Playing For Keeps (22 page)

She was hitting below the belt here. “It’s
not like he’s chosen a life of crime, Jacelyn.” He couldn’t keep
the coldness from his tone. Damn her for her doubts when they’d
gotten as close as that two people could be last night.

“Yes, well, his father’s going to see it as
such.”

“That’s his father’s problem, not ours.”

“Ours? You just said you don’t disagree with
his decision. That you support it.”

“Don’t go on the offense, baby, just because
you’re upset.”

She just stared at him.

He was distracted by a movement at the
door.

Tim Mason stood in the entryway. “Ready,
Mike?”

Mike stared at him. “Huh?”

“We got a session in five minutes.” He nodded
to Jacelyn. “Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to run something by
you on the way over.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I was just leaving.”
With a quick goodbye, she hurried out of the room. Mike stared
after her.

“What was that all about?”

“I’m afraid to say.”

“Meaning?”

“Nothin’. Come on, let’s go. I need some
distraction right about now.”

o0o

Ithaca, New York was a postcard-pretty little
town about a hundred miles from Rockford, and home to prestigious
Cornell University. It also housed Ithaca College, where Neil
Worthington headed the music program. Jacelyn drove through the
tree-lined streets as Kyle navigated. “Turn left up here, Mom.”

His voice was hoarse, anxious. She’d been
through this so many times, running interference for Kyle and Neil.
Maternal instinct made her say, “It’ll work out, honey. One way or
another.”

“More like another. Though Coach thinks it’ll
be okay.”

She kept her eyes on the cobblestone road of
the street where Neil lived. “Coach?”

“Yeah, I talked a long time with him last
night before I called Dad. He, um, volunteered to come with us
today.”

Oh, that’d go over big. Jacelyn was already
expecting World War Three. If Mike, a symbol of everything Neil
held in contempt and the person who seemed at least partially
responsible for Kyle’s decision, had come along, it would be the
icing on the cake. “You said no?”

“Yes. You shouldn’t even have come. I could
do this alone.”

“Not in a million years.”

When Kyle had called Neil and asked to talk
to him in person, Neil had said he was too busy to drive to
Rockford. He was finalizing the arrangements for the Labor Day
Music Festival and he couldn’t get away.

Kyle voiced his thoughts. “Damn it, Mom, he
can’t even make time for me when my life is in crisis.”

Catching sight of number 336, Jacelyn swerved
into an empty space at the curb. Slowly, she put the car in Park
and faced her son. “Your life isn’t in crisis, honey. This is a
change of plans. Crisis is when somebody dies. When somebody gets
cancer. When there’s a war and you’re drafted.”

Kyle stared over at her. “Coach is right.
You’re something else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Aw, Mom, I know you don’t want me to switch
majors. This whole thing has got you in knots. But you’re helping
me anyway. Coach says that unconditional love is the most precious
thing there is.”

“I’d do anything for you, Kyle.”

“But you wish I wasn’t changing majors.”

“Yes, honey, I do. I have to be honest about
this. And I can’t help what I feel. But it doesn’t matter right
now. If you’re not happy, I want you to take steps that you think
will make you happy.” She’d deal with her own misgivings, her own
doubts, by herself.

Especially over Mike. She was surprised he’d
praised her to Kyle. He wasn’t happy with her reaction to this turn
of events.

Nor with the fact that she’d canceled their
double date with Millie and Gage tomorrow night in public at a
restaurant.

Does this have any hidden meaning,
Professor?

What do you mean?

You backtracking on me?

Mike, cut me some slack I’m dealing with
a lot now.

His eyes had flared hotly.
You got all
the slack you want, sweetheart.

“Mom, we going inside?”

“What? Oh, of course.”

They exited the car. Mid-August in upstate
New York was hot, and Jacelyn felt the sweat pool between her
breasts as they walked up the flight of steps to Neil’s front door.
She knew he’d bought the old Victorian a few years ago, but had
never been here. Kyle had either driven down alone to see him, or
Neil had come to Rockford.

Her son reached out and rang the
doorbell.

She looked at him quizzically.

He ducked his head. “I don’t have a key.”

“Oh, honey.”

He shrugged just as the door opened. A young
woman not too much older than Kyle stood in the archway. “Hi,
Kyle.” She turned a highly made-up face, despite the fact that she
was in workout gear, to Jacelyn. “Hello, Jacelyn.”

“Stephanie.”

“Come on in. I’m just on my way out. Neil’s
in his study.” She faced Kyle. “Sorry he couldn’t drive up to see
you, Kyle. I tried to convince him to go.” She gave a weak smile.
“I’ll be glad when this festival’s over.”

Jacelyn made an innocuous reply, then stepped
into her ex-husband’s house. Stephanie skittered away on sneakered
feet.

“What’s that line, Mom? About bearding the
lion in his den?”

Smiling weakly, she ruffled Kyle’s hair.
“Well, at least you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

The house was beautifully laid out, with
tasteful furnishings and artwork. She remembered that Stephanie was
an interior designer. Kyle led the way to Neil’s den. From the
doorway, she saw he was seated in a big leather chair, facing a
wide window that overlooked a small fenced-in yard. Into the phone,
he spoke harshly. “I don’t care how much fancy footwork you have to
do, Louis. I want the hall ready next week.”

Neil placed the phone down in its cradle,
swirled his chair around and caught sight of them. “Kyle. Jacelyn.”
He glanced back at the phone. “This show is three weeks away and
the hall isn’t even ready.” He looked at Kyle, then pulled out a
drawer, and from it drew an envelope. “Here’s your tickets. You
wanted one for you and that girl, right?”

Numbly, Kyle accepted the tickets. He kept
them in his hand, didn’t stuff them into his pocket. Neil nodded to
a leather couch. “Sit and tell me what this visit is about.”

They took seats on the couch.

“What was so important that you and your
mother had to drive down here to tell me?” His eyes narrowed. “You
haven’t gone and gotten that girl pregnant, have you?”

“No, Dad.” Kyle glanced at Jacelyn.

Jacelyn had volunteered to break the news to
Neil alone, or to tell Neil with Kyle along, but Kyle had said it
was his responsibility. “Go ahead, honey.” She sat close to him.
Her heart was thumping in her chest and her hands were clammy. She
hated the fact that Neil could affect them both like this. She
thought she was getting past that, but when it came to Kyle she
always treaded lightly with his father.

“Dad, I’ve changed my major at Beckett.”

“I’ve told you before, son. Music education
isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Few people are as successful as I
am.” He shook his head. “You have incredible talent, much more than
I. You can’t waste it in a classroom. Performance is a must for
you.”

Kyle straightened his shoulders. “I’m not
changing to education.”

Brow furrowed, Neil ran his hand through his
hair, and for the first time, Jacelyn noticed it had thinned
considerably. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m going into the Sports Studies
program.”

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“No, Dad.”

“I can’t allow that.”

Her son straightened his shoulders. “It’s a
done deal.”

“Nothing’s a done deal.” Neil picked up the
phone. “I’m calling your advisor. Paul Hadley will fix this.”

“Paul Hadley’s not my advisor anymore. Jake
Lansing is.”

“The jock?” He rolled his eyes. “God save
education today. Kyle, this simply isn’t going to happen.”

“I’m sorry, Dad, it is.” Kyle didn’t look
away. He held his father’s gaze unflinchingly. “I’m not changing
back to music.”

Faced with his son’s obstinacy, which he
rarely saw, Neil leveled an angry gaze on Jacelyn. “This is your
fault.”

“Dad—”

“No, Kyle. It’s my turn now.” Jacelyn
straightened her shoulders, too. “This is no one’s
fault,
Neil. Your son has made his own decision.”

“Because you’ve allowed him to dabble in this
athletic nonsense. Because you’ve let him hang out with that
Kingston person and his child. Because you’ve
never
known
how to discipline him.”

Since her thoughts still ran along the same
lines, she didn’t contradict Neil. “Can we forsake the blame and
pull together to do what’s best for our son?” From the corner of
her eye, she saw Kyle gripping the tickets for Neil’s show. His
posture was impossibly tense.

“Please, Dad,” he said.

“Please what? Sit back and let you make the
biggest mistake of your life? Give my
approval
for you to
ruin your future?”

“I’m not ruining my future. Or give up music.
I’ll keep taking lessons. I want to.”

Neil watched him with a stony expression.

So Kyle pleaded. “Don’t you even want to know
why I did this? What I think about my future? About my life in
general?”

For a brief moment, something flickered
across Neil’s face. Something paternal. But then he shook it off.
“No. That isn’t relevant now.”

“It is, Neil. He’s not happy with his
music.”

He steepled his hands. “Even if that’s true
now, he won’t know until all his training is done what makes him
happy. Everyone sacrifices for his art.”

Jacelyn agreed with that partly, so she kept
silent. When Kyle didn’t acquiesce, Neil leaned forward. “If you
don’t change your decision, I won’t finance a Sports Studies
major.”

Her son’s face hardened. “It doesn’t matter.
The tuition’s free at Mom’s school because she works there.”

“She won’t sign for it.”

Kyle’s gaze whipped to her. “Would you do
what he says, Mom?”

The fear in her son’s voice, in his eyes,
pummeled her. “Of course I wouldn’t, honey.” She looked at Neil.
“You’re wrong, Neil. I’d never do that to my own child.”

“Fine.” He faced Kyle. “I also won’t be
paying for your room and board, or handing out spending money
either. And I’ll reconsider those private music lessons you like so
much. Why spend money on that when you’ve made this ludicrous
choice?”

Kyle stood. “I’ll be a Resident Advisor. My
room will be paid for. Or I’ll live at home. And I’ll find a way to
pay for my music studies.”

Again there was an unfamiliar emotion is
Neil’s eyes. He shook his head solemnly and said, “I can’t believe
you’d reject my world, the world I
gave
to you, this
way.”

Oh, God, was that how Neil saw this whole
thing?

“I’m not rejecting you, Dad.” Kyle lifted his
chin. “I’m doing what’s best for me.”

“You don’t
know
what’s best for you.
Especially at this stage in your life.”

“No, Dad,
you
don’t know.” He looked
at Jacelyn. “Let’s go, Mom.”

Jacelyn rose, and Kyle headed for the door
without her. “Neil, please, you seem to be hurt by his decision. We
could talk about it more. Analyze your reaction more.”

He went back into normal mode right before
her eyes. His glare was so brutal she shrank back. “I don’t need to
analyze my reaction. You need to analyze yours. From where I stand,
you’re a bad mother, Jacelyn. And irresponsible.” Then he turned
toward the door. “Kyle?”

Her son pivoted and the flicker of hope on
his face made Jacelyn catch her breath. He wanted some kind of
reconciliation so badly. “Yeah?”

Neil strode across the room and stopped in
front of Kyle. He reached out—and yanked the tickets from Kyle’s
hand. “Looks like you won’t be needing these.”

“Dad...”

Staring at his son, Neil lifted the envelope
and ripped it in half.

In the dimness of the den, Jacelyn sat at the
beautiful oak piano they’d bought Kyle when he’d turned ten and
picked at the ebony and ivory keys. The too-high tinkling sound
vaguely resembled Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” A song Kyle loved to
play.

You’re a bad mother. And
irresponsible....

Putting her head down onto the cool wood, she
was very close to believing Neil’s accusation was true. She
probably was a bad mother for letting Kyle follow his interest in
sports. For letting him work for Mike this summer. Had she caused
him to choose athletics over music?

More pathetic notes.

Superimposed over the keys, she saw Neil’s
contemptuous look as he’d ripped up Kyle’s tickets—and tromped on
his heart. Kyle’s face had blanched.
Please, Dad, don’t do
that.

For a split second, Neil had looked horrified
by what he’d done. Then his expression blanked and he turned away
from his son.

Jacelyn had hurried Kyle out of Neil’s house.
She knew he was ready to break down—which he did once he was inside
the car. He sobbed like a child in her arms. Holding him tightly,
soothing his hair, she’d cried, too.

And now, in the stillness of the room, she
admitted she’d inadvertently helped bring them all to this point by
getting close to the Kingstons herself. Mike was so charismatic, so
appealing.

Jacelyn’s change in attitude toward him, the
sports program, toward the team’s training camp at Beckett, could
have signaled Kyle that it was all right to switch his major.

Maybe not, though. He said he’d been thinking
about it since last spring.

But he’d never done anything to change his
plans before meeting Mike.