Playing For Keeps (15 page)

Everyone danced, except for Mike, who’d sat
back on the chaise and watched the show. When a song ended, another
guy took Jacey by the hand. After several dances, she begged off.
The music still played, but the guys headed for the desserts.
Millie and Gage announced they were going for a stroll around the
property—two acres of wooded lot that Millie’s husband had loved
and she couldn’t bear to sell after his death. Jacelyn crossed to
Mike.

He was smiling. “Who would have thought the
illustrious Dr. Ross could cut a rug like that?”

She flopped in a chair. “It was fun.” She
eyed him. “How come you weren’t out there with us?”

“Can’t dance,” Mike said ducking his
head.

“Come on.”

“Nope, he can’t.” Marcus came up with four
cannolis on his plate. He sat down in a chair and Jacelyn watched
openmouthed as he wolfed them down. “We mock the hell out of him
about it all the time. Sportscasters called him a gazelle on the
field, but he can’t keep time worth sh—beans.”

Pointedly, Mike glanced at his watch. “Don’t
you have a curfew to keep, Stormweather?”

Marcus laughed. So did the other guys, who
joined in razzing him. Still, Jacelyn noticed they finished their
desserts and got ready to go. They thanked her for the food and the
dances—Marcus made her promise to meet him on the floor of a local
club sometime. Then they went around the side, looking for Millie
to say goodbye.

Jacelyn stared after them. “They’re nice
guys.”

“Yeah,
they
are. Some of the new
guys are a pain in the butt.”

“Like the rookie you wrenched your back
for.”

“Hey, that sore back got me some TLC from a
pretty lady I know.” His eyes shone with the suppressed sexuality
that had been full-blown last night.

She smiled. “So are you, Mike. A nice
guy.”

“Me? I’m an SOB. Any one of my players’ll
attest to that.”

“Maybe on the field. It was your idea to
paint the office.”

He sipped his coffee. “Seemed like the least
we could do.”

“It was classy and thoughtful. Thank
you.”

“You’re welcome.” His grin was lazy. “I can
think of a way you can repay me.”

“I’ll just bet you can.”

Reaching over, he picked up her hand. His was
rough, callused and felt incredibly safe and strong. “Still intent
on stayin’ away, Dr. Ross? Even after last night?”

“Yeah, Coach. I am.” She gave him a
meaningful look. “I’m meeting with my department tomorrow to
discuss you teaching as an adjunct in the Sports Studies
program.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I’d sure like that.”

“I know you would.”

“I’d also like
you,
in my—”

“Hey, there.” Gage called out to them as he
and Millie came back around the side of the house, arm in arm.

Immediately Jacelyn pulled her hand from
Mike’s. He asked, “Did you see the guys?”

“Yeah, they said goodbye.”

Jacelyn slid off the chair. “I need to go,
too. I have some things to finish up tonight for my meeting
tomorrow.”

Mike also rose. “Yeah, we should head out.
Ready, Garrison?”

Millie and Gage exchanged a surprised look.
Finally Gage said, “I guess I could run you home.”

“What do you mean?” Mike asked.

Millie grasped Gage’s hand and faced Jacelyn.
“Jacelyn, would you mind dropping Mike off? The boys are sleeping
overnight with friends.” She smiled at Gage. “And Gage is staying
here.”

o0o

Jacelyn swung her practical Camry into Mike’s
driveway. “I didn’t know you lived on the canal.” His house was an
A-frame, with wooden siding and trees bordering it. The night was
calm with stars twinkling overhead and a light breeze floating into
the window.

“Yeah, it’s small, but it’s great being on
the water. Ducks come by every day for Tyler to feed.”

“He must love it.” Jacelyn stared straight
ahead and left the engine running, the gear in Drive. Ready to
bolt, Mike guessed.

Reaching over, he shifted the car into Park,
and turned the key to Off.

She startled. “What are you doing?”

“I want to talk a minute and you’re gonna
beat it out of here like a jackrabbit out of a foxhole.”

“That would be wise.”

He took her hand off the steering wheel and
cradled it in his own. God, he loved the feel of her. She pivoted a
bit to the side, but didn’t say anything. He began to trace her
fingers. He wanted real bad to touch her skin. To taste it. He
hadn’t felt this edgy need for sex in a long time. Now it was
happening almost every day.

“I’m surprised about Millie and Gage,” she
finally said, breaking the sensual spell. Intentionally, he was
sure.

“Are you?”

“Yes, she hasn’t known him that long.”

“Doesn’t take very long to know what you
want, Jacey.”

“I thought men
always
wanted
sex.”

Well, that was a quick left jab, meant to
push him away, he reckoned. He leaned over and kissed her knuckles,
then dropped her hand. “Come on, we’re going for a walk.”

“A walk?”

“Along the canal.”

“I have to get home.”

“It’s not that late.”

“I have a department meeting tomorrow.” She
watched him. “Or have you forgotten?”

“I haven’t forgotten anything,
sweetheart.”

Especially what he’d heard Millie say
earlier.

It’s obvious you care about
Mike.

But he didn’t bring it up. He didn’t want to
spook her. Instead, he got out of the car and rounded it; she
stayed where she was, so he opened the door, tugged her out.

“Come on, we won’t even go inside. We’ll just
walk a piece.”

“All right.”

They headed around the back of the house and
crossed the twenty yards down to the canal. Moonlight glistened off
the water, and a chorus of crickets filled the air. The breeze off
the water was cooler here. “It’s so different here from Georgia. So
much more luscious and picturesque.”

“Picturesque
is quite a word for a
jock.”

“Yeah, well, if I study the dictionary real
hard, I can manage to add a few new ones to my vocabulary.”

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t a dig. I was
teasing.” Jacelyn rubbed her arms up and down. “I’m nervous.”

“Nervous? Why?”

“You make me nervous.”

He noticed her shiver. “And you’re cold.”
Whipping off the long-sleeved shirt he’d brought along, he said,
“Raise your arms.”

“Mike, I—”

“Hush, you’re cold.”

“I can dress myself.”

He chuckled. “It’s the undressing I’m
thinkin’ about most of the time.”

“That’s what makes me nervous.”

He froze. “You think I’d do something against
your will?”

“No, of course not.” She lifted her arms and
he slid the shirt over her head. It fell over her full breasts and
hit her mid-thigh. When he tugged her hair out of the collar, and
came close enough to smell her lemony shampoo, she leaned into him.
“I’m worried about my own willpower, I guess.”

He met her forehead with his. “Jacey, honey;
if you feel that way...”

“Nothing’s changed from what we talked about
before. Actually, things are worse.”

Mike kissed her hair. “Worse, how?”

“We’re spending too much time together. I’m
feeling more attracted to you every day.”

“Is that so?”

“A lot.”

“When’s the bad news comin’ ?”

“And I like you.”

He drew back and looked down at her. “I like
you too, Jacey.”

“I’m recommending you to teach in my
department tomorrow, Mike. What will it look like to them, and to
Lew Cavanaugh, if they find out we’re sleeping together after
that?”

Stiffening, he pulled away. “This has
overtones of bein’ ashamed to share a jock’s bed.”

She grabbed him this time, by the shirt. “No,
it doesn’t have anything to do with that. It has everything to do
with my professional integrity, my professional image. I’ve spent
years building just those things.”

“Yeah, I know.” He sighed. “That’s a hot
button with me.”

“Why, Mike? You’ve alluded to it before, but
what’s behind all this?”

Drawing in a deep breath, he stared out at
the canal. “All my life I had to face that stereotype. With
teachers. Other kids. Girls. It drove me nuts. And hurt, especially
when I cared a lot about the people who acted that way. There was a
special woman once, a real smart one, who treated me like her dirty
little secret.”

“Oh, Mike. I’m sorry.
I
don’t see
you that way.” She hesitated. “In any case, besides the
professional stuff, you’ll be gone in a couple of weeks.”

She looked so damn cute in his shirt. Mike
wished she was wearing it under other circumstances, that she had
nothing on underneath it and they were someplace private and he’d
could just...

“Yeah, but what a two weeks it would be.”

She smiled, which was what he’d hoped for.
“Okay, come on. Let’s take that walk. Afterwards you can go
home.”

He grasped her hand. She stared up at him,
then down when he laced their fingers. “Aw, Jacey, darlin’, give me
some crumbs.”

She grinned. “All right, just so we’re
straight on the full-course meal.”

Leaning over, he whispered, “I’ll go to bed
thinking about what the dessert could be.”

“Stop or I’m leaving right now.”

He did stop the teasing. But he didn’t let go
of her hand.

Kyle listened idly to Tyler’s chatter after
he picked up the boy from camp and drove him to Mike’s house.
Kyle’s hands ached from practicing all morning. His heart ached for
other reasons.

“Then Kay helped me make this in arts and
crafts.”

Glancing in the rearview mirror at the
football pillow Ty held up, Kyle smiled. “Yeah, buddy, you told
me.”

“I like Kay.”

So did Kyle. But today even the thought of
her didn’t cheer him up. “Here we are, Ty.”

When he saw his father come out onto the
porch, Tyler unsnapped his seat belt and bounded out of the car,
carrying the pillow. Kyle followed him.

Leaning down, Coach caught Ty as he dived for
him, and lifted him up in the air. Watching the contact only made
Kyle feel worse. Again, he thought about how his own father had
never shown such affection for him.

After Coach fussed over the pillow, he smiled
at Kyle. “Hey, kid. How you doin’?”

Just peachy. “Great.”

“Thanks for keepin’ Ty overnight.”

“Thanks for giving me the rest of the day to
myself.”

“Well, the team’s off.” Coach held Ty close
and kissed his head. “You got a big night to prepare for.”

Kyle’s chest tightened. “Not so big.”

“Your mama said there’ll be a full auditorium
there tonight.”

Minus one. “I guess.”

Coach studied him. “Want to sit a spell?”

“I should get back.”

“Got to practice?”

“No, I did that all morning. I have to give
my hands a rest.”

“Then come out back. We’ll feed the
ducks.”

Kyle followed them around the side of the
house, watched Ty grab some bread off the back porch and they all
headed down to the canal. He and Coach sank onto a bench, and Tyler
crossed to the water.

“Careful, buddy, not too close.”

“‘Kay, Daddy.”

Coach faced him. “What’s going on, Kyle?”

He drew in a breath. “Nothing. Of importance,
anyway.” He stared out at the water. A rowboat passed them by, and
across the way there was a lunchtime buzz of activity at a
restaurant’s outdoor eating area. “You ever been to Aladdin’s?”

“No.”

“You should go. My mom and I love it.”

“I will.” Reaching out, he patted Kyle’s arm.
“Spit it out, you’ll feel better.”

He was afraid he might cry if he talked about
it. But the clamp in his chest just kept getting tighter. And he
didn’t want to dump this on his mom, who’d said she’d be home after
her department meeting.

Coach waited.

Still watching the canal—it was easier if he
didn’t look at him—Kyle said, “My dad’s not coming to my concert
tonight.”

“No?”

“At least I think he’s not. I haven’t heard
from him in a while.”

“A while?”

“Since that day you brought Ty over to meet
us.”

“Your daddy hasn’t called you in ten days?”
Coach sounded shocked.

“It’s not the first time. But usually, he
jumps at the chance to see me play. Bet he’s not coming this time,
though.”

“Maybe he’ll show up.”

“God, I hate worrying about this. It breaks
my concentration when I’m up there. And he’s a freakin’ music
professor. He knows that.”

Coach swore.

Shaking his head, Kyle watched Ty this time.
“He’s mad about what I said to him.”

“You could call and apologize.”

Kyle’s head snapped to the side. “I’m not
sorry for what I said.”

“No?”

“It’s true. He’s a lousy father.”

“But the only one you got.”

“I’m not taking back what I said.”

“All right then. Maybe you could just make
peace. Say you miss him. Ask him if he’s coming tonight.”

“I hate begging.”

“Yeah, me, too. Sometimes you gotta set your
pride aside for what you want, though.”

“Maybe.” Could it be that easy?

Coach reached in his pocket, got his cell
phone and held it out. His smile was so encouraging, so assuring,
Kyle took the phone and dialed his father’s cell, which he was only
supposed to call in case of emergency. His heart beat triple-time
in his chest.
Please let him answer.

He did. “Worthington.” Though he sounded
irritated.

“Hi, Dad. It’s Kyle.”

A long pause. “Kyle.”

“How are you?”

“Very busy, at the moment.”

Translated,
Too busy to talk to you.
The implication made Kyle’s throat close up. “Oh, I won’t hold you
up, then.”