eighty-five before Jake noticed. He eased up on the accelerator.
“This is about Pepperell Academy, isn’t it?”
“No, Dad, it’s not.”
“It’s your friends, isn’t it?”
“No.”
“I bet it’s Hilary. Are you two dating? Because sometimes love can skew your thinking.”
“No, Dad. We’re not dating. And Hilary didn’t put me up to this. Neither did David, Rafa, Pixie, or Solomon. They know I can hold my own in a fight, but they think it’s because I took karate lessons. I don’t talk about us, because I’m honestly embarrassed by it.”
“You’re embarrassed?” Jake said. The shake of his head was meant to show his incredulity. “Were you embarrassed when you kicked Ryan Coventry’s ass all over The Quad?”
Andy shrugged. “That’s different. I’m glad you taught me self-defense. But it’s the reason you’re teaching me that’s got me all bugged out.”
“Damn girls,” Jake muttered under his breath, but it was loud enough for Andy to hear.
“Don’t blame Hilary!” Andy snapped. “She’s done nothing to influence me. Nothing. If anything, you should be blaming Mom for making you the way you are.”
Jake sneered and cocked an eyebrow while glancing over at his son.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you became this way because Mom left you.”
Jake looked at the road once more. “You’re psychoanalyzing your dad now, is that it?”
Andy folded his arms across his chest. The posture was part defensive and part frustrated. “It’s not that hard,” Andy said. “I took Psych 101 with Professor Cooper.”
Andy exchanged looks with his dad and unfolded his arms when he saw the hint of a smile.
“Okay, boy genius,” Jake said, but in a challenging way. “You think you know me so well? Go for it. Analyze me.”
Andy shook his head. “You’re baiting me. You’re just going to get mad.”
“I’m not going to get mad. I’m being honest here. If you think you know me so well, go for it. Analyze me. Why do I prep?”
Andy didn’t respond.
“I’ll tell you why. Because of all those reasons you listed. EMP, solar flare, bioterrorism—it’s the law of probability. Something major is going to happen, and when it does, we’ll be prepared to deal with it. It’s not complicated.”
“That’s not why, Dad,” Andy said.
“Well, enlighten me.”
“You promise you won’t get mad?”
Jake waited until he passed a car on his left before meeting Andy’s stare.
“I already promised. Analyze away.”
Andy nodded. Game on. “Okay, let’s start with your life after high school,” he began. “You’re a hot prospect for the Boston Red Sox. Then what happens? Instead of going to the majors, your arm gets crushed in an accident.”
“Because I was drinking and driving.” Jake pointed at Andy. “And if I ever catch you doing the same, the only thing you’ll be driving will have pedals and no motor.”
“I don’t even drink.”
“Okay. Let’s keep it that way.”
“Then what happens after the accident? You can’t pitch. The dream is gone.”
“I thought you were going to analyze me. This sounds more like history to me.”
Andy drummed his hands against his thighs. He was enjoying this opportunity. “Give me a chance,” he said. “So after your baseball career comes to a crashing halt, what happens next? You find out your little boy has a serious medical condition. Now you’ve got two things going against you, but there’s a third headed your way. Mom leaves. She can’t take it anymore. She was dreaming of a big ballplayer’s salary and now she has a sick kid and a broken husband.”
Jake lifted his hands off the wheel for just a second. You got me . He wasn’t going to offer any defense. Andy knew his facts, and it was what it was.
“Well, that explains why I believe the EMP threat is real and you don’t,” Jake said sarcastically. “Come on, Andy. What’s your point? Why are you revisiting the past? I’ve always
“This is about Pepperell Academy, isn’t it?”
“No, Dad, it’s not.”
“It’s your friends, isn’t it?”
“No.”
“I bet it’s Hilary. Are you two dating? Because sometimes love can skew your thinking.”
“No, Dad. We’re not dating. And Hilary didn’t put me up to this. Neither did David, Rafa, Pixie, or Solomon. They know I can hold my own in a fight, but they think it’s because I took karate lessons. I don’t talk about us, because I’m honestly embarrassed by it.”
“You’re embarrassed?” Jake said. The shake of his head was meant to show his incredulity. “Were you embarrassed when you kicked Ryan Coventry’s ass all over The Quad?”
Andy shrugged. “That’s different. I’m glad you taught me self-defense. But it’s the reason you’re teaching me that’s got me all bugged out.”
“Damn girls,” Jake muttered under his breath, but it was loud enough for Andy to hear.
“Don’t blame Hilary!” Andy snapped. “She’s done nothing to influence me. Nothing. If anything, you should be blaming Mom for making you the way you are.”
Jake sneered and cocked an eyebrow while glancing over at his son.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you became this way because Mom left you.”
Jake looked at the road once more. “You’re psychoanalyzing your dad now, is that it?”
Andy folded his arms across his chest. The posture was part defensive and part frustrated. “It’s not that hard,” Andy said. “I took Psych 101 with Professor Cooper.”
Andy exchanged looks with his dad and unfolded his arms when he saw the hint of a smile.
“Okay, boy genius,” Jake said, but in a challenging way. “You think you know me so well? Go for it. Analyze me.”
Andy shook his head. “You’re baiting me. You’re just going to get mad.”
“I’m not going to get mad. I’m being honest here. If you think you know me so well, go for it. Analyze me. Why do I prep?”
Andy didn’t respond.
“I’ll tell you why. Because of all those reasons you listed. EMP, solar flare, bioterrorism—it’s the law of probability. Something major is going to happen, and when it does, we’ll be prepared to deal with it. It’s not complicated.”
“That’s not why, Dad,” Andy said.
“Well, enlighten me.”
“You promise you won’t get mad?”
Jake waited until he passed a car on his left before meeting Andy’s stare.
“I already promised. Analyze away.”
Andy nodded. Game on. “Okay, let’s start with your life after high school,” he began. “You’re a hot prospect for the Boston Red Sox. Then what happens? Instead of going to the majors, your arm gets crushed in an accident.”
“Because I was drinking and driving.” Jake pointed at Andy. “And if I ever catch you doing the same, the only thing you’ll be driving will have pedals and no motor.”
“I don’t even drink.”
“Okay. Let’s keep it that way.”
“Then what happens after the accident? You can’t pitch. The dream is gone.”
“I thought you were going to analyze me. This sounds more like history to me.”
Andy drummed his hands against his thighs. He was enjoying this opportunity. “Give me a chance,” he said. “So after your baseball career comes to a crashing halt, what happens next? You find out your little boy has a serious medical condition. Now you’ve got two things going against you, but there’s a third headed your way. Mom leaves. She can’t take it anymore. She was dreaming of a big ballplayer’s salary and now she has a sick kid and a broken husband.”
Jake lifted his hands off the wheel for just a second. You got me . He wasn’t going to offer any defense. Andy knew his facts, and it was what it was.
“Well, that explains why I believe the EMP threat is real and you don’t,” Jake said sarcastically. “Come on, Andy. What’s your point? Why are you revisiting the past? I’ve always
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