Chapter Three

He was concentrating. His eyes were fast on the net as he brought the ball back to level with his head to spring it up. His arm went straight up like a pistol fired and followed through as the shot went into the chain net.

He didn't even hear my car as I pulled up. Stealthily, I turned off the engine and crept up, waiting for him to fire another shot before I jumped on his back. His concentration was completely ruined and the shot was about five feet shy of the net. He laughed.

"Please say it's Callie," he said.

"No, Jenny. I love you Sawyer Scott," I said, jokingly seductive.

"So not funny. How's it going?" he asked as I slid down to the floor of the cement court.

"Good. Lauren and Jen and I just went shopping for the wedding. Oh, we ran into Warren Foster," I said happily.

"He's an ass," said Sawyer immediately in reference to the senior varsity basket ball player.

"A hot ass. A hot everything really. You act like I'm your sister," I whined.

"You are. Much as Tess is, only she doesn't need so much looking after," he teased.

"That's what you think. I heard she has a boyfriend," I responded.

"What? Who?"

"Jason Winters. Duh. Lauren's jealous and everything. Man, are you ever behind the times," I said. He playfully hit my shoulder.

"I'll go check him out tomorrow. He'd better not hurt her," he said.

"He won't. She's tough," I said confidently. He applauded as I caught the rebound of his next shot.

"Nice! Now bring it back, spring…" he said in concentration. It bounced off the rim and I looked pitifully at him. "BJ, I need help."

"Don't call me that, Squirt. And anyway, what are you, five?" he asked, but agreeably handed me the ball again and took hold of my waist, holding me high enough to slam dunk the ball. We both cheered.

"Sawyer?" came a voice of surprise from the sidelines. He carefully set me down and turned. The face was one I vaguely recognized from television but couldn't place. I nervously smoothed my hair.

"That's me," he said. The man approached. He had dark blonde hair and looked to be in his mid thirties. The intense look on his face surprised me.

"Sawyer. Sawyer Brian Scott. Is that your girlfriend?" asked the man, staring at Sawyer.

"No. This is Callie. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Lucas," he explained. I cocked my head sideways.

"Lucas? Lucas Scott, my Uncle? The one who plays in the NBA? What's up?" asked Sawyer. Lucas Scott smiled and I recognized him from pictures and stories of the past.

"Yeah, that's me. You look just like your Dad," he said.

"And not Mom-that's what everybody says," said Sawyer.

"You sound a bit like Haley. Callie, you said?" he said, turning his attention to me. His eyes skimmed my hair and face and he looked to be searching for something.

"Calista Brooklyn Jagielski, and I've never met you," I said.

"Peyton's daughter?" he asked. Instinctively, Sawyer wrapped a protective arm around my waist.

"Yeah. And Jake's," I said.

"You got his eyes. How is Peyton?" he asked.

"Good, I guess," I said in surprise. He still cared?

"And how's your little sister? I heard she had a second, after you were born," he said.

"Third," I said slowly.

"Right. I was looking for Karen Scott, and she's moved since I was last here," he said.

"You don't know where your mother lives? I'll take you there," I volunteered. He nodded and the three of us piled silently into my car.

"Callie!" she said as we entered.

"Grandma," I said happily as she hugged me. Technically speaking, Karen wasn't my grandma in the least.

"Sawyer," she said. He greeted her as Lucas walked in the door. Her eyes slid to him, and opened up wide. She shrieked and her husband, Keith came running.

"Luke! Oh my God, where have you been? Why haven't you been home? How are you?" she burst out in a long string of worrying questions as they embraced.

"We found him at the River Court," I said. She nodded, blinking away tears. My cell phone rang. I blushed as the tacky salsa music began to play, and quickly answered it.

"Cal? It's almost ten," said Daddy's strict voice through the phone.

"I'll be right there," I promised. Karen didn't even notice as the two of us walked out.

"Wow, that was weird," I said.

"It was. Dad told me that he and Lucas were really close and then he basically disappeared after graduation," said Sawyer. I nodded.

"Yeah, Mom said the same thing. He's the only non-married one of their group," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but they all married so young," said Sawyer. I nodded.

"Do you ever notice how disapproving other parents are of our parents?" I asked.

"Yeah, like they're affronted at how young they are, as though we're all products of crazy crack whore prostitutes," he said.

"Whereas in reality we are not. Just retired musicians and basketball players," I said.

"Yeah. And Doctors and night club owners," he said.

"Not too shabby. Don't you think it's weird how Dad almost tried to get me to not play, and he was a professional?" he said as we started the car.

"Yeah. Like you're talented, why doesn't he encourage you more?" I said.

"It's weird. Hey, what is this?" he asked as a song began to come through my CD player. I looked at him oddly.

"Dancing Where the Stars go Blue by Haley James Scott," I said slowly.

"What? I've never head this. Who is that?" he asked as a male voice took over Aunt Haley's.

"Chris something or other. Why have you never heard this?"

"Don't know. It's good though. Weird, hearing my Mom sing a love song with some other guy," he said.

"Probably before they got married," I said consolingly.

"Definitely. It's weird to think of that-what our parents did after they got marrie and before we came along," he said. We'd come along within two weeks of one another, when all of our parents but my Dad has been eighteen.

"Not a lot, probably," I said.