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Julie's eyes refocused on the football field as Ty laughed and picked up one of the smaller kids He spun the little boy around to celebrate what she guessed was a perfect spiral

How could she go back to putting up walls when he acted like that?

It had been a great day Ty was clear on what he wanted to do when the time came to retire He wanted to run a place like this, teach kids the joy of the gaht there with you on the field Teamwork, respect, hoin, and how to lose

Football was hard on a body Either you were forced to retire injured or you left willingly while everything still worked Ty was hoping for the latter

As he helped the boys clean up the balls and nets on the fields, he looked over at Julie She had her head bent over her BlackBerry, good little worker that she was He was hit with theher naked up on that balcony in Napa and he had to look away, trying to get his mind off of her curves, the way the pulse in her neck jumped when she threw her head back and came He was about to turn around and head for the clubhouse when he heard a h voice boom across the field

"Jackie boy, I hope you kicked some ass today"

Jack's face flamed and he ducked his head and fumbled a ball on purpose so that he could run after it Away from the man that Ty assumed was his father

The ruddy-faced man stumbled in Ty's direction He slapped Ty on the back and stale whisky fumes poured out of his ot out there, isn't it, Ace?"

Ty worked to repress his revulsion It wasn't Jack's fault that his father was a worthless drunk

"Sure is He's a great kid"

The reat at football We didn't come here this week for him tohi the way He hasn't been a sniveling baby out here today, has he?"

Ty had gone cow tipping a few times with his buddies as a kid in Marin, and he was sorely teuy's overinflated chest and watch hi heedlessly in the air

But he wasn't here to tell guys like this where to stick it All he could do was help their kids on the field, teach theht way to act, and hope they remembered what he'd told them when push came to shove

Ty said, "He's doing great," and headed across the field toward Jack He

squatted down and covered Jack with his back,sure his father couldn't see either of their faces

"I met your dad"

The kid's eyes shuttered, so different fro deal I can handle him"

Ty nodded "Sure you can" He paused "He reminds me a lot of my dad Says the same kind of stuff"

Jack looked up in surprise "You're kidding, right?"

"My dad put a lot of pressure onhe cared about"

Jack screwed up his face "But isn't winning what matters most?"

Ty reached into his pocket, pulled out paper and a pen, and wrote his cell nuo out there and play the best game you can" He handed the scrap of paper to Jack "You need anything, you give me a call"

Jack looked down at Ty's cell number, his mouth open "Wow"

"Even if you just need to talk, call ht away, I promise to call you back"

They both heard Jack's father co and the boy shoved the paper into his pocket before his dad could see Ty knew da the personal telephone nuht to the bar to buy everyone a round to celebrate Before the night was through, that nuer's hand

Ty watched Jack and his father walk aondering if he'd just made a mistake, when Julie appeared at his side

"You look serious," she said, following his gaze to the parking lot

He shook off his darkwith Julie was his father She knew he'd been a drunk--shit, everyone in town knew, and once he'd gone pro the press had told the world--but it still wasn't soames he'd won, the more people left his past alone And that was exactly how he liked it

"You're looking at a future superstar," he said, changing the subject