to. He could run some sprints later. Listening to the brothers' banter was fun. Their run ended with a stop for coffee, but Rick wasn't behind the counter. Jack explained he had Sunday's off. Afterwards Jack went one way, and they went the other.

Lana groaned over her first sip, and then she looked at Will. "What's going on?"

"First it's a secret, and I mean the kind you don't tell Maddie."

Lana blushed and nodded.

Will glared. "Do you promise?"

Both repeated, "Promise."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Rick's retiring."

Lana sighed. "There are rumors."

"He wants to sell The Landing."

Ryan shook his head. "That's not what we heard."

"He told me and Alex confirmed it. It would be an excellent investment."

Ryan looked at him wide-eyed. "You have a career."

"If Rick kept it, he would hire a manager to run it, and if he sold it to a stranger, they could turn it into something different. If I bought it, a manager could run it, but I would save the coffee and lobster rolls and coffeehouses." He looked directly at his sister. "I could keep my ownership silent, but make sure it doesn't change."

"Why silent?" Ryan looked serious.

"Lots of reasons. I don't want fans invading The Point."

Lana laughed. "More likely you would lose customers because you play for Buffalo."

"I want to be one of the family when I'm here and not the guy who saved the coffee."

Lana laughed. Ryan said, "You wouldn't tell anyone?"