But he didn't swing.

He stepped away and wiped his hands on his pants. He laughed, though Kate could see the laughter didn't reach his eyes. And she understood then that this was beyond a shank here or there as she had seen on the video. This was about a man whose life had fallen apart after he got a glimpse of himself as the world saw him: wild, irresponsible, without a care for anything but having fun. Whether it was true or not, that was what he had seen in the short entertainment-news bios that had run. His life had flashed before him, and he hadn't liked what he saw. In that moment, he had lost himself, and didn't know where to go from there.

In her selfish desire to force him to be the man she wanted him to be, she had ignored the fact that what he was experiencing was far deeper than she allowed herself to believe. But he had come here anyway in his attempt to have honor. He was trying to be the kind of man who could be a hero.

Her stomach clenched and her thoughts reeled. What had she done?

Focusing on Jesse, she shoved her microphone into the cameraman's hand. As unobtrusively as she could, she walked up to Jesse as he stood busying himself in his bag, as if he were trying to decide if he should switch clubs. She could see the sweat on his brow, the veins in his temples, the straining tendons in his neck.

"You can do this, Jesse."

Without straightening, he pressed his eyes closed, the brim of his hat hiding his face from the crowd, his fingers fisting around a ball. "Damn it, I can't. Fuck. I knew I shouldn't have come back here."

She leaned close. "You can do it. Take a chance, Jesse, and just hit the ball. Forget about where it will go or what will happen. Take a chance on yourself. Stop blaming yourself for the life you've led."

He looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"We both know this isn't about the woman, or the golf, or the possibility of shanking. Your game is unraveling because in those news reports you saw a Jesse you didn't want to be-a Jesse you believe doesn't deserve to win one of the majors." She wanted to grab him by the shirt and force him to understand. "You deserve this, Jesse. You are the great golfer and the good man that I've always believed you were."

His gaze grew intense with emotion, then a commotion in the crowd caught their attention as someone pushed through. The always perfectly dressed Derek stepped out wearing a golf shirt and shorts, and looked directly at his younger brother. He walked over, and after a second, he gave Jesse a bone-crushing hug. "Sorry I'm late."

"Late?"

Derek grinned, then glanced at Kate before looking back. "It was brought to my attention that we have some catching up to do. Seems to me that your big brother could start by being your caddy." He hesitated. "If you'll let me."

The two men stood inches apart, Jesse looking as vulnerable as Travis. When Jesse didn't say no, Derek simply nodded his head, then picked up Jesse's bag, telling the original caddy that his services wouldn't be needed. "Well, Jesse, what do you say? Looks like you have a golf-off to win."

Jesse stood there forever, the gallery growing restless. Kate never would have guessed she'd be so glad to hear one of his imaginative oaths.

Jesse swore, took the driver Derek extended, then returned to the tee box. He readdressed the ball, his concentration fierce.

Kate hurried back and got the mike, her heart pounding so hard that blood rushed through her ears. Just when she thought he would give up, her mind racing with possibilities of things she could say to take the blame, he swung. The motion was ragged, especially for a pro, and the follow-through wasn't pretty. But somehow it got the job done.

The crowd cheered. Bobby Mac made some joking comment about spending too much time wooing the ladies. Then Jesse looked back at Kate. This time she saw utter amazement. And joy.

The gallery rushed down the fairway to get a good spot for the next shot. When she lowered the microphone, Jesse smiled. "I did it," he said only for her. "I did it."

She wanted to touch him, hold him in her arms. But she also realized that neither one of them was helping the other. He was tearing her apart, and she had nearly ruined him. After all this time, she hardly recognized the thought that they weren't meant to be together-not as lovers. Not as husband and wife. Maybe not even as friends.

Tm sorry I pushed you to this," she said sincerely.

She started to head down the course, but he took her arm and held her there. "You've been trying to make me live up to expectations for a lifetime. And it was about time I did-instead of running from them."

"I had no right, Jesse."

"You had every right. I just hope you can forgive me for leaving you in the lurch like that."

She could-she did. "But it's not for me to forgive. That's up to Travis."

Then she hurried away.

He stood there and watched her go. Derek came up beside him. "It's time I gave you some brotherly advice." He actually smiled crookedly.

"And that is?"

Derek clapped Jesse on the shoulder. "Do whatever it takes to keep her this time."

Derek headed down the fairway, the bag banging against his hip and thigh. Finally, Jesse followed.

When he came to his ball, he pulled out a six iron and lined up for his second shot. The minute he swung he knew, with an exhilarating freedom, that it was dead on. The tiny white ball flew through the air, landing with a satisfying bounce and roll onto the green. He was faced with a challenging putt, but one that was doable.

The crowd cheered. Bobby Mac shook his head and smiled. And suddenly the two men were truly playing, truly competing. Hole after hole, Jesse closed the distance between them. By the time they stood on the ninth tee box, Bobby Mac had only a two-stroke lead.

"Looks like we have a close game," Kate said to the camera.

Since Jesse had won the last hole, he went first. He stepped up to the ball and concentrated, and when he swung, he was all about grace in motion. The early tension had melted away, and his follow-through sent his shot rocketing down the fairway with a scientist's precision.

Bobby Mac whistled appreciatively, though he quickly focused. The football player had no interest in losing the golf-off. It might be a charity event, but both athletes wanted to win.

Jesse and Bobby Mac were neck and neck on the last hole, each of them playing like it was the final round of a PGA major tournament. The crowd murmured in anticipation. It was a close game, all right, but to overcome a two-stroke lead in a single hole was exceedingly difficult, even for a professional golfer. Kate didn't know how Jesse could possibly close the gap.

But then the ex-football star hit his shot into the sand trap to the right of the hole. Jesse landed on the green. This was his chance. Kate could see it on his face.

Bobby shrugged for the camera, but it was clear that he wasn't about to give up. The men approached the green, with Kate, the camera, and Travis following. The gallery was hushed when Bobby Mac stepped into the sand pit, trying to decide how best to get out. A tall lip overhung the trap, making the shot directly to the hole nearly impossible. But if he chipped to the side he wouldn't be anywhere close to the pin. The only chance he had to maintain his lead was to go for it.

Which he did, getting out of the trap, but sending the ball sailing to the other side of the green, very nearly into another hazard.

The crowd groaned.

Bobby Mac was lying three in the rough. Jesse was sitting two on the green. Even though Bobby was still in the lead, realistically he still had to chip onto the green, then putt. And given the difficulty of this particular hole, the football star would probably take two strokes to sink his putt. Which meant that if Jesse could one-putt, sinking his ball with a single stroke, he would come from behind to win outright.

Bobby Mac concentrated and made a good shot onto the green. Since his ball was still farther away from the hole, it meant that he had the next shot. The minute Bobby stroked the ball, it looked like it would go in. The gallery's excitement grew with every inch the ball traveled. But just as it rolled close, the ball lost momentum, catching a bad break, and stopped inches from dropping in. A collective groan sounded. Bobby groaned, too, then walked over and tapped the ball in for the double bogie Jesse needed.

Excitement was high when Jesse addressed his shot. All he had to do was make this putt and he would come from behind to win this golf-off-as he should, given his professional status. He could redeem himself for showing up late. He could prove to himself that he still had what it took to win.

It all depended on the putt.

But something caught his eye, an image snagging in his brain. And when he turned around, he saw Travis. The boy stood nearly swallowed by the crowd, but somehow not a part of it, especially not a part of the other kids.

Jesse hated that he had screwed up the summer. Now that the tree house lay in a shambles in Kate's backyard, he had missed the opportunity to give something to Travis that he would always remember. That's when it occurred to Jesse. He could still give something to his son that the boy would always remember.

Stepping back from the ball, Jesse smiled at Travis, then extended the club.

"Hey, T, show us that great putting of yours."

The twelve-year-old's eyes went wide. Kate froze with shock. The crowd couldn't believe it. And the group of snide boys were stunned.

Long seconds ticked by, and Jesse thought Travis would say no. Jesse walked over to him, bending down until they were eye level. "You can do this. I believe in you."

Travis stood there for an eternity before he pulled back his shoulders and took the putter, his gaze determined.

The audience was amazed. And for reasons Jesse didn't understand, his heart beat hard and his palms got sweaty. In all the years he had played the game, he had never cared so much about a single putt. In that second, he didn't think about his own career, or his own reputation. He wanted Travis to make this shot. And it had nothing to do with winning or losing.

The gallery hushed when the boy squatted down to take a look at the angle between his lie and the hole. Then he came over to the ball, took a few practice swings.

Jesse's mind raced, and he realized he should have told Travis that the break was misleading. But it was too late for that. It was all he could do not to close his eyes when his son made the stroke.

The ball headed to the right of the hole, rolling and rolling, the crowd's collective breath held as the ball's path got slightly wider and wider.

Fuck.

Jesse's jaw clenched. But all of a sudden, just when it looked as if it would pass on by, the break kicked in, sending the ball toward the hole.

When the ball dropped with a distinctive clatter, the crowd let out a whooping roar.

With both shock and elation on her face, Kate walked onto the green and got a reaction from Bobby and Jesse. Jesse could see the emotion in her eyes, a genuine caring and excitement for what had happened today. Then she turned to Travis and hugged him. "You were great, T."

He smiled broadly. "Thanks, Kate."

Once she had hugged him, she pulled up the microphone. "Tell us how it felt, Travis?" she asked.

And he did, becoming the star. He gave a blow-by-blow of what was going on in his head from the minute Jesse extended the putter. When the boy finished, he turned to Jesse and looked up at him with an insecure smile. When Travis started to say thanks, Jesse pulled his son to him in a hug. "I couldn't have done it better myself."

The game ended, and Kate motioned for the cameraman to stop rolling. She was swept away with the small crew as the crowd circled around Bobby, Travis, and Jesse. The golfers gave autographs and laughed with the gallery. Jesse kept waiting for Kate to come back. But she never did.

It hadn't occurred to him that returning wouldn't be enough to show her how he felt. Then he scoffed at himself, understanding that he'd had people clamoring after him for too long. Simply returning wasn't enough to show Kate that he wouldn't leave her again.

He realized that he didn't want to leave again. He wanted to return home for good, surround himself with the very people he had grown up with-the very people who loved him for himself. And he wanted that life to include Travis as well.

But how to make that happen?

To: Katherine Bloom Chloe Sinclair From: Julia Boudreaux Subject: Kate reinvented Oh, my gosh! The phones are going crazy. Kate! They love you! You were an absolute hit with viewers.

And Jesse showing up late. Inspired! Added a bit of drama to the drama! And little Travis ending up the hero. How did you think of all this?

You did it, sugar!

xoxo, j

To: Julia Boudreaux Katherine Bloom From: Chloe Sinclair Subject: Viewers Julia, advertisers are calling to say we have to do more of this. Kate, as soon as you have a chance, we need to have a brainstorming session.

Congratulations! C To: Julia Boudreaux Chloe Sinclair From: Katherine Bloom Subject: Credit I wish I could take credit, but I have to tell you, not a bit of that was scripted. Jesse really did leave-just as you predicted, Julia-then he decided to return, surprising everyone. And the whole putter thing with Travis-again, a complete surprise. I'm still amazed that Jesse did it. All I can say is thank goodness T made the shot. Can you imagine the consequences if he hadn't? The child never would have forgotten the fact that he had messed up in front of such a crowd.

Katherine C. Bloom News Anchor, KTEX TV West Texas To: Katherine Bloom Chloe Sinclair From: Julia Boudreaux Subject: Defending Who'd ever imagine that I'd be defending anything Jesse Chapman did? Certainly not me. But do you think you're being a little too hard on the guy, Kate? He believed in the kid, and he showed it. It's just an added bonus for us that it made for great TV.

If you follow the logic that he never should have given Travis the putter for fear that the boy might have failed, you're saying that no one should take chances. Unfortunately, sugar, that's what life is about. Taking chances. And stop being so hard on Jesse.

xoxo, j To: Julia Boudreaux Chloe Sinclair From: Katherine Bloom Subject: Traitor Excuse me! Why are you forgetting that I gave Jesse my heart and he threw it back in my face? Whose side are you on anyway?

To: Katherine Bloom Chloe Sinclair From: Julia Boudreaux Subject: Return to sender I'm not taking sides, and I'm certainly not going to point out that he returned. You have an incredible segment of Getting Real with Kate to prove it. As to risking hearts, I am beginning to wonder if the onJy reason you have been willing to risk yours on Jesse is because deep down you've never believed he'd stay. You haven't been able to believe in love or in forever for as long as I've known you. It's Jesse actually returning that has thrown you for a loop.

xo, j To: Julia Boudreaux Chloe Sinclair From: Katherine Bloom Subject: That...

is not true! Tell her, Chloe!

To: Julia Boudreaux Katherine Bloom From: Chloe Sinclair Subject: No middleman, me I really don't want to get in the middle of this. But, Kate, face it, you only date guys who are unavailable, uninteresting, or certain to leave. Though I can understand why, given your mother.

We know it was hard to see those men come and go from her life. But one of these days you have to

face up to the fact that some men won't leave-or if they do, they will realize their mistake and come back. I may have doubted Jesse before, but after seeing him these last few days, I'm convinced he's here to stay.