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Gillian flits around the room, a smile on her face as people praise her for the hard work and dedication she had to becoming a lawyer. She gets drilled with a lot of questions regarding where she’ll go and if she’s leaving Willowbrook. People keep telling her our town needs our own lawyer because everyone is done with the one in Hickory. Sometimes her eyes find me across the room, and she shrugs and says one step at a time.
Clayton and Drew walk over to the dessert table. Laurel did a fantastic job with the cake. It’s a three-tier black cake with the scales of justice in gold icing drawn on the side. She topped it with a diploma and graduation cap.
I walk over and join the boys. “Can I talk to you for a second, Clayton?”
He looks at Drew. Drew nods like “give him a chance.” Thanks, Drew.
“Sure,” Clayton says.
I walk us out to the balcony. Gillian clocks it. I’m sure she wants to join us, but she doesn’t move from where she is. Her trust in me still surprises me.
I look over the vineyard that my uncle started. It’s not large, and we only produce a small amount of wine every year, but it’s cool to have a winery in Nebraska.
“I want to apologize. I should’ve involved you in the planning.”
He shrugs. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. Listen, I care for your mom, and she… I would like us to form some kind of relationship.”
“You’re my coach. That’s a relationship.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Fine.” He’s doing it for his mom and not going willingly.
“You know, I’d love to work with you on some drills.”
“Okay. Can I go now?” He crosses his arms.
“Yeah.” I blow out a breath.
Brooks follows Clayton with his eyes as he walks out onto the balcony and Clayton walks back inside. “That kid needs a swift kick in the ass. Could you imagine what our dads would do?”
I rest my arms on the balcony. “I fucked it up. Maybe he’ll always hate me.”
Brooks slaps me on the back. “You’re too good of a guy for him to hate you all of his life.”
Good guy. I don’t feel like it right now. And then I’m reminded about Waylon.
“Hey.” I glance behind me, not seeing anyone. “I need you to do something for me.”
“I’m not babysitting the kid so you can fuck Gillian again.”
I laugh. “Hey, I’ll repay you at some point. And I got you donuts and coffee.”
His nostrils flare, and he nods at me, shoving his hands in his pockets. “What do you want?”
“Waylon Knight.”
He looks right and left. “What about him?”
I lean in closer. “I need to know where he’s living. Is he really two towns away?”
“Why?” Brooks frowns.
“I can’t tell you.”
His shoulders fall. “Listen, this isn’t babysitting a kid. This is using police resources to find information on someone without a good reason. It’s kind of unethical, man.”
