Until We Touch (Fool's Gold #15)

“Why would I want you to leave?”


“You’re messing with me.”

“I’m not. I’m saying you have an opportunity. You’ve spent your whole life making your mother proud of you. You resisted the easy road. Because joining a gang would have been easy, right?”

Percy nodded, even as he crossed his arms over his chest. “So?”

“So there aren’t any gangs in Fool’s Gold. Hell, I don’t think there’s any crime. You made a good choice coming here. Larissa likes to help people in need. Right now that’s you. Let’s start easy. How about a few classes at community college and a part-time job?”

Percy stared at him. “For real?”

“Yeah, for real.”

The teen seemed to shrink in his seat. For one horrifying second, Jack thought he might cry. Then Percy swallowed and shook his head.

“I can’t.”

“Go to college?”

The teen stared at him. “I’m not a charity case. Anyway, I never graduated from high school.” He darted a glance at Jack. “I’m not good with studying and stuff.”

The last couple of words were barely audible and spoken in a tone that implied both humiliation and shame.

Jack finished his coffee and wished it were later in the day because getting drunk seemed like a fine idea right about now.

He drew in a deep breath. “Can you read?” he asked flatly.

Percy pressed his lips together. “Sort of.”

For a second he thought longingly of the fighting dogs that Larissa had left in his house. Because with them, he’d been able to escape to a hotel.

“You have any other luggage stashed somewhere?” he asked.

Percy shook his head. “I have everything with me. I like to travel light. You know, in case I have to take off or something.”

Of course he did. “Percy’s an unusual name. Any reason your mom picked that?”

“Yeah.” The teen gave a shadow of a smile. “It was the name of her favorite teacher in high school. The one who was helping her apply to college when she got pregnant. She said naming me Percy reminded her that there were possibilities. She wanted that for me. That’s why she made me promise about the gangs.”

Jack nodded. “Give me a second.” He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts. Seconds later, he was connected with Taryn.

“Hey,” he said. “I need your help.”

Taryn swore. “I knew it! When I saw Larissa a few minutes ago, she practically ran in the other direction. What has she done now?”

Jack looked at Percy, who was watching him. “I have a guest for a few days. Maybe longer. His name is Percy. He’s eighteen and needs some new clothes. Is there a store in Fool’s Gold where we can go?”

Sacramento was an option but not today. He had to get Percy settled and in the afternoon he had his first committee meeting at Cal U Fool’s Gold to help with the coaching search.

Taryn laughed. “Really? Haven’t you ever seen that giant Target on Forest Highway, by the college?”

Jack probably had, but why would he remember? It wasn’t as if he shopped regularly. “Great. I’ll take him there and then bring him to work.”

She stopped laughing. “No way. You’re not dumping him on me.”

For the first time that morning, Jack smiled. “Would I do that?”

She was still calling him names when he hung up.

Jack looked at the kid. “All right. We’re going to Target and then to my office. We’ll put you to work until we can figure out the next step.” One of which was going to have to be assessing Percy’s reading ability. Because until that was up to speed, he couldn’t possibly get a GED.

Percy looked both hopeful and suspicious. “You’re gonna help me?”

“Apparently.”

“Because of Larissa?”

“Mostly.”

“Okay, but I’ll pay you back. My word is bond.” He took his bowl to the sink. “You’re not going to tell her I can’t read, are you?”

Jack sighed. “No.”

“Good. Because I don’t want her thinking bad about me.”

“Trust me,” Jack said as he led the way to the front door. “That could never happen.”

* * *

TWO HOURS AND a few hundred dollars later, Jack drove Percy to the Score offices. The teen now owned a couple of pairs of jeans, several shirts and sweaters, shoes, toiletries, a cell phone and basic school supplies. Jack figured that wherever they were starting on Percy’s education, he would need paper, a couple of notebooks and pens and pencils.

“So where do you work?” Percy asked, as he ran his hands up and down his new jeans.

“At a company called Score. It’s a PR and marketing firm.”

“What’s that?”

“We promote companies. Get them publicity and advertising. We design campaigns, help get them sponsorships at different kinds of events.”

“Do you like it?”

“Mostly. I work with my friend Kenny on getting new clients. There are four partners in the company. Sam, Taryn, Kenny and me.”

Percy seemed to be digesting that information. “What about Larissa?”