Page 146 of Puck the Coach's Son
He puts his body between me and the house and his hand goes to his earpiece and his mouth goes to say the word that brings backup.
I stop at the edge of the lawn.
“I'm not coming on the property.”
“Sir…”
“I'm standing on a sidewalk. Your jurisdiction starts at that hedge. I know where the property line is. I'm not on it.”
His jaw works.
“Sir, I'm going to ask you to leave.”
“You can ask. I'm not going to. I'm not armed. I'm not drunk. I haven't touched your fence. I'm going to stand on this sidewalk and I'm going to say one sentence loud enough that the kid in the second-floor window on the west side can hear it, and then either he is going to come down or he isn't. If he isn't, I'll get in the truck. You don't need to call anybody.”
“Mr. Creed…”
He knows my name. Of course he knows my name. I'm Monday's press release.
“Son,” I say, and I don't mean it nasty, “stand where you are. I'm not going to make you famous.”
He stops moving.
I turn to the house.
I look up.
The second floor on the west side has one lit window. The curtain is drawn but there's movement behind it. A shadow at the edge of the fabric. Theo, on the bed or standing at the desk. He's been looking out. He's heard a truck. He's heard a voice. He's been waiting for this without knowing he was waiting, which is the worst kind of waiting.
I cup my hands around my mouth.
“THEO.”
The curtain moves.
“THEO LAURENT, COME TO THE WINDOW.”
The curtain yanks back.
He's there.
He's in a hoodie. Hair a mess. Cheeks blotched. Eyes huge. He sees me and his whole face breaks open. Not a smile yet. Something before a smile, the half-second when the body hasn't caught up with the fact. He fumbles the latch. He shoves the window up. Cold air. He leans out in a hoodie with no coat.
“MADDOX—”
“BLACKRIDGE WANTS YOU!”
“WHAT?”
“BLACKRIDGE WANTS YOU, KID!Entry-level deal. Eight-fifty. Two-way. Orrick watched the tape. Orricklaughed.You open camp with the big club. Papers on my phone. You sign tonight and fly out with me tomorrow morning, seven-ten from Frosthaven. You live with me. We figure it out the rest of the way in Blackridge.”
Theo's hand is over his mouth.
The guard is saying something into his earpiece behind me. I let him.
“THEO. I'M ASKING. COME TO BLACKRIDGE WITH ME.”
Theo's hand comes off his mouth.
