Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Then all the kids in the room began calling out their own personal dreams. Troy questioned them about how they thought they could get there and who they thought could help them. It was the most amazing sight of her entire life.
All because Troy Harrington had stood up there and told his story. And he’d honored her.
She wanted to cry.
She wanted to throw herself into his arms.
Chapter Sixteen
Troy couldn’t be more pleased with Nathan’s reaction. That was worth more than the resounding applause he received.
Gideon clapped his hands loudly for everyone’s attention. “Thanks so much to Troy Harrington and Michaela Killian for sharing their stories with us.” His eyes grew shiny with what might have been tears. “You two are amazing. Thank you.”
Troy felt the warmth in those words.
Then Gideon spread his arms. “It’s time for bowling,” he called. “Go next door and grab your shoe size.”
As the kids dashed for the door, Gideon approached Troy, his hand out. When Troy took it, Gideon pulled him into a man hug, then stepped back. “That was freaking amazing. Nathan has been a hard case all along. But you softened him up.”
“I can’t take all the credit.” Troy held out his hand to Michaela. When she walked over, he thought she might take his offered hand, but she didn’t even look at it.
Yet her words were like a balm to his soul. “You were incredible. I’ve never seen anyone take over a room the way you did.”
Her words meant more than all his gold medals. “It was your story that swayed Nathan and the rest of them. With you, they saw a way to open up all the possibilities.”
She snorted like Nathan. “Don’t be silly. It was all you.” But she blushed at his compliment.
He wanted to catch her up in his arms and swing her around.
Gideon took her hands in his. “Thank you. You don’t know how much it means to these kids when people like you are willing to share so much of themselves.” He hugged her, too, more than a man hug. Then he asked, “Are you two bowling with us?”
Troy didn’t want the evening to end. “I’m game if you are,” he said to Michaela.
Gideon cajoled as if Michaela were a holdout. “Come on, you guys, we’ve got enough for five teams.”
Troy tried to will her to say yes.
Then Rosie said, “Yeah, Michaela, we need to make up a girls’ team.”
Troy wanted to punch the air when Michaela said, “If you put it that way, how can I turn it down?” She looped her arm through Rosie’s, and the two women headed over to pick out their shoes.
He and Gideon followed. “You’ve got to do this again,” Gideon said with all sincerity. “I’ve never seen a group so energized.”
As they picked up bowling shoes, Troy asked, “You don’t think Will’s going to mind helping Nathan?”
Gideon made a what-the-heck face. “Hell no. He lives for that kind of stuff.” Then he elbowed Troy lightly. “And you know Jeremy will get in there too. Cars are his thing.”
Troy knew that was how Will had met Harper—because Jeremy had seen his cars and wanted to ride in one. Will was the kind of guy who would help out any young person. In fact, all the Mavericks would, just as Troy’s brothers and sisters would.
“You know, we have a wealth of knowledge between the Harringtons and the Mavericks. You need to call on all of us more.”
As they put on their shoes, Gideon said, “You’re right. And I will in the future. We should get Connie, the girl interested in AI robotics, together with Matt.”
They started making plans. But Troy couldn’t keep his eyes off Michaela. She and Rosie chattered away like besties.
They managed to form two girls’ teams. Following Troy’s gaze, Gideon said, “You know, they’re going to be good. We’ll have to watch out.”
Troy wondered which would be more fun—to be on Michaela’s team or to bowl against her.
Dylan grabbed Gideon and Troy for his team, along with Nathan, then he shouted, “Game on.”
The next two hours involved a lot of screaming, shouting, laughing, and mock crying. Troy wasn’t a bowler, and his scores weren’t great, but he did manage to get three strikes. His lackluster performance was beaten by Gideon. Surprisingly, Michaela had more strikes than Troy. So did Rosie.
Troy leaned close to his teammates. “I suck. The girls are way better.”
Dylan high-fived him anyway. So did Nathan, who said, “But we’ve got Gideon, the secret weapon.”
Troy adored watching Michaela as she bounced and laughed and punched the air whenever she knocked down a lot of pins. She’d never laughed or smiled that much for him, but tonight, with her teammates, she was beautiful and exuberant, jumping up and down when any of them had a spare or a strike.