Playing For Keeps Read Online Free PDF Page B

him?”
    “I don’t know. Find out what he likes to do,
first.”
    Mike saw Kyle watching the ball, so he
pointed about ten feet down the gravel. “Go over there. I’ll toss
this to you.”
    The expression on Kyle’s face was like a
child’s at Christmas. “You kidding?”
    “Never kid about my football, boy.”
    “I told you I was a klutz.”
    “I wanna see for myself.”
    Bolting up from the bleachers, Kyle jogged
about ten feet down. Mike threw him a light toss. He caught it
easily. As they threw the ball back and forth, they talked more
about Tyler, his likes and dislikes and Mike’s views on discipline.
All the while, Mike interspersed directions...
    “Here, hold it where the stitching is...flick
your wrist like this...that’s it, a little more pressure in your
fingers.”
    “What kind of kid is Tyler?” Kyle asked.
    “He’s shy.”
    “Your
son is shy?”
    “I know. Don’t that beat all?” Mike scowled.
“His mama died not too long ago, and he’s still holding everything
in.”
    “I’m sorry. Jeez, I don’t know what I’d do
without my mother.”
    Mike threw another pass. Backed up a step.
“Tyler’s into board games.”
    “Mom would love him. She blackmails me into
Scrabble all the time.”
    “Oh, God. My worst nightmare,” Mike
joked.
    A few more tosses, then Kyle asked, “What
does he like to eat?”
    Mike appreciated Kyle’s questions. “Fancy
stuff. His mother always cooked new things. We reverse roles when
we go out; I get a hamburger and French fries and he orders Caesar
salad.”
    “Mom taught me to cook.” Kyle caught a toss
that should have gone over his head.
    “I do believe you been playin’ possum on me,
buddy. You’re real good.”
    “No way.”
    Despite his denial, Mike could tell the kid
was pleased by the compliment. “You live at home during the school
year?”
    “Nope, on campus. Mom said the independence
is good for me.”
    “Your mother sounds pretty darn smart. You
like having her teach here?”
    “Yeah, sure, why wouldn’t I?” His eyes
twinkled. “She got me your autograph, didn’t she?”
    Much to Mike’s chagrin, he recalled the
encounter. “She tell you I thought she was lyin’? That she was a
fan?”
    “Ohmigod, did she faint on the spot?”
    “No, why should she?”
    They tossed some more passes, and widened the
distance between them to a point where conversation wasn’t possible
so Mike never got his last question answered.
    After a while, somebody came into Mike’s line
of vision. He stopped the play. “Looks like your mother’s here,
boy.”
    Kyle turned and held up the ball. “Hey, Mom,
did you see? I can catch the football.”
    She came closer, out of place on the field in
a suit and white heels—though they did great things for her legs.
“Yes, I saw.” And wasn’t happy, if her tone was any indication.
“Watch out for your hands, honey. You don’t want to jam a finger
before your concert with the Philharmonic next week.”
    “Oh, yeah, sure.”
    “It’s okay.” The lines around her mouth
softened. “Just be careful.”
    Mike crossed to Kyle from the opposite
direction that Jacelyn came from. “Hi, Dr. Ross,” he said.
    “Mr. Kingston.”
    “We were just talking about me watching Tyler
this summer, Mom.”
    “The secretary at the sports office told me
your interview was out here.”
    Kyle nodded.
    “If you’re not done, I can wait at the
car.”
    Mike spoke up. “No, we’re done.”
    Kyle’s face blanked. Then it revealed the
same emotions Mike used to see in the mirror before every game.
Hope. Determination. The desire to win.
    “The job’s yours, kid. We’ll have to sit down
and hammer out the nitty-gritty but I think you and Tyler would be
a good match.” He winked at Kyle. “Besides, I already checked out
your resume and references.”
    “It’s mine?”
    “Yep.”
    “That’s great. Really great.”
    “I think so. But before you decide for sure,
you should know that you’ll have to watch Ty at