[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.He'd done it by practicing about three thousand times a day, dunking balls, clothes, toys, sticks, and anything else he could get his hands on through every receptacle he could find, from real hoops to wastepaper baskets and even through the branches of the trees in his backyard.Of course, he'd had plenty of time to practice, growing up alone all those years.He shook off the negative thought and concentrated instead on the line underneath his feet and the basket in front of him.It suddenly seemed a million miles away.Alex bounced the basketball, one, two, three times, taking a deep calming breath with each one.He could do this.He could.He just had to concentrate.No fear, he told himself."You gonna shoot or what?" Elijah demanded.Alex replied by sending the ball through the basket with a clean swish.He felt a surge of relief and his confidence returned.He could do this.Elijah grabbed the ball and walked to the line.He bounced twice and sank the ball through the basket.Alex grabbed the rebound and headed back to the line.He bounced the ball three times again and shot.Good.Back to Elijah.Another basket.Alex stepped up again.As he raised his arms, he heard a moan.Distracted, he turned his head.Jessie was standing on the sidelines, holding her stomach."I feel sick, Daddy," she said pitifully.Alex hesitated."Hey, if you gotta take care of the kid." Elijah said with a shrug."Hang on a second, Jessie.Just sit down, okay?"Holding her stomach, Jessie stumbled into one of the seats in the front row.Alex turned back toward the basket.Concentrate, he told himself.It's just you and the basket.He shot the ball.It went in.Alex let out a sigh of relief."I think I'm going to throw up," Jessie announced."Charlie, take care of her.""Take care of her? Who is she?" Charlie asked in bewilderment."She's -- she's a kid I'm watching for a few days.""What do you want me to do? I don't have any kids.""Rub her back or something.""I'm not a cat," Jessie protested, sending them both a dark look."I'll be done in a few minutes, Jess, please."Elijah bounced the ball."Are we shooting hoops or what?""We're shooting hoops.And you're up."Elijah sunk the basket.Alex stepped up and shot before Jessie could say another word.Back to Elijah, then Alex.Jessie screamed."It hurts, Daddy."Charlie tried to pat Jessie's back, but she pushed his hand away and ran out to the court, throwing her arms around Alex's waist.She sobbed into his stomach, rough, garbled words that Alex couldn't understand."All right, Jess, I'm done," Alex said in resignation.He watched his dreams walk away with Elijah.He'd been so close, so very, very close to having exactly what he'd always wanted.And he'd lost it.Jessie's arms tightened around his waist and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes."I'm sorry, Daddy."Daddy.He felt a rush of unexpected tenderness at the word.Even though a part of him wanted to correct her, he couldn't do it.She looked so little and lost."It's okay, Jess.You want to go to the bathroom?"Jessie nodded.Alex looked over at Charlie."Sorry, partner.""No problem.We only lost Elijah and twelve grand.Not bad for a Saturday morning's work.""You're always an optimist.That's what I like about you." Alex punched him on the arm as he led Jessie toward the bathrooms."And by the way, since when do you have a daughter?" Charlie asked after him.Alex paused."Since yesterday.""That was fast.""Tell me about it.Look, can you hang around for a while? See if you can set up another meeting with Elijah."Charlie sent him a doubtful look."I'll try, but I think you gave it your best shot.Too bad the kid got sick.""Yeah, too bad." Alex glanced down at Jessie, who no longer seemed to be in pain."Feeling better?" he asked suspiciously."I burped," she said with an angelic smile."I guess it was just a bubble."Alex looked over at Charlie."Just a bubble.Who knew?""Can we go home now, Daddy?" Jessie asked, tugging on his arm.Alex had a feeling if he said no, the mysterious stomachache would reappear."You messed that up on purpose, didn't you, Jess?"Her eyes widened and she shook her head."I didn't mean to mess anything up.I just felt sick and then I got scared.I'm only twelve, you know.""Give her a break, Alex, she's just a kid," Charlie said."So where's her mother?""Dead."Charlie raised an eyebrow."And you're the long-lost father?""No, I'm the long-lost stand-in.""What does that mean?""It means I need a private investigator.""Pete Sloan is doing PI work now," Charlie replied, naming a mutual friend who had spent several years in the San Francisco Police Department."He might be able to help you.""Good idea.I'll call him when I get home.""Alex." Charlie stopped him one more time."We've got a lot to do in the next few months with the upcoming trade show and the quarterly sales meeting.Not to mention we need a new warehouse location and possibly an entire new ad campaign.If you can't find her real father, maybe you better find a baby-sitter or.""Or what?""A wife."Jessie tugged on his arm."Daddy, I feel sick again."Alex smiled grimly."So do I."Chapter SevenFifteen ten-year-old girls filled the lobby of the art gallery on Geary Street.After thirty minutes of being lectured to by Ben and his assistant, Isabelle Scalini, they were ready for the second half of their tour, a chance to actually paint.Ben enjoyed the school groups.He'd always felt comfortable with kids.They were so accepting of themselves, open to new ideas, to exploring life rather than just accepting it.Sometimes he wished he could go back to those trouble-free days.He clapped his hands to get their attention, and after a moment of giggles and chatter, they quieted down."Is everyone ready to paint?'' he asked."I am.I am," they cried, raising their hands, their faces filled with enthusiasm."Good.First thing we do is ask you to put on the smocks that you'll find on the table over there.Then we're going to assign each of you to an easel.We're working with watercolors today and you'll have your choice between painting from our props" he waved his hand toward a bowl of fruit and also a table laid out with a lady's fan, a pair of opera glasses, and a vase with a long-stem red rose "or you can paint whatever you want.Use your imagination.Just try to remember some of the art that you've seen.Use contrasting colors.Don't be afraid to be bold.When you're done, we have refreshments."He smiled at the accompanying cheer."So get your smocks and have fun.We'll break in about thirty minutes."Ben stepped aside as the two adult leaders helped the girls on with their smocks.After he gave a few more instructions, the girls got under way, and he returned to the front of the gallery to help Isabelle lock up for the evening."Mrs.Constantine called and said she wants to buy this seascape," Isabelle said as she took one of the paintings off the wall and set it on the counter."She didn't even flinch at the price.And I actually raised it five hundred dollars because she seemed so eager."Ben smiled.Isabelle knew far more about making the gallery profitable than he did.In fact, opening the gallery to children's groups had been her idea and had met with resounding success [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

listy-do-eda.opx.pl