"Rory? Rory Flint?" Ballard’s voice has grown hoarse over the years, sounding like there’s always something stuck in his throat. The truth is, Ballard never stops smoking. He smokes everywhere. Even in the gym, a privilege he demanded from Rex. But Rex values him too much to say no.

  Ballard’s smoking now, too, as they sit in Rex’s small office.

  "Yeah. Brantley’s wonder kid wants a fight, and his agents reached out to me."

  "I’m surprised. I thought you were his agent."

  "If I were his agent, you’d be training him, Ballard." Rex strokes Ballard’s ego.

  "No way." Ballard disagrees. "Rory needs someone new, more energetic. I’m for these guys—" Ballard points at Eddie. "The ones who want a tip or two from old Alfred Ballard. Not to bounce around the ring with them."

  "Rory’s after a fifth win."

  "Rory’s after showing off to his agents," Ballard corrects him. "That’s why he’s come to you." Ballard raises a hand. "No offense, Rex. You don’t have a champion like Rory."

  "That’s never been my goal, Ballard. My aim’s the smaller fish, and you know it well. They train, and we get a cut when another coach or club takes them. I don’t want champions, though I dreamed of it once."

  "And then you found Eddie, Stanley, and Edgar." Ballard says their names with a hint of irony.

  "I love them." Rex winks at Eddie, who’s standing in the room, just listening to their conversation. "And every now and then, they bring me some cash."

  "So, you’re sending Eddie up against Rory? Since he’s here…"

  Rex just nods and looks at Eddie with that sly smile of his, leaning slightly forward over the desk. Behind him is a window where kids pass by, either coming to or leaving from training.

  "I’ll tell you something, Alfred. You’re the closest person to me here." Rex glances at Eddie, signaling with his eyes that it’s fine for him to hear. Eddie’s not dumb; he gets it. "I’m thinking of letting go of the gym by the end of the year."

  Ballard doesn’t react at all. He sets his nearly finished cigarette in the ashtray on Rex’s desk.

  "This whole thing’s starting to wear me out, and with new tech, the freedom of the world, and a bit of money, I could be an agent for much bigger names." Rex looks at Eddie. Eddie knows he’s not one of those names.

  "You just said something different, Rex." Ballard rightly calls him out.

  "Yeah, I said how I’ve been making money so far. But it takes a lot of negotiating, hustling, effort… In the end, I’ve got some cash but no time to spend it." Rex speaks with a smile. "Because the next year rolls around, and it all starts over."

  "You could put someone like Eddie in charge and train him up." Ballard tosses it out like it’s nothing.

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  "Eddie? No. Eddie’s lost the spark for boxing. Look at him." They keep talking about him like he’s not even there. It feels like one of those movie scenes where the ghost of the dead guy lingers in the room, listening to people mourn him.

  But Rex is wrong. Eddie hasn’t lost the spark. He just loves Maisie more than boxing. But he doesn’t say it. He respects them both too much to butt in.

  "How much are Rory’s people offering, Rex?" Ballard isn’t afraid to ask straight up.

  "Fifteen for Eddie and twenty for me. Five of that’s for you, Ballard. How’s that sound?"

  "No, Rex. You’re getting childish." Ballard raises his hands. "I just told you I’m past that. I want to come in the morning, light a cigarette, watch the kids, chat with Stanley about nonsense, and head home in the evening to stand in some supermarket line."

  "Stanley had a fight just a month ago, and you trained him, Ballard. Who’s backtracking now?"

  If a stranger walked in, they’d think the two were arguing. But Eddie knows this is just how they talk.

  "Setting Stanley up against some nobody in front of fifty people—most of them relatives—is one thing. I pocket three hundred bucks, Stanley gets five hundred, and everyone’s happy. But you’re asking me…"

  "Asking you what?" Rex handles everyone differently. With Eddie, he’s diplomatic. With Ballard, he goes hard. "It won’t be fifty people—it’ll be three hundred. Maybe five hundred if we can swing some extra chairs." Rex talks and thinks out loud. "The only difference will be Rory’s managers, big fish who might try to act tough. But I’ll have your back. You just focus on training. And we all know Eddie doesn’t stand a chance." Rex looks at him. "Sorry, Eddie. But we need to put on a good show to give the locals a shot."

  "Didn’t you say you’re stepping back?"

  "Me stepping back won’t stop the sport in this town or this gym. Please, Ballard. Yeah, the money matters more to me, but imagine if Eddie does well and brings out Rory’s best… It’s a chance for more people to come looking for us. You’ve got grandkids, Ballard."

  "I’ve got one grandson." Ballard corrects him. "Haven’t seen him since he was born."

  "Don’t you want to be the grandpa with the best gifts?"

  Ballard pulls out a new cigarette and struggles to light it. Rex watches with a smile. Eddie knows Rex’s stance on smoking—he generally doesn’t approve of it indoors, especially in his office. But getting a "yes" from Ballard is clearly worth more. Eddie’s problem, though, is different. He’s waited for a pause to finally jump in, and when he does, it’s like he startles them:

  "Rex, we agreed on one training session. We didn’t agree on a fight. I told you. Maisie…"

  "Eddie." Rex cuts him off, speaking calmly—nothing like his tone with Ballard. "You refused to talk to me, and we talked. You refused to come train, and you came. Now you’re refusing to fight?"

  Old Ballard exhales more smoke than oxygen he’s ever breathed in. Eddie waits for the room to air out a bit before answering. But Rex beats him to it again:

  "What’s missing, Eddie? You’ll make good money, you’ve got a coach you respect." Rex points to Ballard. "Your sparring will be with friends. And on top of that, I’ve talked to Cork about taking you back at work in two months. What’s missing?"

  "You know Maisie doesn’t approve." Eddie stops there. He could tell him she threatened to leave with Theo, but he doesn’t.

  "Here’s what you’ll do, Eddie." Rex digs into his desk drawer and pulls out two crumpled hundred-dollar bills. He tosses them on the desk. "Take Theo and Maisie out to dinner tonight. On the way back, buy her a flower. Spoil her as much as you can. And when you’re in bed, after the little one’s asleep and you’re lost in each other, tell her you’re going to be the most famous boxer in town."

  Ballard chuckles from the side, shrouded in cigarette smoke. But Rex isn’t done:

  "And change your shirt before you head home. Maisie won’t like seeing blood on ‘Best Dad Ever.’"