been the same since.”
“What’s the second?” BJ bounced in his seat. The boys clearly had no time for mushy stuff.
“Second, when Katy and I walked to the top of the Indiana University stadium. We were all by ourselves, and at the far end of the football field the band was practicing.”
“There was a breeze, and it was the first time—” Katy stopped short, as if she suddenly realized it wasn’t her turn. She put her finger to her lips. “Oops.”
“Yeah, come on! Dayne isn’t finished.” Justin gave Katy a pretend look of warning.
Dayne chuckled, but he shot Katy a look that said he knew what she was about to say. It was one of the first times they’d ever kissed, a moment when their feelings for each other had never been more clear—even with all the obstacles that stood in their way.
Dayne cleared his throat. “And the third—” he felt his smile fade—“was when I was working myself as hard as I could in rehab, and something inside me snapped.”
“Like your arm?” Ricky’s eyes grew wide.
“No . . .” Dayne kept himself from laughing. “Something inside my heart. I stopped working out for a minute and talked to Katy, and I knew—from that moment on—that nothing would come between us ever again. No matter how things worked out or where they worked out, the two of us would be together.”
Ricky made a face. “That’s yucky girl stuff.”
“Yep.” Justin gave Dayne a knowing smile. “But Dayne’s old. That’s okay for him and Katy.”
“I’m old, yes.” Dayne put his arm around Katy’s shoulders and grinned at Justin. “But this old guy just beat you in a football game.”
They all laughed, and Ricky pointed at Justin. “Oooh! You got served!”
“Yeah, okay.” Justin held up his hands in Dayne’s direction. “Tomorrow we get a rematch.”
The upbeat atmosphere continued while they cleared the table and washed dishes and counters. The boys were upstairs brushing their teeth when Katy took a call from Jim Flanigan. There wasn’t much news. Jim and Jenny and Bailey were staying a little longer at the hospital. There had been a few changes in Cody’s vital signs, but nothing drastic enough to be a real encouragement. Jim asked them to keep praying.
When the boys came down in their pajamas, Dayne and Katy cuddled with them on the leather sofa in the great room, and they watched the Indiana Pacers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The boys were immediately glued to the action, cheering whenever LeBron James did a monster dunk.
“I thought you’d be Indiana fans.” Dayne loved their enthusiasm.
“We are.” Justin didn’t take his eyes from the screen. “But we’re LeBron fans first.”
The game came down to the final minute, when LeBron led the Cavaliers in a surge that gave them the win. The boys celebrated by reenacting LeBron’s dunks and talking all at once about how they were going to play like that one day.
When the energy died down, Katy made the announcement. “Okay, guys . . . time for bed!”
“Can you read to us?” Ricky took Dayne’s hand as they walked up the stairs.
The feel of Ricky’s little-boy fingers stirred the strongest feelings in Dayne. Feelings of fatherhood and family and all that he wanted to share with Katy in the years ahead. He looked back at her, bringing up the rear next to BJ. “Do we have time?”
“Sure.” Katy put her arm around BJ’s shoulders. “Your mom reads to you, right?”
“Almost every night.” Justin went ahead of the group.
The boys’ rooms were at the end of the hall—Justin and Ricky’s on the left and Shawn and BJ’s on the right. They settled on reading in Shawn and BJ’s room, since everyone agreed it was their turn.
Shawn picked up a book titled The Encyclopedia of Animal Facts . “We could read this, but the brothers always say no.”
“Is that right?” Dayne loved how they called themselves “the brothers.” Katy had explained that it was something they’d started the
“What’s the second?” BJ bounced in his seat. The boys clearly had no time for mushy stuff.
“Second, when Katy and I walked to the top of the Indiana University stadium. We were all by ourselves, and at the far end of the football field the band was practicing.”
“There was a breeze, and it was the first time—” Katy stopped short, as if she suddenly realized it wasn’t her turn. She put her finger to her lips. “Oops.”
“Yeah, come on! Dayne isn’t finished.” Justin gave Katy a pretend look of warning.
Dayne chuckled, but he shot Katy a look that said he knew what she was about to say. It was one of the first times they’d ever kissed, a moment when their feelings for each other had never been more clear—even with all the obstacles that stood in their way.
Dayne cleared his throat. “And the third—” he felt his smile fade—“was when I was working myself as hard as I could in rehab, and something inside me snapped.”
“Like your arm?” Ricky’s eyes grew wide.
“No . . .” Dayne kept himself from laughing. “Something inside my heart. I stopped working out for a minute and talked to Katy, and I knew—from that moment on—that nothing would come between us ever again. No matter how things worked out or where they worked out, the two of us would be together.”
Ricky made a face. “That’s yucky girl stuff.”
“Yep.” Justin gave Dayne a knowing smile. “But Dayne’s old. That’s okay for him and Katy.”
“I’m old, yes.” Dayne put his arm around Katy’s shoulders and grinned at Justin. “But this old guy just beat you in a football game.”
They all laughed, and Ricky pointed at Justin. “Oooh! You got served!”
“Yeah, okay.” Justin held up his hands in Dayne’s direction. “Tomorrow we get a rematch.”
The upbeat atmosphere continued while they cleared the table and washed dishes and counters. The boys were upstairs brushing their teeth when Katy took a call from Jim Flanigan. There wasn’t much news. Jim and Jenny and Bailey were staying a little longer at the hospital. There had been a few changes in Cody’s vital signs, but nothing drastic enough to be a real encouragement. Jim asked them to keep praying.
When the boys came down in their pajamas, Dayne and Katy cuddled with them on the leather sofa in the great room, and they watched the Indiana Pacers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The boys were immediately glued to the action, cheering whenever LeBron James did a monster dunk.
“I thought you’d be Indiana fans.” Dayne loved their enthusiasm.
“We are.” Justin didn’t take his eyes from the screen. “But we’re LeBron fans first.”
The game came down to the final minute, when LeBron led the Cavaliers in a surge that gave them the win. The boys celebrated by reenacting LeBron’s dunks and talking all at once about how they were going to play like that one day.
When the energy died down, Katy made the announcement. “Okay, guys . . . time for bed!”
“Can you read to us?” Ricky took Dayne’s hand as they walked up the stairs.
The feel of Ricky’s little-boy fingers stirred the strongest feelings in Dayne. Feelings of fatherhood and family and all that he wanted to share with Katy in the years ahead. He looked back at her, bringing up the rear next to BJ. “Do we have time?”
“Sure.” Katy put her arm around BJ’s shoulders. “Your mom reads to you, right?”
“Almost every night.” Justin went ahead of the group.
The boys’ rooms were at the end of the hall—Justin and Ricky’s on the left and Shawn and BJ’s on the right. They settled on reading in Shawn and BJ’s room, since everyone agreed it was their turn.
Shawn picked up a book titled The Encyclopedia of Animal Facts . “We could read this, but the brothers always say no.”
“Is that right?” Dayne loved how they called themselves “the brothers.” Katy had explained that it was something they’d started the
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