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"I'o of Julie's hand and took the too-small seat next to Jack "What's up?"

"Nothing, I guess I was playing with sohborhood and sprained o hoht I broke it, but I guess the sound I heard was just the other guy's hel mine"

Inwardly, Ty winced "Hurts like hell, huh?"

He knew the drill with sprains Lots of pain, no syht back out there on the field

Jack shrugged, playing tough guy

"They said I should take these every four hours" He held up a sample bottle of children's Motrin

Ty leaned forward on his knees "You hungry?" Jack nodded "Starved"

"I know a place that ames"

For the first ti room, Jack's eyes lit up

"You're not taking ht home?"

Ty looked the kid in the eye "You haven't told your dad yet?"

Jack shook his head "He's going to be really mad"

Jack's dad was going to shit a brick at the thought of his little prizewinner's future possibly getting screwed up Ty was pretty sure Jack's days of neighborhood pickup games were over

"First we'll eat lunch Then we'll tell hiether"

Julie stood up "I'll let the nurse knoe're heading out"

The first sign that Jack was feeling better was the endless chatter that filled first the waiting room, then the car, and then their booth in the back of The Boardwalk, a burger and pizza dive that had survived the endless Silicon Valley boom

But rather than feeling better about everything now that Jack clearly was on the mend, what had happened with Jack hit too close to home Way too close

All week at football camp, Ty'd had the unco into his past He could guess what Jack's life was like: teachers pushing hirade whether he'd earned it or not, never having to be accountable for screwing up on or off the field siirlfriends, even his buddies--wanted a piece of his success

Ty could see into Jack's future He'd go to college for the exposure, not an education, and he'd quit the ure deal landed in his lap

Fro hurt Later, when he had ht break down and hire so the way, like reading and science and an appreciation for so other than football

Was he just as bad as everyone else in Jack's life? After all, wasn't he on the verge of sending Jack back ho some excuses to his father about how accidents happened, and not to worry? Ty had never thought of himself as a chicken shit Until now

Turning to Julie, he said, "Jack and I need to talk outside for a few minutes, man to man You don't mind, do you?"

She s as you need I'll just sit here and work on my French fries"

Jack followed him out of the restaurant and they sat down on a bench just outside theJulie munched on fries and pretended not to look at them

He'd never knooman could be like her Soft and warm, yet hard when she needed to be A dozen times smarter than anyone he knew, and at the same time sexier than hell

Jack kicked a rock off the sidewalk "You wanna go over e're going to tell et too pissed?"

Ty focused on Jack's expensive sneakers Nothing but the best equipment for this kid, whether he deserved it or not Unfortunately, if he didn't lay down soht, no one ever would Everyone else had too ain from Jack's eventual success

"I was a lot like you when I was a kid"

"Really? Cool"

"My dad was pretty messed up a lot of the time Still is, actually"

"Did he freak when you got hurt?"

"Sure did All he cared about hether I could play in the next game, or if the injury would affect my future I acted like I wasn't in pain, even when I was" He paused "Is your ar?"

Jack nodded "A little" He sed "A lot, actually But I don't want my dad to know"

Ty had a feeling he was screwing this up Big-ti besides football?"

"You mean like my Xbox 360?"

Ty grinned "Not exactly I was just wondering if you like to read or build things"