with the big boys anymore."
Jerome tossed his towel down, gripped his racket and stood up. "Can't hang, huh? Come on, Elly, I'm goin' to show this woman who's been carryin' who."
Eli stood and gave his sister-in-law a wink before following his brother onto the court.
The tennis ball seemed to hang in the air as Jerome backed up and jumped for an overhead slam. He swung with all his might but hit only air. The ball hit the court a foot behind him.
He thought all was lost but out of the corner of his eye saw his brother coming at a full run. The sweet sound of the ball hitting Eli's racket strings gave Jerome hope again. He looked up and smiled, seeing the ball drop over the net into the alley where neither of their opponents had a chance for a return.
The small crowd applauded politely and the court judge spoke into his microphone. "Tanner and Tanner win game, set, match, for the championship."
Jerome spun around and threw his arm around his brother's shoulder. "You're somethin' in the clutch, Elly. But next time what'd'ya say we win in two sets and not three? I'm gettin' too old for this shit."
Millie bounded up to the two men, giving each a kiss on the cheek. "My my my, aren't you two splendid? The Tanner boys sure showed 'em."
"Beer, woman. Me and Elly need beer, not compliments,"
Jerome said with a grin.
Millie's smile wilted. "You can have one, honey, but Eli, you've got the finals single's match to play. I'm so sorry. I had no idea you two would win all your matches. Please forgive me for signing you up for singles, too."
Eli leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Don't be sorry, Millie, I'm on a roll. Come on, let's get this old-timer a beer and let me get off my feet for a while."
The threesome had just made it to the steps leading up to the clubhouse when Eli felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and faced a tall, handsome man he judged to be in his late thirties.
Blond and tanned, the man smiled, but Eli knew it was insincere because the stranger's eyes were measuring him. "Hi, I'm Rod Perkins. We play right here on court one in fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes?" Jerome growled. "No way, Rod, we just got through playing. Eli needs at least an hour break."
Blondy raised a bushy golden eyebrow. "The time for the match is posted, Jerome. Your brother can always default if he's too tired to play."
Millie poked her finger into the blond man's chest. "Rod, if both players agree to a later time, it's okay, and you know it.
Quit being a jerk and give Eli an hour."
"Sorry, Millie, but I have other things to do. I promise I'll make it quick, and not too humiliating."
"You pompous ass!" Millie barked. "I'm going to talk to the tournament committee and we'll see what they have to--"
Eli patted his sister-in-law's shoulder. "It's all right, Millie.
I'll play him in fifteen minutes." His eyes settled on Perkins and turned frigid. "After all, this gentleman has said he has things to do and he'd make it quick. Isn't that what you said, sir, 'quick and not too humiliating'?"
Perkins felt the effect of the icy stare and realized he'd better say nothing more. He just nodded. Eli stepped closer, keeping his hold on the man's eyes. "Get somebody to warm you up. I won't need it. I'll be back in exactly fifteen minutes."
In the clubhouse, Eli put. On a dry shirt and accepted another bottle of Gatorade from Millie. "Nice folks ya'll have in the club," he said with a mocking grin.
Jerome handed his brother a pair of dry socks. "Rod's a lawyer, what' d'ya expect. He moved here a couple of years ago from New York. We put up with him 'cause his wife is a local and active in everything--a real class act."
"She married a Yankee, Jerome. What kind of class is that?"
Millie said, making a face.
"She's still class in my book, okay? Look, little brother, he's good. I wish I could tell ya he had a weakness, but he doesn't.
He's won the singles event for the last two years. He's a baseline player, so don't look for him to come
Jerome tossed his towel down, gripped his racket and stood up. "Can't hang, huh? Come on, Elly, I'm goin' to show this woman who's been carryin' who."
Eli stood and gave his sister-in-law a wink before following his brother onto the court.
The tennis ball seemed to hang in the air as Jerome backed up and jumped for an overhead slam. He swung with all his might but hit only air. The ball hit the court a foot behind him.
He thought all was lost but out of the corner of his eye saw his brother coming at a full run. The sweet sound of the ball hitting Eli's racket strings gave Jerome hope again. He looked up and smiled, seeing the ball drop over the net into the alley where neither of their opponents had a chance for a return.
The small crowd applauded politely and the court judge spoke into his microphone. "Tanner and Tanner win game, set, match, for the championship."
Jerome spun around and threw his arm around his brother's shoulder. "You're somethin' in the clutch, Elly. But next time what'd'ya say we win in two sets and not three? I'm gettin' too old for this shit."
Millie bounded up to the two men, giving each a kiss on the cheek. "My my my, aren't you two splendid? The Tanner boys sure showed 'em."
"Beer, woman. Me and Elly need beer, not compliments,"
Jerome said with a grin.
Millie's smile wilted. "You can have one, honey, but Eli, you've got the finals single's match to play. I'm so sorry. I had no idea you two would win all your matches. Please forgive me for signing you up for singles, too."
Eli leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Don't be sorry, Millie, I'm on a roll. Come on, let's get this old-timer a beer and let me get off my feet for a while."
The threesome had just made it to the steps leading up to the clubhouse when Eli felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and faced a tall, handsome man he judged to be in his late thirties.
Blond and tanned, the man smiled, but Eli knew it was insincere because the stranger's eyes were measuring him. "Hi, I'm Rod Perkins. We play right here on court one in fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes?" Jerome growled. "No way, Rod, we just got through playing. Eli needs at least an hour break."
Blondy raised a bushy golden eyebrow. "The time for the match is posted, Jerome. Your brother can always default if he's too tired to play."
Millie poked her finger into the blond man's chest. "Rod, if both players agree to a later time, it's okay, and you know it.
Quit being a jerk and give Eli an hour."
"Sorry, Millie, but I have other things to do. I promise I'll make it quick, and not too humiliating."
"You pompous ass!" Millie barked. "I'm going to talk to the tournament committee and we'll see what they have to--"
Eli patted his sister-in-law's shoulder. "It's all right, Millie.
I'll play him in fifteen minutes." His eyes settled on Perkins and turned frigid. "After all, this gentleman has said he has things to do and he'd make it quick. Isn't that what you said, sir, 'quick and not too humiliating'?"
Perkins felt the effect of the icy stare and realized he'd better say nothing more. He just nodded. Eli stepped closer, keeping his hold on the man's eyes. "Get somebody to warm you up. I won't need it. I'll be back in exactly fifteen minutes."
In the clubhouse, Eli put. On a dry shirt and accepted another bottle of Gatorade from Millie. "Nice folks ya'll have in the club," he said with a mocking grin.
Jerome handed his brother a pair of dry socks. "Rod's a lawyer, what' d'ya expect. He moved here a couple of years ago from New York. We put up with him 'cause his wife is a local and active in everything--a real class act."
"She married a Yankee, Jerome. What kind of class is that?"
Millie said, making a face.
"She's still class in my book, okay? Look, little brother, he's good. I wish I could tell ya he had a weakness, but he doesn't.
He's won the singles event for the last two years. He's a baseline player, so don't look for him to come
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