Maybe it was living with his parents that wasn’t helping.
They had questions and he didn’t want to give answers.
He knew their time and personal space were going to run out along with their patience.
She smiled politely at that. The same as his old high school buddy, Colby did when he ran into him last week and got a smirk as if they all knew he’d never make it outside of the family business.
Maybe he shouldn’t have run his mouth so much about leaving the area.
“I heard you had some big job with the Charlotte Hornets.”
“Do you know Nino Meyers?” Archer asked.
“I do,” he said, smiling. The boy’s eyes were wide as saucers. “I’ve known him for years.”
Nino would be retiring after the season when his contract ran out. No one knew yet, but a select few. Jayce being one. They’d gotten close over the past ten years.
The guy should have retired five years ago but kept hanging on and putting up solid numbers. At thirty-two his career was going to be a family man, or so Nino said.
At thirty-four Jayce realized that life was passing him by and he didn’t have millions in the bank like the players did to sit back on.
Couldn’t be much of a family man if he spent more than half the year on the road. No one would want to put up with that.
Hell,hedidn’t even want to anymore.
He’d been thinking it for years but held on because coming home felt more like an internal failure that he couldn’t handle the dream he’d always wanted and had. The one he boasted about to everyone he knew.
“That’s so cool,” Archer said. “He’s my favorite player.”
“He’s a cool dude,” he said.
“Do you want to shoot hoops with Mom and me?”
He turned to Farrah. “Just like old times?”
“You two played basketball together? How do you know each other?”
“We went to school together,” she said. “Jayce is an old friend.”
“Friends who play basketball are the best,” Archer said. The kid handed over the ball to him.
He walked to the court, then turned his head to look at Farrah. “Well, are you up for some one on one? I’ll go light on you. We can show your son your moves.”
Farrah laughed just like she had years ago when he’d asked her to play.
“You’re on,” she said, stealing the ball away from him, dribbling with speed that didn’t quite match what she had in high school, but executing the perfect layup.
“Yes!” Archer yelled. “Go, Mom.”
2
MEMORY LANE
Farrah rebounded the ball after Jayce missed his shot, dribbled back to the foul line, faked to his right, then shot off her left foot to the swishing sound of all net again.
“That’s another for me,” she said, laughing, and bounced the ball to him.
Jayce was dribbling down low, forcing her to crouch like him. She swung in with her left arm to steal the ball, but she was only teasing.
