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“What if you’d exceeded expectations?”
“I really don’t know. I always expected she’d stick by me if I was moving up. I didn’t, so it was a moot point.” His smile disappeared and he stared at the glass in his hand. “I never regretted trying, but I do wish I had that year back to spend with her.”
“Is the pizza here?”
Liam thundered down the stairs, and Pop powered through his grief. “Why am I not surprised my grandson comes running when he smells pizza?”
* * *
The pizza lived up to its recommendation; the movie did not. Pop had fallen asleep in his recliner halfway through. Slider had curled up with his head on Coury’s leg. Only the prospect of going out once more got him moving.
When they returned from a quick walk around the block, Pop woke. Yawning, he thanked them for taking Slider out and headed off to bed. Slider watched him for a few seconds and hopped off just before Pop closed his bedroom door.
“He must really like you,” Liam said. “Normally he doesn’t do that with anyone but Pop and me.”
Grabbing their glasses, Coury followed Liam into the kitchen. “Guess he figured he’d make friends with the one person in the house he’s smarter than.”
The scowl Liam gave him was unexpected.
“What?”
“You need to stop that. You’re not stupid, Coury. Far from it. Your problem is you don’t apply yourself. Baseball is more important than studying. But when you try, you’re above average.”
“Not really. I’m doing okay in paleontology, but that’s the exception.”
“Nope.” Liam shook his head, eyes glittering determinedly. “Not buying it. I’m not sure who convinced you along the way that you weren’t that smart, but they were dead wrong. If you’d stop hiding behind that lie and start believing in yourself, you’d see.”
“Where’d this come from?”
Liam blew out a breath and set the plates in the sink. “Frustration. I’ve listened and observed, and you’re a smart guy. You don’t study enough or efficiently, but if you did, you’d really see your grades come up.”
“I guess.”
“The real issue is, you only do enough to keep your scholarship. If you tried doing your best . . .”
Coury rubbed his nape. “It’s a bit late for that. I graduate in a few months. Where were you freshman year?”
“Please. I can’t be the only person to tell you that.”
“Kinda, yeah. You are. I mean teachers might have said something, but you’re the first friend who said anything like that.”
“What about Luke?” Liam didn’t sound convinced.
Coury shrugged. “Luke’s great, but we don’t have the same classes. He’s helped me when I needed it, but he’s never tutored me.”
“And the other tutors you’ve had? None of them, either?”
Coury set the glasses in the sink. “I was a paycheck to them. None of them cared about me like you do.”
The words slipped out and warmth rushed to his neck. What would Liam make of that comment?
“Of course I care. You’re my friend.”
“Exactly. I saw my tutors only when they were getting paid. Anyway, it’s too late to raise my GPA. I just need to pass to graduate.”
Liam moved so he was facing Coury. “It’s not too late to learn better study habits. They’ll pay off whether you go to grad school or start working.”
“After I graduate, I’m playing baseball. I already have good habits when it comes to that.”
The expected pushback didn’t come right away. Liam frowned, but it disappeared a second later. “There will be a life after baseball, Coury. It’s not too late to prepare for that day.”
“You’re right. I don’t like to do things in case I don’t get drafted. That feels like I’m not all in on the dream. But doing things that will help me as a player, and after, is smart.”
Again, Liam paused. “Right. Exactly.”
“Okay, you convinced me. I’ll try harder for the rest of the semester in all my classes, if you don’t bail on me.”
Liam smirked. “So I have to do something for you to help yourself?”
“No, but it helps.”
Liam stared at Coury, the smile gone. “Okay. If you promise to work harder in all your classes, I promise I’ll continue being your tutor.”
Coury’s smile stretched his lips and he scooped Liam into a warm hug. “You are the best. I so owe you.”
After second, Liam hugged him back. “You bet.”
Chapter Eight
Coury
Helen Van Buren was nothing like Coury expected. She was trim, fashionable, and quick with a smile, not a stuffy old grandmother type at all.
Pop smiled the moment she entered the crowded restaurant; he stood and smoothed his white dress shirt. Coury glanced at Liam and they shared a quiet snicker.
They’d barely said hello when their waiter arrived with water and took their drink orders.
With a dazzling, lip-sticked smile, she said, “Liam, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Albert has told me how much he enjoys you living with him. It’s given him new energy.”
