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Chapters (57)
  1. Welcome to the Game
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraphs
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. Six months later . . .
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. Back Cover

Spencer and Abby looked at each other. What now? her eyes asked. Spencer cracked open his beer. “We’ll try again in a while,” he breathed.

Ten minutes later Spencer zoned out of the small talk and into the TV commentary. The game was hitting some kind of crescendo. He heard the clink of the Yo-Yo’s cutlery. The guy could certainly eat.

Well, let him. Let him eat so much he doesn’t feel like moving his ass from that couch for hours.

Spencer tapped Abby’s leg. Quietly and unceremoniously, they both got up and started down the fire escape stairs.

As if on cue, Denise turned to Rick and started an argument about whether Chris had mixed the Amarillo chili mayonnaise from scratch or used a paste. The argument would last for as long as it took them to finish eating and then yell out to Chris they were taking their disagreement up to the privacy of their apartment.

41

41

Borrowed Time

Spencer took the right onto the 696 late, cutting across the shoulder so he could pass a bunch of cars. There was some horn blare and light flashing as they swept up and around to the west.

“How long before you have to be back?” asked Abby.

Spencer didn’t answer. The truth was he didn’t know. A basketball game lasted at least fifty minutes, not counting penalties and time-outs. He’d hoped to hit the road as the game started. That had been a fail. Now they were flying on a wing and prayer, and Spencer’s prayer was that the Yo-Yo found something else to watch as soon as the game ended.

Spencer glanced at her. A tear rolled down her cheek. He took his hand off the wheel for a moment to touch the side of her face.

“Abby, I’m not going to lie to you. I’m scared that man is going to hurt Chris, but for some reason Chris has promised me he can handle it. Do you know why that might be?”

Abby shook her head.

“There’s a lot I want to tell you, but we don’t have time. I want you to know I’ve always loved you. I’m sorry I was so . . . different, the last couple years. I’m sorry I was so bad-tempered and I drank. When Mom left us, well, it kind of broke me. You understand?”

She sniffed and nodded.

“If I get through this, Abby, I promise I’ll never leave like that again. I won’t take stupid pills to stop me thinking. Because I have plenty good to think about. I think about all the things I want us to do together, before you become a teenager and start thinking how uncool it is to have your dad around.” He tried to laugh but he could hear his own voice breaking. “I’ll take us both to that place we went to with Mom. You hear me, Abby?”