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As much as he could see that, he wished she’d trusted him enough to tell him the truth.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell you. I promise you, there are no more secrets in my life. I’m pretty much an open book.”
Sitting there, he loved hearing the sound of her voice.
“Don’t be surprised if your office has Vaseline on all the knobs tomorrow,” he said.
She giggled. “We’re not playing Cupid games any longer. We’re done.”
“Oh no, we’re not,” he said softly. “There is still one big game for us to play.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a surprise. Get home and I’ll show you.”
“It will be really late when I get in tonight. I’ll see you at school tomorrow if I still have a job.”
“See you then,” he said, knowing he had to do something special for her. And this afternoon, he had practice with Jayden.
CHAPTER14
Zach was distracted, but he was doing his best to help Jayden. With every drill, with every practice, the boy got better. If he was not a senior, he really believed that next year he would have been his star player.
“Jump,” Zach yelled at him.
The kid was a great defensive player and a good blocker. Sometimes Zach wondered if that was what his life was like at home.
Suddenly the door to the gym slammed open and closed.
“Boy, I told you I needed your help today. No more basketball.” A big man entered the gym and stumbled toward the court.
He grabbed Jayden by the jersey. “Get your ass in the truck, now.”
“No,” Jayden said.
The man pulled his arm back to hit the boy and Zach flew in between them.
“Don’t you dare hit him,” he said.
“Get out of my way. He’s my son and I’ll treat him any way I want to,” he said with a growl. “Get out of my way or I’m going to hit you.”
Zach stood between the man and his son.
“I’ve seen the bruises on this boy. He has three more months of high school. Three more and then I hope and pray he gets a scholarship so he can get away from you.”
The man growled. “He’s not going anywhere but to work for me. My son is not going to college.”
“Why? Because then you won’t be able to control him?”
“Dad, please stop,” Jayden said. “If you hit Mr. Rowling, then I will tell CPS what you do to me and the other kids. Do you understand?”
That made Zach even more suspicious.
“Your son is a talented basketball player who should get a scholarship. With his education, he could help his family get out of poverty. Or is your pride more important than helping your family?”
The man glanced at his son, his lip curled into a sneer.
“You choose. This game or helping your papa.”
