Scrimmage Gone South (Crimson Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

support. And Nathan Scott and I have a few connections we’ve been exploring. There is every reason to believe that with just a bit of help from family, Kirby can get a good education and play college ball.”
    “Randy isn’t going to college,” Janice said. “He’s already been promised a job at the soap factory where Carl works. We could probably work something out for Kirby.”
    “A soap factory?” Tolly said evenly. “I’m not sure you understand. Kirby is an honor student. His ACT and SAT scores are high. There is no reason — ”
    “Factory work is good enough for me and it’s good enough for my son,” Carl said. “And it will have to be good enough to for Kirby. Eula coddled him but it’s time he learned there’s more to life than football.”
    “It was certainly not my intent to insult your profession,” Tolly said. Surely she could make them understand. “And I would be delighted to help Randy with paperwork, like I have been helping Kirby.”
    “Miss Eula really wanted this for Kirby,” Harris said. “You are all grieving here. Maybe you’d like to talk about this privately, as a family.”
    “But I’d still have to go to Ohio,” Kirby said. “I can’t go to
Ohio
.”
    “We have nothing to talk about,” Janice said, ignoring Kirby. “Carl and I talked about the different ways the will could go and we decided this is what we’d do if it went this way. Really, I’m surprised. I thought she’d leave everything to Kirby.”
    “Mrs. Johnson — Janice,” Harris said. “Miss Eula had that will written right after her son and daughter-in-law died. Kirby was a baby. I’m sure she would have made different decisions today. In this life, there are the things we must do, the things that are required by law. And there are things that we know in our hearts are right and fair.”
    “Is that so?” Janice said. “Well, Mr. Bragg, I’ll tell you what my heart tells me is right and fair. My mother took care of Kirby like he was her own child from the time my brother died. She’s fed, housed, and clothed him. She bought for him at Christmas and his birthday like he was her kid and bought for mine like they were her grandkids. So I think it’s time my kids got their share. If Kirby can manage to get some fancy education on his own, fine. But we will feed and house him until he graduates. That’s four months longer than we have to. After that, he’s on his own. And meanwhile, he can get himself a part time job instead of playing football. So don’t you come in here making
Law and Order
speeches at me. I’ve had a rough week and I’ve got my own kids to think about.”
    “Aunt Janice,” Kirby said softly in a tone that sounded so close to begging that it ripped through Tolly’s gut like a shark fin. “Couldn’t you just let me stay here in my house and finish school? I can take care of myself.”
    “And you’d do what for food and utilities?”
    “I’ll sell my car and when the season is over I’ll be working here every afternoon. Just leave me here. Please.”
    “No,” Janice said sharply. “You should have thought about all that before you acted like a brat to me. You’re my responsibility. If I left you alone in that house, you’d trash it. It wouldn’t be worth selling come May. As for that car, it’s in Mama’s name and my Toyota is on its last legs.”
    Tolly bit the inside of her cheek. Harris was right. She had been naïve. In each other’s parents, both she and Harris practically had a second mother and father. Still did. This would have never happened to them.
    “Could I become an emancipated minor?” Kirby asked. Apparently, he’d picked up a little legalese working in the office but not enough to know the fine points.
    “I’m afraid not, son,” Harris said kindly.
    “Besides,” Tolly said gently, “you need someone to take care of you. You can’t be on your own.”
    “If I can figure it out, can I stay here? Legally?”
    Harris shrugged. “If your