Just for Now (40 page)

Rob was issuing more instructions to the volunteers who were
helping to round up equipment. He turned, though, at a hand on his elbow.
“Still here, mate?” he asked in surprise. “Thought you’d left with the rest of
them.”

“Need to ask you a question,” Nic said. “I need to know
something about that kid. Zack.”

“Rightyo, then.” Rob was surprised, but agreeable. “Hang on
a tick whilst I finish up here. Or better yet, give us a hand.”

“Now,” he said fifteen minutes later, packing file folders
into a carrier bag inside the Rugby Club’s office. “What did you need? Are the
Blues scouting them that young now?”

“Zack Martens.” Nic brushed the joke aside. “You said he was
six. When’s his birthday?”

“Why? You planning on sending him a present? Too late, I
reckon. He’s one of the young ones. Just turned six, I think. That’s what
surprised me about the skills. They usually can’t even offload worth a damn
that young, let alone kick like that.”

“His birthday,” Nic insisted. “When is it?”

Rob sighed. “Hang on, then.” He pulled a ring binder from
the bag he’d been loading, found the sheet. “February 15
^th
. Barely
made it under the cutoff. Happy now?”

Nic felt his mouth go dry as he subtracted in his head. Saw
those dark eyes again, raised to his own. The way they turned down at the outer
corners to give him a sleepy look, fringed by lashes his mum had always said
were wasted on a boy.

“I need his mum’s address,” he told Rob.

“Mate. You know I can’t give you that.” Rob was puzzled now,
and a bit alarmed as well. “What’s this all about? Better not be something
about you I don’t know.”

“Don’t be bloody stupid,” Nic said impatiently. “I need his
mum’s address. Emma’s address. Because that’s my son.”

JUST
FOR FUN

Available now for the
Kindle.