Page 29 of Always Be True: Tino
Jay nodded in the direction of the boys out on the court. “Have you played much basketball?”
“Some back in high school. Pickup games with my brothers and friends over the years.” Actually, Mikhail had been the star athlete in the family, but Tino had played starting guard on the varsity team for four years.
“Do you like working with kids?”
What was with all the questions? “I’ve never tried it. Why?”
Jay rubbed his hand over his buzz-cut scalp, looking more than a little frustrated. “I’m trying to get my team organized and ready to join a local youth league, and I could really use an assistant coach to help teach them the fundamentals.”
It was tempting to walk away before the conversation went any further, but Tino found himself asking, “Why not get one of their parents to take on the job?”
Jay closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. “Believe me, I’ve tried. I had someone on board, but then her husband took a job transfer out of state. In a couple of cases, the dad isn’t in the picture, and it’s all the mom can do to hold down a job and take care of the family. Some of the others are foster kids, and so no parental help at all.”
Tino had a gut feeling that he was circling the drain and about to get sucked in. That didn’t mean he was ready to make that final leap. Not until he got more answers. “You don’t know squat about me. What makes you think I can be trusted around these kids?”
Jay jerked his head back in the direction of the community center. “First out of the gate, the word is that Natalie Kennigan likes you. Her opinion counts for a lot around here.”
The former Seal offered up his other reasons. “I know you served, so you and I have that much common ground. Since you’ve got free time on your hands, I’m guessing you haven’t yet figured out what you want to do next or maybe how to fit back into the civilian world. Speaking from my own experience, being part of something bigger than yourself, even on such a small scale, can help with that. As far as working with kids, you didn’t yell at them for startling you. You apologized to them for overreacting. That tells me a lot about your character.”
Then he laughed. “And then there’s the fact that I’m getting pretty damn desperate. The league requires there to be at least two coaches per team. I’ve got one parent who is willing to be the backup if one of us can’t make a practice or a game, but he’s not in a position to take on the job full-time. I’ve also got some feelers out trying to find a sponsor for the team. The league provides T-shirts and some basic equipment. However, not all of these kids can afford the registration fees, and I don’t know if the organization will have enough scholarships to go around.”
Jay stopped to yell a few instructions at the boys before continuing. “Look, I hate to put you on the spot like this, but if you’d sign on, even temporarily, that will buy me some time to find someone else to coach.”
Tino watched the boys scrambling for the ball and trying to hit that wreck of a basket. If anything, the damn thing was in worse shape now than the last time he saw it. The painted lines that marked the court were badly faded and in places, gone completely. The hoops inside the gym weren’t much better. Maybe he and Jack could do something about that. “How much time is involved?”
Jay grinned like a fisherman who knew for damn sure he’d just hooked a big one. “We practice two afternoons a week and on Saturdays. The season starts in a few weeks. When that happens, we’ll have two to three games a week. I’m not sure right now what the practice schedule will look like then.”
It was tempting to walk away, to say Jay had been mistaken about Tino not knowing what came next in his life. The problem was, the man wasn’t wrong. A few hours a week riding herd on a bunch of preteen kids wouldn’t kill him, and it would get his mom off his back about finding something worthwhile to do.
Besides, most of those scrawny boys could’ve been him and his brothers back in the day. He knew firsthand the difference the right person could make in a kid’s life. There was no telling if Tino was that man, but it was obvious Jay was trying to be.
Feeling like he was about to step off the high dive for the first time, Tino swallowed hard and said, “Fine, I’ll give it a shot.”
“Great! Come on over, and I’ll introduce you to the team.”
—
Marlene was waiting for Tino when he returned from the cemetery. She stepped out of the back door and waited for him to get out of the car. “How did your visit with your parents go?”
He stumbled to a stop. “You knew?”
When she simply smiled and nodded, he had to ask, “And you don’t mind?”
“Of course not. Your parents loved you, Tino, and you loved them. I’d never begrudge you honoring their lives, especially on the anniversary of their deaths.” She hugged him tight. “I know they’d be so proud of the man you’ve become.”
It was hard to ignore the burn of tears in his eyes. “I also put fresh flowers on Joe’s grave while I was there.”
“That’s nice, son. I appreciate it.” She looped her arm through his. “Jack called to let me know they’re on their way. I have to say that you’ve got us all curious about why you’ve called a family meeting.”
He let her lead him into the house. “I’d rather explain everything once, but I promise it’s not bad news or anything.”
“Okay, I’m willing to wait, but I wouldn’t keep your brother in suspense for long. You know how he gets.”
Yeah, he did. How many times had Joe or Marlene had to step in to referee when he and Jack had locked horns over some stupid thing? Too many to count. It would be nice to think they’d both matured to the point that they wouldn’t resort to fists to finish a discussion, but he wasn’t going to make any rash promises on that score.
The front door banged open followed by their favorite teenager bellowing, “What’s for dinner?”
Predictably, they heard the deep rumble of Jack’s voice next. “Damn it, Ricky, were you raised by wolves? Try waiting to speak until you’re actually in the same room as my mom, so you don’t have to yell loud enough to break the windows.”
