Page 35 of Born to Sin

“What days are the practices?” he asked.

“Tuesdays and Thursdays. So it’s my lastchance.”

“Thursday’s a chance, too. Don’t you think,” he went on when she opened her mouth to object, “that she may ask you to practice with the team and see how you go, if she’s willing to consider it?”

“Yes,”she said. “That’s thepoint.I have to show that I’m dedicated. Violet says she’s always talking about dedication and consistency, so if I show her, she may let me on the team after all, like Quinn said.”

“She’s really going to think you’re dedicated,” Beckett said, “when you collapse because you still have strep throat and she has you running wind sprints. What do you think, Quinn?”

“Rest days are as important as workouts,” she said. She was still standing in the middle of the kitchen. When he’d first come in, she’d looked like a startled bird about to fly away, but she’d composed herself.

“All right,” Janey said. “Here’s my alternative plan, then.” Which was what Beckett always said, and it made him smile even as it made him wary. “I’ll stay home in the morning and go to school after lunch. Then it’ll be longer since I’ve had a fever, and I’ll be well.”

“Good alternative thinking,” he said, “if you feel well in the morning, but it’s still a no on the volleyball.”

“Dad.”It was a wail.

“Thursday,” he said.

“If you want to practice before then,” Quinn said, “and be a little more prepared, I can help. There’s a volleyball net at the beach, and it’ll be up for a couple more weeks. How much have you played?”

“Hardly atall,”Janey said. “That’s theproblem.”

“Then I can show you,” Quinn said. “It’s not hard to learn if you’re athletic and have some degree of coordination—and the killer instinct, of course—and I saw you on the trampoline. Wednesday after work. I’ll come pick you up, how’s that? Five-fifteen?”

Wait. She wanted to be with the kids, but not with Beckett? He asked, “How much volleyball have you played? Swim training takes some time.”

She laughed. “Yes, it does. Beach volleyball, of course. What do you think swimmers do when they’re not swimming? Not practice their clarinets, sadly. It’s mostly just messing around, not any kind of league, but we were competitive types, so …”

“That’d be good,” Janey said. “If I at least know how to play alittlemore. If I have to wait three moredays.”She sighed.

Beckett said, “That works for me,” and Janey rolled her eyes. Wait. When hadthatstarted?

Quinn said, “I should go. I didn’t realize you’d be home so soon, and I was a bit late getting here myself.”

Troy said, “You should stay and eat dinner with us! You know how to cook chicken parmy, so maybe you could cook, too.”

“Oi,” Beckett said. “I resent that.”

“Nope,” Quinn said. “Got to get back to the office. I have some work to do.”

“You don’t do work atnight,”Troy said.

“Ido,” Quinn said. “Text me where to come get Janey on Wednesday, Beckett.”

She was making “about to leave” gestures, and Beckett said, “I’ll walk you to your car.”

When the front door closed behind them, she said, “That was impulsive, obviously, about the volleyball. I realized I should have asked you first as soon as I said it. Sometimes I get a good idea, and I just jump on in.”

“I noticed.”

“If you don’t want me to do it,” she said, “I’ll tell Janey I can’t. That way it’s not on you.”

He thought a minute, then said, “No reason we have to be awkward about this. You’re still giving Troy those swim lessons, after all.”

“I am. All right, then. I’ll see her Wednesday.” She had a hand on her car door and was about to jump in. She made transitions faster than any woman he’d ever met.

“I have a question,” he said.

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