The Penalty Box Read Online Free PDF Page B

satisfaction of seeing her pain. But in retrospect, he hated himself for having caused so much of it. Maybe that’s why his career ended early. Bad karma. What goes around comes around. He decided he’d make it up to her. If she remembered she’d asked him, he’d definitely talk to her for her jock book.
    Liz was standing behind him now, massaging his shoulders. “You’re very, very tense, Paul.”
    Closing his eyes, he let his head loll forward. “I’m also very, very drunk.”
    â€œDo you want me to drive you home?”
    Let Liz drive him home. Now there was a thought. A bad one.
    â€œNah. I’ll take a cab, thanks.”
    Liz playfully smacked his shoulder. “Oh, don’t be such a martyr! I do know how to drive, Paul.” Her mouth dipped down to his ear again, her hot breath teasing his senses. “As you may recall, I know how to do lots of things.”
    He was tired. He was drunk. He was lonely.
    â€œFine,” he murmured, fumbling in his pocket for his car keys, too weary to fight her off any longer. “Drive me home.”
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    â€œAunt Katie?”
    Katie had just turned out the light and slipped between the covers of her old bed when Tuck appeared in the doorway. It was strange, being back in her old room. Everything looked the same as it did when she’d departed for college: same nicked desk, same narrow bed, same lace curtains. The only thing different was she.
    â€œC’mon on in, Tuck.” She sat up and turned on the light, watching her nephew shuffle shyly into the room. He was clearly Mina’s son; he had his mother’s delicate features and enviably long eyelashes, as well as his mother’s wiry body. Sometimes, when Katie looked at him, she found herself running down a mental checklist of all the men in Didsbury, trying to figure out who his father was. It was a futile exercise. Tuck looked like Mina, period.
    â€œWhat’s up, pal? Couldn’t sleep?”
    Tuck shook his head. Her mother had told Katie that Tuck frequently had trouble getting to sleep, and would sometimes come to sleep with her for comfort, wrapping his arms tight around his grandmother’s neck.
    â€œWhat’s buggin’ ya?” Katie continued.
    â€œI dunno.” Tuck shrugged. He hopped up on the end of her bed, legs swinging. “How long are you going to be here again?”
    â€œA year, Tuck. Remember I told you that?”
    Tuck picked at the bedspread, not looking at her. “But then you go away again?”
    Katie felt her heart wrench. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I go back to Vermont. But that’s not for a long, long time. We’ve got months together, you and I.”
    Tuck raised his head, smiling. “Wanna play Motorcross Madness?”
    â€œRight now?”
    Tuck glanced furtively at the bedroom door and nodded.
    â€œHoney, it’s almost midnight. Aunt Katie is old. She’s tired. Besides, you should be fast asleep. If Nana catches you awake, she’ll paddle your beee-hind.”
    Tuck snorted with glee. “You’re funny, Aunt Katie.”
    â€œIt runs in the family. I bet you’re funny, too.”
    â€œMy mom’s not funny.”
    Katie leaned forward, brushing the hair out of his eyes. “Still pretty mad at her, huh?”
    Tuck jerked away.
    â€œI know she’s made some mistakes, but I also know she loves you. And as soon as we’re allowed to go see her, you and I—”
    â€œI don’t want to see her.” Tuck jumped off the bed. “I want to stay here with you and Nana. I never want to see her again!”
    â€œYesterday you said Nana was old and boring.”
    â€œShe is.”
    Katie feigned being insulted. “Well, I guess that means I’m boring, too.”
    Tuck bounced back onto the bed. “You could never be boring!”
    â€œYou know what? Neither could you. C’mere.” She coaxed Tuck into