Playing For Keeps (12 page)

She thought about Neil. “Didn’t you want to
be with him when you found out he was your son?”

“Sure I did. But I didn’t wanna marry Trudy.
She wasn’t hankerin’ to tie the knot, either, so I dropped back and
punted. I saw Tyler as often as I could, but it was never enough.
And to give her credit, she was a pretty good mother when she was
around. Sometimes she left him with his grandparents to pal around
with some jock, but mostly she was there for him.” He brushed back
Tyler’s hair. “It’s how she died. She followed a soccer player to
Europe and they ran their car off the road.”

“So you got him.”

“Yes, ma’am. And this little guy is the best
damn thing that ever happened to me. I’d do anything for him.”

“I feel the same about Kyle.”

They were quiet for a while; Jacelyn heard
the trees rustle outside the open window. A car beeped in the
road.

Tyler shifted, and moved in her arms. She
loved the feel of him. The slow cadence of his breathing. “I miss
this—holding a child.”

“Did you want more babies after Kyle?”

She ran a hand over Tyler’s silky hair—it was
the same texture as Mike’s, which she remembered vividly from
yesterday in the car. “Not at first. When it was too late, I wished
I had, though.”

“What happened with Kyle’s dad?” His tone was
as gentle as the breeze wafting in from the window, and invited
confidences. She’d turned down the lamp and it was dim and hushed
in the room.

“Better job. Younger woman. We couldn’t
compete.” The familiar wash of rejection welled inside her. “I’m
afraid I have some anxiety about that still that makes me give into
Neil more. Especially if it concerns Kyle. I don’t want to keep him
from his father.”

“Sorry about that.”

“He’s brilliant. But he’s cold. I’m not sure
what I saw in him.” She smiled nostalgically. “He liked to dance as
much as I do.”

“So you told Gage.” At her questioning look,
he added, “When you hurt your foot.”

She nodded.

“Finish tellin’ me about Neil.”

“After a while he didn’t even want to go
dancing.” Jacelyn shook her head. “I guess his mind attracted me.
His intellect.”

“Can’t have been all that smart if he gave up
you two.”

Mike’s words brought a smile to her lips.
“Anyway, one of my regrets
is
not having another child
when we still loved each other.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“When I was pregnant with Kyle I was getting
my PhD and teaching classes at the same time.”

“Must’ve been tough on you.”

“It was. The doctoral course work was murder,
but I really wanted a permanent position in a college, so I tackled
the program.”

Mike didn’t say anything for a while. He
seemed to be thinking about something. “Do the professors here
resent having people without PhDs work at the school?”

“Some do.”

“Do you?”

“I thought I did. But I can see that we’d be
lucky to get someone like you to tell the kids how it really is in
the sports world.”

“I guess I can see how teachers wouldn’t
cotton to guys like us. It’d be like bein’ on a team without doing
the practicing.”

“I’ve thought about what you asked me
yesterday. About teaching that course Jake suggested.”

“Yeah?”

“It would be good—
you’d
be good—for
the program. I need to talk to other department members, though. I
don’t like to make unilateral decisions.”

He stared hard at her. “That makes me feel a
whole lot better, Jacey.”

The use of the nickname that he’d uttered in
the car made the setting even more intimate—him stretched out on
her mattress, the room itself with its muted lighting, the big bed
and quiet atmosphere. Her voice was wispy when she said, “I know
you felt bad about yesterday.”

His jaw tightened. She adjusted Tyler on her
chest as she waited for an answer. “I did. You seemed embarrassed
that you kissed me. It kicked into some old insecurities
I
have. Huh! I guess we have that in common. “

“I wasn’t embarrassed, Mike.”

“What were you feeling?”

“Confused.” She swallowed hard and captured
his intense gaze. “Afraid.”

Mike sucked in a deep breath. “Of me?”

“No, of what I was feeling.” Before he could
question her about that, Jacelyn asked, “What insecurities were you
talking about?”

“The dumb-jock image has followed me around
forever. I always hated it, but didn’t seem to be able to rise
above it, no matter what I did. And right now, I want more than
that.”

“You want to teach.”

“Yeah.” He bunched a pillow under his head
and turned onto his back, staring up at the oak ceiling she’d had
put in just last year. It was a while before he said, “I was hurt
thinkin’ you were ashamed of kissing me.” He gave her a sideways
glance. “
And
turned on as hell.”

She smiled.

“You said you were confused. About what?” he
asked.

She bit her lip; she wanted to be honest, but
didn’t want the wall to go back up between them.

“Tell me the truth.”

“My first thought was that you kissed me so
you could sway me about the teaching job.”

Mike flipped back to his side abruptly.
“What?”

“I’m sorry. I know that’s insulting.”

“It’s ridiculous. Jacey, darlin’, any man in
his right mind would want to lap you up like this morning’s
cream.”

She laughed aloud. “I doubt that.”

“Take it from me, it’s true.” He shook his
head.

She warmed to the comment. To the hot look in
his eyes.

He watched her. “Was that your only
objection?”

“No. This one is practical. If you want to
teach at Beckett, I can’t possibly see…date...kiss you again.”

His wheat-colored brows furrowed. “You never
kissed good ole Professor Hal?”

“He doesn’t work in my department. I wouldn’t
be responsible for hiring him, or evaluating him.”

“Aw, hell. I never thought of that.”

She lifted her chin. “So no matter how
interested I am, it can’t happen like that between us.”

“Are you? Interested?”

She nodded. “Yes, Mike, I am.” She felt
herself blush. “I haven’t done anything like that since I was a
kid.”

“What? Neck with a guy in the front
seat?”

“Don’t forget it was broad daylight.”

“I won’t forget anything about what happened
in that car, sweetheart.”

“I’m afraid we have to.”

Again a thoughtful silence. Longer this time.
“What if I don’t go for the job?”

“Jake Lansing’s determined to have you. He
talked to me about it again today.” He just stared at her. “And you
said you want to teach. We’re the only Sports Studies program in
the area. You couldn’t do this somewhere else close enough to the
team’s hometown, where you’ve settled with Ty.” She paused. “Pretty
high price tag for just a few weeks together.”

“I guess.” His gray eyes were made deeper by
a gun-metal shirt tucked into nicely pressed black slacks. “You
sure this isn’t an excuse, Jacey? That you’re not usin’ it to get
rid of me?”

She shook her head. “No, Coach. It’s not an
excuse. What you said about yesterday? About being turned on?”

“Yeah.”

“So was I.” She rolled her eyes. “A lot.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.” Mike shook his
head. “This is a fine kettle of fish.”

“We could be friends, couldn’t we? I hate the
sniping and misunderstanding between us.”

“Me, too.” He reached out and encircled her
wrist with his fingers. Slowly, he rubbed up and down her forearm.
“I’d rather have this. But if I can’t, okay. We’ll be friends.”

When he didn’t remove his hand right away,
Jacelyn closed her eyes and sighed.

He groaned.

And then Tyler woke up.

The ball soared through the air, fast and
furious. From the sidelines, Mike judged it to be going about
seventy miles an hour. That new second-string quarterback was
good.

Near the ten-yard line, Marcus Stormweather
leaped off the ground like a ballet dancer. Catching the ball, he
landed gracefully, turned and ran into the end zone.

“It’d be a touchdown,” Mike yelled, cupping
his hands around his mouth. “Good goin’, Stormy.”

From behind him, he heard mumbling. Johnny
Turk, a first-round draft choice whose place on the team was still
up in the air, was mouthing off again. The late-morning sun was
brutal, making the day over eighty and humid. And causing tempers
flare. The first week of camp was always a bitch. And Mike was just
about fed up with the rookie. The kid didn’t even know how green he
was. “All right, Turk, you’re next.”

“‘Bout time.”

Mike gripped the clipboard and pivoted to
take a bite out of the Turk’s ass when he saw Tyler, Kyle, Jacelyn
and Eric in the box reserved for the family of players and coaches.
Thousands of fans had come today and cheered enthusiastically as
they watched each group of players practice. Nothing unusual about
that—except Dr. Ross was among them. He hadn’t talked to her since
that night on her bed. Seeing her and the kids, though, he rode
herd on his temper and said only, “What was that, Turk?”

“Didn’t say nothing.” Turk ran out to the
field.

Marcus jogged off. Mike swatted his behind
with the clipboard. “Lookin’ good.”

“Thanks.”

They stood together after Marcus got water.
Mike let Turk take a few tosses, then blew the whistle. “We’ll try
it with the line.” He jogged over to the defensive backs’ coach.
“Ready to combine, Coach?”

“Sure.” The D-coach faced his guys. “Go do
some damage.”

The backs got in position. Mike saw Turk
shake his head. True, Mike hadn’t sent in the tackles to block
Marcus, but the veteran player didn’t need to be taken down a peg
like Turk did. Again, Mike blew the whistle, this time to resume
play.

Cornerbacks set up. The snap. The catch. The
long pass. Turk ran. The backs butted each other. One got through,
and tackled Turk. Hard.

After that, the rookie got to the end zone a
couple times, but in three consecutive plays, he was taken down.
Mike called him off the field. “Gotta get around ‘em, kid,” he said
smugly.

“Yeah, well, I need protection.”

“You got near to as much protection as you’re
likely to get in a game, hotshot.” He threw a glance to the side.
“Marc, go show him how it’s done.”

Turk hustled back to the bench. From the
corner of his eye, Mike saw the kid mouthing off. He let it go,
watched Marcus and a few more receivers, but when he looked again,
Turk was still going at it, huddled in a group this time.

Mike called for the players to take a break
and stalked over to the rookie, coming up behind him.

“He oughtta try it with those goons out
there. He probably never had to face three-hundred-pounders.”

“Don’t bet on it.”

Turk turned, and mutinous eyes raked him.
“Yeah, whatever you say, Coach.”

Mike shook his head. Some guys just never
learned the easy way. He eyed Stormy; they were about the same
size. Mike tossed the clipboard on the ground, and faced Marcus.
“Strip, buddy. I want your pads, shirt and helmet.” He turned to a
gofer. “Get me a mouth guard.”

Tim Mason jogged over. “What’s going on?”

Mike shot a quick glance at the rookie.
“Nothin’ I can’t handle.” In minutes he was suited up. He shot
another look at his son and Jacey, who was now holding Ty on her
lap, and hoped he wasn’t grandstanding for them. Too late now,
anyway. In a few more minutes, he was on the field. A raucous cheer
erupted from the fans at his appearance, and they began yelling,
“King me!” It felt good to be in position. Good to be on the
line.

“Don’t go easy on me, guys,” he said to the
backs. “Otherwise I won’t be able to teach that candy-ass a
lesson.”

Mike focused on the snap, the throw, and
started to run. He caught the first pass easily and glided into the
end zone.

“Again,” he called out, not even breathing
hard. Thank God he’d stayed in shape.

He wasn’t tackled in three more tries.

Then a hell of a bruiser caught him in the
ribs just as he picked a bad throw out of the air. He went down
hard, felt his head jar, his back crunch, and his shoulder bounce
off the ground.

God, it felt good.

o0o

“Oh, Lord, I can’t watch.” Jacelyn buried her
face in Tyler’s shoulders as the gorillas headed right for
Mike.

“Ouch.” Eric, next to her, groaned the
word.

She chanced a glance over Tyler’s head. There
were men in a pile on top of Mike. “Why’s he doing this?” she
whispered to Eric, so Tyler—who was cheering loudly with
Kyle—wouldn’t catch on to her worry.

“Don’t have a clue.” Eric stuck his head
around her. “Kyle, why do you think Coach took the field?”

“Number eighty-two was mouthing off to
him.”

“Uh-oh. Nobody oughtta mouth off to my
daddy.”

Jacelyn hugged Tyler tight.

“I think you’re right, buddy.” Kyle slugged
Ty playfully on the shoulder. “He sure showed that guy.”

Jacelyn shook her head. “Men!”

Practice ended a half hour later. Several
players, by a prearranged schedule, headed to the designated area
to sign autographs. Fans mobbed the booths. Jacelyn couldn’t
believe the throng of people who’d come today and now lined up to
see the players.

As Mike jogged toward the section roped-off
for family, Jacelyn was astounded by her visceral response. His
shoulders looked huge in his navy coach’s shirt that he’d changed
back into. “Hey, buddy,” he said, lifting Tyler from her lap and
tossing him in the air. “What’d you think?”

“Awesome, Daddy. Did it hurt when those guys
tackled you?”

Jacelyn noticed that he winced when he picked
up Tyler.

“Yeah, son, it hurt. I’m not twenty-five
anymore.” He rolled his eyes. “Shouldn’t be actin’ like I am.”