Page 196 of ClickBack

“He’s got enough change coming. Last game. New school. Charlotte. Now everybody’s getting used to Jarrett being around, and in a few weeks he’ll be in Texas.”

“Rae and Jeremy are right there if you want to talk about the move.”

“I’m talking to you.”

“Then talk about what you mean.”

Byron looks at me. “This has moved fast. That boy gets attached. Somebody ought to think about what happens when the season starts.”

I come off the fence.

“I’m right here,” I tell him. “You got a question for me, ask it.”

His attention moves from my face to Giselle’s.

“See? This is what I mean.”

“No,” she says. “What you mean keeps changing.”

A parent passes us with a folding chair. Giselle waits until they are out of earshot.

“Come to the house at three-thirty. If you have concerns about me, you can say them somewhere Zion won’t hear.”

“Privately?” Byron asks.

“Jarrett will be there.”

“You and I have twenty years that don’t involve him.”

“Then you should have left him out of your comments.”

He looks toward the parking lot. Sutton is standing by their car, keys in her hand.

“Three-thirty,” he says.

He leaves. I wait until he reaches the lot.

“I can talk to him right now.”

“I know you can.” Giselle takes my hand. “I have something I want to say first.”

I look at her. She looks back, sure about it.

“All right.”

“And we’re still going to New York.”

“Damn right.”

Zion yells from near the dugout.

“GiGi! Mom says I have to carry my own bag!”

“You do!”

“It’s heavy!”

“You packed it!”