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odd hours, maybe
even an occasional overnight.” He shook his head. “I’d like to
enroll him in some kind of camp, too, so he’d get some playtime
with other kids.” He looked at Kyle. “Then you could have mornings
off, to compensate for the unusual hours.”
    “My girlfriend Kay is working at a summer
camp. We could check it out for Tyler.”
    “Super.” Mike faced Jacelyn. “This all right
with you?”
    “Yes, it is.” She gripped the strap of a navy
purse she carried. “When does Tyler arrive?”
    “Two days from now. I can’t wait. I’m just
finishin’ his room in my house.”
    “You’re not living in the dorms with the
players?”
    “No, I rented a house because of him.” And
took a lot of grief from the team’s management because of it.
Still, he’d held out for Tyler. His son was first and foremost in
his life these days.
    “What are you doing to his room?” Kyle
asked.
    Mike rolled his eyes. “He wants it blue and
white.”
    “The team’s colors.” The boy’s eyes sparkled.
“Need some help?”
    “What?”
    “I could help you paint. Move in stuff.”
    “I’d be downright happy for the help.”
    Kyle looked at his mother. “It’s okay, Mom,
isn’t it?”
    “Sure.”
    “Thanks, Coach.” Kyle held out his hand.
    “You’re welcome.”
    The boy turned to his mother. “Do I have time
to run over to the Cyber Café and tell Kay? She’s waiting there to
hear how the interview went.”
    “You can call her on your cell.”
    “Mo-om.”
    “Okay. Meet me at the car in ten
minutes.”
    “Fifteen,” he called out as he jogged
away.
    “Nice kid.” Mike looked after Kyle. “He
doesn’t drive? He’d need to for this job.”
    “My car’s in the shop. He’s driving
me
today.”
    “I like him.”
    She drew herself up. “He means everything to
me. I wouldn’t want to see him hurt.” Hell, Ms. Frigid was
back.
    “You mean his hands?”
    “Partly. If he injures his hands doing
something athletic and can’t play the piano, he’ll miss out on all
the concerts and music activities he’s got planned this summer.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. The jacket she wore had two
strategically placed buttons. Closed. Some little navy thing peeked
out from beneath. “I’m not sure your influence...” She seemed to
think better about completing the statement.
    Mike felt his temper heat. Deadly calm, he
crossed his arms over his chest, too. “You don’t like me much, do
you?”
    “Excuse me? I hardly know you.”
    “That’s what I was thinkin’. So I don’t get
why the temperature drops fifty degrees when you have to say a few
words to me. If it’s because of the comments I made outside the
Sports Studies office that day...”
    “It’s not that.”
    “Is it because you lost the office? President
Cavanaugh said we ousted you.”
    She smoothed back her hair. It was pulled off
her face, and tied up in some fancy do at her neck. It looked nice.
“I can deal with the new one. Other things have happened to me
that--”
    “Jacelyn, is that you down there?” Mike
glanced at the raised path. On it was good old Professor Hal
walking a beautiful black Lab.
    She waved to him. “Hi, Hal. Just waiting for
Kyle.”
    Hal frowned at Mike, who gave him a little
salute. The professor called out, “Well, I’ll see you tonight at
eight.”
    “Yes, of course.”
    When Jacelyn turned back around, her face was
flushed. Not from the sun. He was reminded of a couple of smart
girls he’d tried dating in school. There was one in particular whom
he’d really liked. Oftentimes, when she was out with Mike, she
avoided being at places where her
other
—read
smarter—friends frequented. With more slice in his voice than he’d
intended, he asked, “You embarrassed to be seen with me, Dr.
Ross?”
    “No, of course not. You’re team liaison to
the Sports Studies program, which is part of my department. We have
reason to be together.”
    Mike stared hard at her, offended by her
attitude.