I picture it. Visualize myself in a sleepy little town like this. A cute little house on a quiet street. Somewhere safe.
Now I just need to see it done.
There’s one thing I need to do before I go. My “new to me” Honda rolls to a stop in front of the small house, and I lock the door before I make the short walk across the tiny yard.
Tyron answers the door a few minutes after I knock.
“Hey, can you step out here for a second?”
He’s clearly confused but does what I ask. I walk back to my car and lean against the trunk while he stands on the curb next to me. This is more privacy than we would get inside his house.
“You don’t know me, but I wanted to give you some advice. You have a very bright future ahead of you and you’re smart, but you need to be smarter. Assume someone is listening. At all times. Assume someone will rat you out. I know you like to talk to your younger brother about all the offers . . . and extra incentives . . . but you need to stop. Keep your own counsel.”
His eyes are big. Like freaking-out big.
“And get what you can. Take it all. Make no promises and sign with the team you want regardless of what any other team offers you. But be smart about that too.”
I talk for a few more minutes and he seems to absorb everything I tell him. He asks questions and I answer what I can. I give him tips on where to put the money so it grows. How to keep a low profile. How to never trust technology. Just as I’m about to leave, he asks, “Who are you?”
I give him a smile and say, “Someone who has had to grow up fast, just like you.” I’m just about to turn and leave but ask one last thing. “Have you thought about where you want to play?”
He shrugs. “Not sure yet. Probably going wherever Coach Cameron ends up.”
I nod. “Yeah, I hear he’s looking for a new school now.”
“Yeah, he said that was coming but not to worry.”
Something about the way he says it makes me straighten. “When did he tell you that?” I’ve watched every interaction between Tyron and Mitch in that house and I never heard him say that.
“I ran into him about a week ago. He was kind of cryptic and shit but I got what he was saying. He wanted me to know he wanted me even if he wasn’t in Florida.”
Ran into him.
A week ago.
Mitch Cameron was let go this morning. He shouldn’t have known that was coming a week ago.
Very interesting.
Chapter 19
Present Day
It’s late afternoon when we pull into Oxford, Mississippi.
Oxford is a picturesque little college town that makes anything seem possible. I direct Ryan to a hotel right off the square that is a favorite with the college students. They study in the lobby during the day then take a short elevator ride to the roof for cocktails once the sun sets.
“Of all the places I thought you’d take me, this wasn’t one of them,” Ryan says as we pull into the parking lot.
This college town is home to Ole Miss, one of his alma mater’s rivals.
“Ever been here?” I ask, mainly just to keep him distracted. It was a long, quiet ride, and I don’t really want to get into why we’re here.
“Yeah, we came once when LSU played here.” He throws the car in park and turns to me. “Are we staying here for the night?”
I shake my head. “No. I need you to go up to the rooftop bar. Eat something. Get a beer. Pay in cash. I’ll meet you back at the car in one hour.”
I open the car and hop out. He’s right behind me.
“We should stick together,” he says. There are a group of girls weighed down by backpacks and purses, with Greek letters stretched across their shirts, giving us curious glances.
I wait for them to pass then close the distance between us, putting both my hands on his chest. “We talked about this. The fact that you’re here, in this town with me, while I’m dealing with what I am, is huge. I know you think I’m shutting you out, but you are the only person I’ve let in for years. But I need this hour. Don’t make me get it another way.”
We stare at each other for a minute longer, then he pulls me closer, kissing me on my forehead. “One hour,” he says. “You need the keys?”
If Mr. Smith is tracking my car, which is possible, I want him to know we’re in Oxford but I don’t want him to have the exact location of where I am right now. Not yet at least.
“No, I’m not going far and would love to stretch my legs.”
Ryan moves toward the hotel, and I start walking in the opposite direction. I turn down a quiet little street, not far from the square, and stop in front of a beautiful white house with a wraparound porch. Pink blooms explode from the hydrangea bushes in front of the house, and the hummingbirds flutter around feeders hanging from the limb of the huge oak tree.