Smooth Play (Brooklyn Monarchs 2)

Andrea walked out of his office and past Kirk West’s desk. The NBA reporter glared at her again. Andrea winked at him before continuing out of the newsroom.

She was nervous. Who wasn’t afraid of the unknown? But she’d finally stopped punishing herself. She deserved more. This time, she was leaving herself open to better opportunities. She hoped they wouldn’t take too long to come knocking.

Thursday morning, Troy rode the Amtrak express train from Manhattan’s Penn Station to Union Station in Washington, D.C. He arrived in time to have lunch with his parents. The home-cooked meal brought warm memories. But even those were tainted by the reason he’d returned.

Troy settled into the overstuffed, rose-patterned armchair. “Thanks again for lunch, Mom.”

Danielle Marshall lowered herself onto the matching love seat beside his father. She adjusted the skirt of her pink coatdress. “It wasn’t any trouble. You so rarely come home anymore.”

Troy struggled against a smile at his mother’s not-so-subtle attempt to make him feel guilty. “I was just home for Easter.”

“You arrived Friday night and left after church Sunday morning. That wasn’t a visit. That was a drive-by.” Danielle sniffed and crossed her slender legs.

Charles Marshall squeezed his wife’s hand and linked their fingers. “He had to work, Dani. The Monarchs had a game that night.”

Danielle remained stubborn. “They have a game tonight, too.”

Game five versus the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Monarchs had split the series with their hometown rivals at two games a piece. Tonight’s tiebreaker was critical. Troy checked the clock above the fireplace. He needed to make the five o’clock Amtrak express back to New York for the nine o’clock tip-off.

“He’s here now, Dani.” His father’s ebony eyes met Troy’s. “What’s wrong, son?”

Was he ready to answer that question? It didn’t matter. Troy straightened in his chair and took a breath. “I need to know if you’ve both forgiven me for marrying Susan.”

His parents exchanged a look before Charles responded. “That was fifteen years ago.”

Troy’s gaze shifted between his parents. They were both in their sixties. Their dark brown hair was peppered with gray. They’d collected more laugh lines around their eyes and mouths. But otherwise they hadn’t changed much since he was a child. Their active, healthy lifestyle had always inspired him.

“I know it’s been a long time, Dad. But I also know I disappointed you and Mom.” The words weren’t spoken easily. They pulled him back to a dark place.

Charles still looked baffled. “But that was fifteen years ago.”

Danielle patted her husband’s thigh. Her hands were slim with neatly manicured pink nails against the tan material of Charles’s khaki pants. “That’s not the point, Charlie. We were so busy dealing with the situation that we never stopped to talk about it.”

Troy squared his shoulders. “You never said it, but I sensed you were disappointed.”

Danielle shook her head. Her brown curls bobbed around her softly rounded features. “We were never disappointed in you. We were disappointed for you.”

Charles grunted. “No, I was disappointed in you. I’d taught you about condoms and safe sex.”

Troy dragged his hand over his hair. “She said she was on the pill.”

Danielle glared at her husband before looking at Troy. “We should have done a better job preparing you to know when people are trying to take advantage of you.”

Charles grunted again. He smoothed the blunt fingers of his right hand over his wavy salt-and-pepper hair. “That lesson wouldn’t have stuck any better than the condom lesson.”

“That’s not fair, Dad.” Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea.

Charles ignored the interruption. “We also tried to teach you patience. That didn’t stick, either. By the time you told us about the situation, you were already married. You’d given up your scholarship, quit the team, and gotten a job. Obviously, you didn’t learn anything.”

Danielle shook her head as though she’d mentally traveled back to that frustrating time. “Troy has always been impulsive. Most first babies are late. He was early.”

Troy had heard that story before. “I’d made a mistake and was trying to fix it.”

“Instead you made additional mistakes.” Charles’s voice was more contemplative than angry or disappointed.

Danielle freed her hand from her husband’s hold and smoothed her dress again. “Son, we weren’t upset because you thought you’d gotten your girlfriend pregnant—”

Charles raised his hand. “I was.”