When the fresh air outside finally hit his face, Jack drank his fill. He flexed his hands and stretched. Just the atmosphere of the prison had felt crushing, and now he was free. But he could see that the change brought no comfort to Mrs. Martin. In fact, it seemed to have had the opposite effect. She was breathing so heavily, Jack worried she was going to hyperventilate.
Aunt Haddie stopped. “It’s all right, Charlotte. Everything will be all right.”
Mrs. Martin covered her face with her hands. “Did you hear him? Why would Jay say that? Did you hear what he said?”
“What, Charlotte?”
“Not to look for Tommy. That’s not like him.” She shook her head. “Where is Tommy? I’m so worried about him, Haddie. Maybe he’s thinking of doing something foolish? He’d do anything for Jay.”
Aunt Haddie rubbed her friend’s back. “I’m sure Tommy will show up.”
“But I don’t know where else to look.” Mrs. Martin’s hand shot out and grabbed Jack’s wrist. “You’re his friend, Jackie. You grew up with my boys.” Her grip was tight. Her eyes pleaded. “Please, Jackie. Please find Tommy.”
“I’d like to, Mrs. Martin, but I don’t know where he would go.”
“You know his friends. You can find him.”
“I don’t even know where to start looking.”
Mrs. Martin stared up at him. “You’re smart. You’ll think of something.”
Jack looked at Aunt Haddie and then into Mrs. Martin’s big brown eyes, filled with tears. “I’ll try,” he said.
8
The Game
After dropping off Aunt Haddie and Mrs. Martin, Jack drove straight to Kelly’s. There were so many expensive cars lining her long driveway, he had to park right down at the end. It looked more like the opening of a swanky, upscale restaurant than a family barbecue. As he walked up the driveway, Jack glanced back over his shoulder at his Impala. All the other vehicles— BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes sparkling in the afternoon sun—looked like they had just come off a dealership’s lot. Jack’s car was as out of place as a football player in a ballet.
Remembering one of Aunt Haddie’s lessons, Jack stiffened his backbone. Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are.
Kelly and a girl with sandy hair walked down the driveway to Jack. Kelly stopped only inches away. She clasped both hands behind her back and rose up on her toes. “Hey.” Her cherry-red lips spread into a warm smile.
Jack grinned back. “Sorry I’m late.” He offered his hand to Kelly’s friend. “Jack Stratton.”
Kelly introduced her. “This is Courtney.”
Courtney eyed Jack up and down. “You’re a brave man.”
Kelly shot her a look, then turned to Jack. “I tried to call and warn you.”
“I wasn’t home. I had to visit someone in prison.”
Courtney’s eyes widened. Kelly’s expression was a mix of shock and excitement. Courtney mouthed, Bad boy, but Jack pretended not to notice.
“I should have known something was up when my father gave in too easily,” Kelly said. “My dad had my older brother invite some of his friends.”
“That’s fine. Let’s go say hi,” Jack suggested.
Kelly hesitated.
“Is there something else?”
Kelly twisted back and forth. “My ex is here too. He’s friends with my brother.”
This just keeps getting better.
Jack hid his apprehension with a smile. He leaned closer and whispered, “You’re the only one I care about seeing.”
“We don’t have to go,” Kelly said.
A crooked grin crossed Jack’s face. “It’ll be fun.”
The three of them walked up the driveway and around the side of the house. Jack held open the gate to the back yard and let Kelly and Courtney through. Kelly took his hand.
The back yard was huge—and beautiful. It appeared as if a ground crew had spent days working on it. The grass was green, lush, and meticulously edged, bushes were shaped and trimmed, and the flowers were in full bloom in carefully arranged beds of fresh wood chips. A tall gazebo sat nestled under twin Japanese maples. In the center, a large white marquee sheltered rows of tables with folding chairs. Behind that, an in-ground pool that was twice the size of a standard one glistened an aquamarine blue. A few dozen people milled about.
Mrs. Dawson noticed them and hurried over. She smiled warmly, but there was a tightness around her eyes. “Jack. I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Thank you very much for inviting me. It’s a beautiful day for a barbecue.”
“It is. Have you been enjoying it?”