?She?s fine,? Dylan replied, walking back into the room in her bra and briefs, causing Mac to choke on his beer.
?Jesus, D! You wanna warn a guy before you do that! You trying to give me a heart attack or something??
Dylan rolled her eyes. ?You?ve seen me in a whole lot less than this.?
?Yeah, but at least I was prepared for it! God!?
Walking over to her suitcase, she pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants. ?Better??
Mac looks up at the long, lean, muscled form outlined by the snug clothing. ?Not much,? he choked, earning him a swat to the arm.
Dylan eased herself down on the couch next to Mac, propped her feet up, and caged a swig of his beer before handing the bottle back. ?Now, television reception aside, why are you darkening my doorstep at this late hour??
Mac shrugged. ?Just wanted to see how the ki?I mean Ms. Hodges was doing.?
?Couple bruises, a knot on the head, but otherwise, alright. Our little thug was sniffing around again.?
?Oooh,? Mac replied, wincing in sympathy. ?Did you call the janitors in to hose off the blood spot you turned her into??
?Nah. She figured it was in her own best interests to take a hike.?
Mac snickered. ?Knew there was a brain in there somewhere. I?m glad to know Hodges is ok.?
Dylan grinned. ?Growing on you, is she??
?She?s alright,? Mac allowed. Putting his beer on the table, he shifted to face her, his expression suddenly serious. ?What are you going to do about Johnson??
?I?ll deal with him. In my own way.?
?But what about Hodges? I mean, I get the impression that she?s not exactly in the closet. How?s she going to take to this??
?I?m going to have a talk with her before draft day. Every team?s contracts have the same morality clause. Hers won?t be any different. We?ll deal with it then.?
?I know you will.?
They settled into a comfortable silence, then, and watched television until they were both yawning. Mac took himself off to his own room, and Dylan slid beneath the covers, asleep almost as soon as she hit the pillow.
It was a week later, and Hodge was curled up in her blankets, feeling warm and safe and very relaxed. She could smell bacon and eggs and fresh coffee, and her stomach growled, reminding her how good it was to be home.
She opened her eyes to find the familiar surroundings of her own bedroom, or at least what had been her bedroom before she moved away to college. Now it was the haven of her oldest brother, who had easily given it up to her for the few weeks she?d be staying. The bedroom she?d remembered had morphed into that of a typical teenage boy, a little messy, and strewn with posters of the latest rock stars and bikini clad sex kittens. But it was still home, and that was all that mattered.
Outside, she could hear the boisterous shouts of her brothers as they pursued their favorite Saturday morning pastime?basketball.
Rolling out of bed, she moved to the window and lifted it, sticking her head out to confirm that there was a mean game of Horse going on below her. ?Morning guys.?
?Hey Kitty Cat!? Her father stopped in mid shot to greet her.
She smiled; the only person on the planet who could get away with that nickname was her dad.
Her bothers all joined in yelling at her, encouraging her to come down and play ball with them.
?In a little bit. I need coffee.?
?You shouldn?t drink coffee, big sister, it?ll stunt your growth.? her oldest brother, Michael called up as he stole the ball from his father.
?Don?t give up your day job, Mike,? was her droll reply as she closed the window and turned to grab her clothes.
Once dressed, she headed downstairs to the kitchen, drawn on by the savory scents of her mother?s cooking. As soon as she entered the room, her mother pressed a steaming cup of coffee in her hand, and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
?Good morning sweetheart.?
?Morning Mom.?
?Did you sleep well?? the older woman asked as she went back to preparing breakfast for her troop.
?Like a rock,? she replied, taking a long sip of coffee. ?Mm. This is good.?
She slid into her seat at the table, and immediately noticed the morning paper, which was opened to the employment page. Her mother had obviously been hard at work. Various teaching jobs were circled in bright red ink. With a silent sigh, she shook her head and put her cup down on the table, deciding to ignore the blatant hint until she?d woken up more.
Hodge?s mother frowned as she placed a plate of bacon and eggs before her daughter, noticing the ignored paper. Turning, she made her way back to the stove. ?I ran into Mrs. Culpepper today at the beauty parlor,? she mentioned in an offhand voice.
Hodge winced, then dug into her food. ?How?s she doing??
?As well as can be expected, given her age.?
?Mom! She?s hardly ancient.?
?No, but she?s getting close to retirement age. She?s going to need a good, dependable teacher to take her place when she leaves.?
Hodge shoved another forkful of eggs into her mouth, refusing to be baited. ?And I?m sure she?ll get one, when the time comes.?
Marion Hodges laid down her spatula and turned toward the table. ?Catherine, you?ve been home for almost a week now. I?m not trying to push you out of the nest or anything, but don?t you think it?s time you thought of your future??
?Mom, I am thinking about my future. Every minute of every day. Believe me.?
?Catherine?.?
?Mother, we?ve been having this argument every day since I?ve gotten home. I know you only want what?s best for me, but you have to realize that I want that too.?
?I know, honey, but basketball?.?
?Is what I want to do with my life, Mom. If I can.? Laying her knife and fork back down on the table, she faced her mother directly. ?Mom, Dylan Lambert herself came down to invite me to camp. She thinks I?m good and you know she was the best.?
?Yes she was the best and look what happened to her. She was injured and now??
?And now she?s a head coach. Besides that?s not going to happen to me.?
?Do you suppose the great and mighty Dylan Lambert had the same conversation with her mother??
?Mom?? Hodge whined and let her head drop to the table.
To her great relief her dad and bothers came charging into the kitchen in search of food. The need to feed her family soon distracted the elder woman from nitpicking at her daughter.
Matthew, third eldest at 14, sat down and nudged her with his elbow. ?What?s wrong sis??
Hodge jerked a thumb over her shoulder at her mother.
?Oh,? Matthew said, knowingly. He too had been the focus of his mother?s loving, but annoying attentions. ?Sorry.?
?S?okay.? She lifted her head and smiled at his. ?How?s it going Pee Wee??
?Not bad. I got an A on my Trig final, so I?m pretty pleased.?
?That?s great. It?s nice to have one math whiz in the family. I?ll hire you to be my accountant when I turn pro.?
?It?s a deal.? He scooted closer to his sister and whispered, ?So did you really meet Dylan Lambert??
?Yup.?
?Please tell me she?s really beautiful.?
?Oh little brother, you have no idea.?
Matthew?s cheeks reddened. ?Man. Think you can get me tickets to come see you play??
Hodge smiled at her brother?s simple and unquestioning acceptance of her dream. ?As close to the court as I can get ?em, Pee Wee.?
?Thanks, sis. You rock!?
Continued
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Hodge stood in the driveway, bouncing the basketball and staring at the hoop but making no attempt to make a shot. It was clear she was deep in thought.
?Hey Kitty Cat.?
?Hey dad.?
She threw the ball to her father, who caught it easily.
?Don?t let your mother get to you Cat. She?s just doing what mothers do. She wants what?s best for you.?
?And if playing pro ball is best for me??
?Then she?ll give you grief every time she sees you, buy me season tickets to your games and point your picture out on magazine covers to everyone at the grocery store.? He passed the ball back to her.