through the paragraphs on the screen. “Looks good.” Mia hit a few keys before pushing the send button. “I just sent the electronically signed version back to you. Please send it out right away.”
“I’m on it, boss lady.” Mia glared at her. “Sorry.” Sandra stood, picked up her cup and turned to leave.
“Sandra, can you wait a minute?” Mia removed her glasses. She picked up her pen and started tapping it on the top of her desk.
Sandra stood in front of Mia’s desk. “What’s up?”
“Do you know how things are going?”
Sandra frowned. “With what?”
“You know what—Keylan and Coach Wanda’s class.”
Sandra’s frown deepened. “KJ’s not with Coach Wanda’s class. He’s with Coach Hooper’s class in the small gym. He’s helping out with ball time.”
“What!” Mia yelled, getting to her feet. She rounded her desk, heading out the door and down the hall.
Mia stood just inside the doorway of the small gym, blinking to clear tears from her eyes. She wasn’t sure if what she was seeing and hearing was real. “What’s up?” Sandra asked, trying to catch her breath. “You ran out of the office so fast, I—”
Mia held up her index finger to stop her friend from speaking. Sandra turned toward the sounds and sights that held Mia’s attention. “Are they playing some kind of basketball game?” she asked, her eyebrows standing at attention.
“Looks that way,” Mia replied, slowly nodding. “Colby is actually talking to the other children.”
“Talking? It looks like he’s cheering his team on. I thought Coach Hooper said these guys weren’t ready for organized sports yet.”
“She did. I guess she was wrong...so was I, for that matter,” Mia admitted.
“Yes!” both women screamed, jumping up and down as they watched the last child on Colby’s team finish the task before anyone else, winning the game. Everyone cheered with excitement, even those children who were not on the winning team. Mia and Sandra walked over to where the children had gathered around Keylan. Sandra started giving high-fives to all the children. “That was great, you guys,” Mia said, smiling at all the excited faces staring up at her.
Colby ran over to Mia and threw his arms around her waist. “Mommy, I won.”
Mia knelt down and gave Colby a big hug as she fought back a fresh batch of tears. “I see that.” She kissed him on the forehead. “I’m so proud of my little man.”
Colby gave his mother another hug and a toothy grin before returning to his friends, who were now standing next to Coach Hooper and Sandra. “So Colby’s your son.”
Mia rose, wiped at her tears and looked up at Keylan. “Yes, he is.”
Keylan stood with his feet slightly apart, rolling a basketball between his hands. “What are you doing with these kids?”
“Playing basketball.” Keylan looked over his shoulder at the kids, who were now dribbling balls all over the court, and smirked. “Our version of it, anyway. Colby...that’s a great kid you got there.”
“Thank you.” Mia wrapped her arms around her waist. It was either a protective gesture or a nervous habit that she’d given up trying to break a long time ago. Keylan’s kind words and the excitement radiating from his body at playing with the kids had her heart doing flips. Not to mention the way the rest of her body was responding to his nearness. “You were supposed to be helping with the older kids.”
“I know, but when I passed by this gym and saw these guys, something drew me in.”
“They can have that effect on people,” she said, smiling.
Keylan gave Mia a half smile. “Do you mind if I—?”
“Key...lan,” Colby sang. “Key...lan.”
“Looks like I’m being summoned. Can we pick this up later when I’m done?”
“Key...lan,” Colby yelled, jumping up and down.
Mia’s eyes widened. She had never seen her son respond to anything or anyone in such a way.
“Demanding little dude. I guess he gets it from you,” he said with a sneer.
“He’s usually shy around strangers. Loud noises, inanimate objects that move or too much commotion makes him nervous...freaks him out.” Mia wondered if she looked as confused as she felt.
“Maybe it’s just me. Until later,” Keylan called over his shoulder, returning to Colby and the other children.
“Looks like Colby’s made a big new friend,” Sandra said, coming to stand next to Mia.
“Yeah, and that’s what I’m afraid of,” Mia replied, her forehead creased.
* * *
Keylan had showered, changed into his street clothes and was sitting on the bench in front of his locker, flipping through his phone messages, but found his ability to concentrate fleeting. He was still flying high from all the fun he’d had hanging with all those kids today, especially Colby. The way Colby seemed to come alive around him made his heart swell. His brilliant and very beautiful mother was making him crazy in ways no other woman had and that scared the hell out of him. All he could think about was Mia’s short but athletic legs, her small waist and ample breasts. Keylan had been so deep in thought that he didn’t hear his name being called. “KJ,” a raised baritone voice said before a quick punch landed on Keylan’s right shoulder. He looked up to find his cousin Travis smiling down at him.
Travis Kingsley looked like a fairer-skinned version of Keylan. A wildly successful cattle rancher, he was the only son of Keylan’s aunt Elizabeth. Travis served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the family’s foundation.
“You don’t want none of this, son,” Keylan replied, laughing, placing his phone down on the bench before the two men bumped fists.
“What are you doing here and what has you so engrossed in thought that you didn’t hear me coming? You know what Aunt Victoria always says,” Travis prompted.
“Always be aware of your surroundings,” they said in unison.
Keylan nodded. “How can I forget? She only drilled it in our heads for years.” The two men were more like brothers than cousins. After all, they’d all been raised together.
“So what’s going on? I hear you were working with our Down’s kids,” Travis asked. “I know how special that group is to you.”
“Yeah, they’re a really great bunch of kids. I had no idea we’d doubled our initial admission numbers.”
“I know, and while I appreciate you finally making time to stop by, I can’t
