Read Online Thread of Hope (The Joe Tyler Series, #1) by Jeff Shelby - Free Book Online
Authors: Jeff Shelby
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three. One, two, three.”
The gym walls echoed with the entire team’s scream of “Play Hard!” My voice chimed in loudly with theirs.
The girls scattered toward the outside hallway and Kelly came over to me.
“You’ve coached before?” she asked.
“I haven’t.”
“Really? Well, you did a nice job. Getting on Kristin about her feet was sharp.”
I was surprised she’d noticed from the far end of the gym, but realized she didn’t seem like the type to miss much of anything. “Thanks. It was fun. They’re a good group.”
Kelly nodded. “They are. And I was serious about getting you to come back. You’re welcome anytime. I always have such a hard time finding coaches to work with the guards.”
“If you’ve got time to talk about Chuck, I’ll come back here tomorrow,” I said.
“I was going to talk to you anyway,” she said, backpedaling slowly. “But I’ll take that offer. Meet you outside in ten minutes.”
I walked outside, letting the cool, ocean-tinged breeze wash away the warm gymnasium air that clung to me. A group of players huddled together, laughing and talking. They stopped as soon as they saw me
Meg stepped outside the small circle. “Are you coming back tomorrow?”
She was maybe five-ten, most of it arms and legs. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail that had swayed wildly from side to side when she’d run up and down the court. She had a gray sweatshirt on over her practice jersey, red mesh shorts and rubber sandals on her feet. She was confident, not cocky. She knew she could play but didn’t wave it in the other girls faces.
She was their leader.
“Think so,” I said, sitting down on a concrete wall that lined the walk. “We’ll see what your coach says.”
“Do you know Coach Winslow?” she asked.
The other girls–three of them whose names I couldn’t recall–watched me intently.
“I do,” I said. “He’s a friend.”
Meg nodded, like that was alright. “I liked him. We all did.”
The girls behind her nodded.
“Where’s Meredith?” I asked, wondering what kind of reaction I’d get. “Why wasn’t she at practice?”
The girls behind Meg flinched as a group, almost taking a step back, like they needed to get away.
Meg just shrugged. “She’s taking a couple of days off. Until she feels better.”
“Friends with her?”
“We all are.”
“She pretty good?” I pointed a thumb back over my shoulder. “Can she play?”
“Best player we have,” Meg answered. “We need her.”
“Think she’ll be back soon? To play?”
Meg adjusted the canvas bag on her shoulder. “Are you just trying to get answers out of me? Because you’re an investigator or whatever?”
In real life, word travels fast. In a high school, word traveled at Internet speed. Still, I was surprised she knew about me.
“Someone saw you at school today,” she said, shrugging, reading my expression. “Heard you at the desk, talking.”
Internet speed.
“Yeah,” I said. “I guess I am trying to get answers out of you. Only because I want to help my friend and Meredith, though. If you know something, or anybody knows something, I’d like to know about it.”
A cobalt-blue Ford Mustang roared up to the curb behind the girls. Meg glanced over her shoulder, then back at me. “Gotta cruise. I don’t know anything, Coach. If I did, I’d tell you and so would any of the other girls on the team.” She held up a hand. “Later.”
She slapped hands with her teammates. They followed her to the curb and scattered around the Mustang to their own cars. Meg opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat, then leaned across and kissed the boy driving it before she shut the door. They tore out of the lot.
The boy
The gym walls echoed with the entire team’s scream of “Play Hard!” My voice chimed in loudly with theirs.
The girls scattered toward the outside hallway and Kelly came over to me.
“You’ve coached before?” she asked.
“I haven’t.”
“Really? Well, you did a nice job. Getting on Kristin about her feet was sharp.”
I was surprised she’d noticed from the far end of the gym, but realized she didn’t seem like the type to miss much of anything. “Thanks. It was fun. They’re a good group.”
Kelly nodded. “They are. And I was serious about getting you to come back. You’re welcome anytime. I always have such a hard time finding coaches to work with the guards.”
“If you’ve got time to talk about Chuck, I’ll come back here tomorrow,” I said.
“I was going to talk to you anyway,” she said, backpedaling slowly. “But I’ll take that offer. Meet you outside in ten minutes.”
I walked outside, letting the cool, ocean-tinged breeze wash away the warm gymnasium air that clung to me. A group of players huddled together, laughing and talking. They stopped as soon as they saw me
Meg stepped outside the small circle. “Are you coming back tomorrow?”
She was maybe five-ten, most of it arms and legs. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail that had swayed wildly from side to side when she’d run up and down the court. She had a gray sweatshirt on over her practice jersey, red mesh shorts and rubber sandals on her feet. She was confident, not cocky. She knew she could play but didn’t wave it in the other girls faces.
She was their leader.
“Think so,” I said, sitting down on a concrete wall that lined the walk. “We’ll see what your coach says.”
“Do you know Coach Winslow?” she asked.
The other girls–three of them whose names I couldn’t recall–watched me intently.
“I do,” I said. “He’s a friend.”
Meg nodded, like that was alright. “I liked him. We all did.”
The girls behind her nodded.
“Where’s Meredith?” I asked, wondering what kind of reaction I’d get. “Why wasn’t she at practice?”
The girls behind Meg flinched as a group, almost taking a step back, like they needed to get away.
Meg just shrugged. “She’s taking a couple of days off. Until she feels better.”
“Friends with her?”
“We all are.”
“She pretty good?” I pointed a thumb back over my shoulder. “Can she play?”
“Best player we have,” Meg answered. “We need her.”
“Think she’ll be back soon? To play?”
Meg adjusted the canvas bag on her shoulder. “Are you just trying to get answers out of me? Because you’re an investigator or whatever?”
In real life, word travels fast. In a high school, word traveled at Internet speed. Still, I was surprised she knew about me.
“Someone saw you at school today,” she said, shrugging, reading my expression. “Heard you at the desk, talking.”
Internet speed.
“Yeah,” I said. “I guess I am trying to get answers out of you. Only because I want to help my friend and Meredith, though. If you know something, or anybody knows something, I’d like to know about it.”
A cobalt-blue Ford Mustang roared up to the curb behind the girls. Meg glanced over her shoulder, then back at me. “Gotta cruise. I don’t know anything, Coach. If I did, I’d tell you and so would any of the other girls on the team.” She held up a hand. “Later.”
She slapped hands with her teammates. They followed her to the curb and scattered around the Mustang to their own cars. Meg opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat, then leaned across and kissed the boy driving it before she shut the door. They tore out of the lot.
The boy
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