Part 18 (1/2)

Was that what they were making-a home? she wondered, as she hurried into thebedroom to brush her hair. The idea both tempted and terrified, * * *

Grady slipped the padlock from the storage shed and slid the door open. Athousand memories rushed at him along with the smell of boat gas and mustycanvas. Jimmy hesitated on the threshold, his body a little tense, his eyesbright with curiosity.

”It stinks in here,” he grumbled, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his nose.

Grady drew in a satisfying lungful and savored before releasing it. ”Smellslike freedom to me.”

Jimmy looked up, a look of cautious interest on his face. Grady could almosthear the echoes of a three-year-old's chatter in the silent look, and he mourned the lost years.

”Why?” Jimmy asked finally.

”When I was a kid, I'd started looking forward to the last day of schoolalong about the time that new-book smell wore off, which was usually the endof September.”

He glanced around at the stuff piled up over the years. Mismatched waterskis, water toys, a broken lawn chair. The tube from a tractor tire he andRiaused to share. Tonight he'd do his best to talk her into taking a moonlightswim, he decided.

So far he and Jimmy had been the only ones in the water. While Jim had beensearching the sandy bottom for catfish, Grady had been pumping him for hintsabout the life he'd led during the past three years.

Yeah, he'd had a pool at his house. A lot bigger than his best bud Jeremy's.

So why couldn't the boy swim?

Naw, he didn't go to a dumb school 'cause Moira was a real good teacher.

So how come he didn't want to talk about his favorite subjects.

No, they weren't his real parents, but they'd been real good to him. Thebest.

He never had to make his bed or clean his room or eat anything he didn't like.

”What's that?” Jimmy asked, pointing.

”Croquet set.”

Grady grinned at the thought of winning a game withRia . Hardin rules saidthat the winner got to claim a prize. He thought of that inner tube that heldtwo and a lakeful of water that was bathtub warm. As he recalled, she'dclimaxed twice the last time they'd gone skinny-dipping.

He felt his body stir and reminded himself he'd never lost a game yet.

”You ever play?” he asked, watching Jimmy trail his fingers over the malletheads.

”Uh-uh.” He kicked the stand with the toe of his sneaker. ”Lance is gonna teach me to play golf next time we go to Palm Springs.”

”Is that something you do often, go to Palm Springs?”

”Sometimes.”

Grady grabbed the red mallet that Jimmy used to drag around behind him ashe'd followed his dad around the court and handed it to the boy. ”Try the feelof this one,” he suggested, deliberately keeping his tone offhand. ”Maybe thisafternoon we can set up the court.”

He moved aside the lawn edger and leaned down to open the large wooden-cruisebox. Two flags lay atop a collection of life preservers. He took out the Starsand Stripes and started to close the lid, only to stop when Jimmy askedsuddenly, ”What's that gold thing?”

”Purdue banner. Here, hold this and I'll show you.” He handed his son theflag before holding up the banner so that Jim could see the familiarBoilermaker logo.

His son seemed less than impressed. ”What's Purdue?”

”It's a college in West Lafayette. A pretty famous place, actually,especially in these parts. Your mom and just about everyone else in our familywent there.”

Jim took a moment to work that through in his mind. ”So did you go there,too?” he asked finally.

Grady took in a slow breath. He'd lost track of the times he'd been askedthat same question over the years. It never failed to jab his pride.

”I tried, but I couldn't make the entrance requirements.”

”What's that mean, they wouldn't let you come in, like in the movies?”

”In a way.” He heard a speedboat scream by and glanced through the dustywindow at the violent ripples rus.h.i.+ng toward the sandy beach. ”Entrancerequirements are mostly a set of rules they have about who they want and don'twant.”

”And they didn't want you?”

Grady nearly groaned at his son's obvious disappointment. ”Nope. But I got mea real polite letter with a seal and everything.”

”How comethey didn't want you?”

Persistent little cuss, his son. ”I have a problem reading, which means Ihave to find other ways of learning things.” He folded the pennant into a neatsquare before stowing it away. ”I can usually figure things out, but it takesme a long time sometimes.”

”Me, too, sometimes.” Jimmy's gaze slid from his. Something in the angle ofthe boy's head had his gut tightening. ”Guess people mighta made fun of you onaccount of that.”

”Some did, yeah-till I got old enough to make them pay. Then they stopped.”

Jimmy looked intrigued. ”Did you shoot 'em?”

”Nope. Punched 'em. My brothers mostly. And a few of their big-mouthedfriends.”

Jimmy kicked the croquet set again. Hard. One shoulder hunched, then theother. He dropped his gaze.

”I did what you said. You know, like for the bet?”

Grady had to grab a minute to catch up. ”You mean callingRia Mom?”

He nodded, and his hair flopped. ”I thought, since it was what you wanted andall, it was supposed to be a good thing. I mean, you're all the time trying tomake her laugh and watching her to make sure she's not upset and all.”

Grady was d.a.m.n near speechless, blown away by the kid's ability to read him.”You're right. It's supposed to be a good thing.” He hesitated, then squatteddown to bring his gaze closer to Jim's. ”Are you saying it wasn't?”

Jimmy rubbed his ear with a hunched shoulder. He looked miserably unhappy anda little scared, like maybe he was worried about what Grady was going to donext. He didn't want to think about another man punis.h.i.+ng his son, especiallya man with big hands like frigging Lance's.

”You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, son, but ifsomething's bothering you, I might be able to help.”

Jimmy didn't look impressed, and Grady bit off a sigh. ”I admit I don't haveall the answers. Heck, sometimes I think I was sleeping-in the morning theLord pa.s.sed out sense, but I'd sure give it my best shot.”

Jimmy rubbed his ear again, then gradually lowered his shoulder. Grady waitedpatiently while the boy worked it through. He had all day if that's how longit took. Finally Jimmy aimed another kick at the croquet set and startedtalking. ”She got this funny look on her face, and then she started bawling.”