He walked with Ronnie to the door. “Are you here for the Ping-Pong tournament?”
Ronnie pushed the door to the building open and held it for him. “Yes, Tiago has been talking about it for a week. This place has been so good for him.”
“He’s a good kid.” Ronnie’s kid brother was quickly becoming a favorite at the youth center. Gangly and tall with a mop of dark hair, Tiago was working to fit in. He was always quick to help. And if he was sometimes also too quick with a joke during a serious moment, he could be forgiven for that. Sammy was often accused of the same thing. “I’m glad the center exists for kids like him. And for the many others who need a place to go.”
Ronnie nodded. “Too bad the town can’t get someone to manage it full-time. A real director and a consistent schedule would mean so much to so many kids.”
Sammy agreed. But… “It’s gotta be hard to find the right person. Wouldn’t they need a degree and specialized training?”
“I don’t see why they would. They’d maybe need some background checks and a love for teenagers, but they shouldn’t need a degree. A willingness to work for peanuts and a deep enjoyment for working with teenagers would be harder to come by.”
Plus, they’d have to want to live in Deep Haven, Sammy thought.
Though, who wouldn’t be attracted to the small town together with its quirks and blessings? Sammy believed it was the best place to settle down and raise a family. When he’d been young and fatherless, the people of Deep Haven had been a family to him. He wanted that safety for his own kids.
He realized Ronnie was looking at him, waiting for a reply. “Teens aren’t so bad. They just need a listening ear and someone who sees that their problems may not be huge to adults but they’re the whole world to a kid.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I always have to count to ten and back when Tig answers me with a grunt instead of actual words.”
Sammy laughed. “If that’s the worst thing he does, I’d say you’re doing pretty well.”
Ronnie crossed her arms and nodded affectionately at Tiago, who’d picked up a paddle and was hitting a Ping-Pong ball in the air. “Since we came to Deep Haven—well, after we settled in—he’s been like a whole new kid, ya know? I was worried my marriage to Peter would upset his balance, but he seems to thrive in our new little family.” Across from Tiago, Peter—still in his fireman’s uniform—had picked up a paddle and was challenging the boy to a contest. The two laughed as they tried to outdo each other in bouncing the ball on their paddles.
“Seventeen!” Tiago crowed. “Beat you by a mile.”
Peter slung an arm around the boy. “Nicely done. You’re going to need all those skills in a few minutes.”
Just then the door opened and more kids streamed in, laughing and jostling each other. The school bus must have let a bunch of them off at the corner. A blast of cold air came in with them. Sammy heard the new furnace cycle on to combat the cold.
Sammy clapped his hands together to grab everyone’s attention. “All right, everyone! Let’s get this show on the road.”
The tournament proceeded round-robin style, with each kid having a chance to participate. Shortly after the games began, Vivien and Boone showed up and joined the adults in cheering, refereeing, and keeping score.
The mood of the group was generally good-natured, but Sammy intervened once when one kid accused another of cheating.
Once the tournament was over and most of the kids had gone home, Sammy walked Boone and Vivien to the door. “Thanks again for showing up.” Sammy clapped Boone on the back.
“No problem. We believe in this place too.” Boone tugged a knit cap over his blond hair, and Vivien looped her arm through his.
“You did a great job with these kids.” Her deep-blue eyes flashed with humor. “You’re almost dad-like in your ability to make bad jokes.”
“Hey, don’t knock my skills.” Sammy tucked his hands into his pockets. Behind them, he heard Tiago challenging Ronnie to one last game. “See ya later.” Sammy made sure the door was shut securely behind Boone and Vivien, then joined Peter on a couch.
And promptly sank almost to the floor.
“There’s nothing left of the springs in this thing,” Peter said. “I should have warned you.”
Sammy adjusted himself in his seat. “Yeah, they’re kind of all like this. We could use some better furniture, but I think people are reluctant to give the good stuff to a bunch of kids.”
“I noticed you’re not afraid of giving good stuff.”
Had Peter found out his secret? “What do you mean?”
Peter watched Ronnie serve, and when Tiago couldn’t return the Ping-Pong ball, she did a little dance and crowed. “Just that you’re always willing to step up and help out. You don’t hold anything back. I admire that in a person. You’ve always been that way.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“Like on the football team. I know the linemen don’t get a lot of credit, but you were always there to take a hit so the team could score. Anyway, not trying to get all sappy or whatever. Just thought you might appreciate knowing someone noticed.”
