ach Michaels barked on the other end of the line。 ？I
thought you were over all that drug nonsense。 Then you have to go and steal my damned Viagra？
What？s wrong with you； boy？？
？I？m sorry；？ Nate mumbled almost inaudibly。 He was already crying。 Coach couldn？t make him
feel much worse。
？I had a long talk with Dr。 Nesbitt and your dad after the ceremony；？ Coach continued； ？and
you？re one lucky kid。？
Lucky？It wasn？t exactly the first word that came to Nate？s mind。
？Withholding your diploma was just a little slap on the wrist to let you know you can？t get away
with stealing my stuff； especially my medication。 Your real punishment es this summer。 I？ve
got a place out in the Hamptons that could use some fixing up。 So if you want to play lacrosse for
Yale next year； you gotta be my boy this summer。 Live over the garage； work for me； and in your
spare time； you？ll be going to the local church for AA meetings。？
Nate swallowed hard。 He？d imagined a lazy summer up in Maine getting tan and helping his dad
with the boats； but he had no choice。 He had to be the coach？s Hamptons bitch for the
summer。 ？Sorry for being such a dick； Coach；？ he said earnestly。 ？I promise to make it up to you。？
Coach Michaels chuckled。 ？Then at least you？ll be a dick with a diploma！？
Nate forced himself to chuckle along with the old man。 Things were going to be okay； he told
himself。 He？d have his diploma by the end of the summer。
？Thanks； Coach。？ He hung up and opened his damp hand to look at the gold heart pendant。
Well；some things were going to be okay。
He sighed the sort of shuddering； exhausted sigh that es after a long cry and tossed the heart
onto hi