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He saluted me. “Sir, yes, sir.”
All I could do was shake my head and think about tomorrow. Now this was going to be interesting.
3
JUDAH
My stomach churned in a way it hadn’t in years while I stood in the driveway of my house waiting for Tav to show up. I felt a little embarrassed of the extravagance I’d purchased for only myself after seeing the trailer he was sharing with someone else.
It was so small.
I had no idea how two people who weren’t fucking could share a space that size. An anger I hadn’t been able to shake coiled in my stomach as I thought about the pretty boy living with Tav.
Probably doing more with Tav.
The sky was blushing pink in the east, and the sunshine was starting to bloom from a predawn gray into a brilliant blue as the cool autumn air dragged at my lungs. Every puff was visible steam, but I hadn’t bothered to wear a coat. It would probably be almost eighty later today, but right now I was freezing and wishing I was in the car instead of standing here looking and feeling like an idiot.
What if Tavish doesn’t show up?
I guess it didn’t really matter. It wasn’t like I couldn’t drive to the expo, but anxiety carved my insides to the bone, whittling away at me with a rusty razor blade. I sucked in a deep breath when a decrepit blue Ford turned in to my drive and began to make its way toward me. The thing was a relic from several decades ago. I bit the tip of my tongue as it came to a stop right beside my car. He popped open the door and hopped out, and I wanted to groan at the sight.
Fuck me running and standing still and some other third way I couldn’t think about right now. Tav was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt that was probably cotton, but it had clearly been made by demons to torment me because it stretched perfectly across his chest and highlighted his pecs. I tugged on the hem of my suit jacket. Would he like it? Anger swamped me. What right did he have to look so fucking fantastic after all these years? Worst of all, why did I give a shit?
Hell, why did I go to his fucking trailer and offer him a job?
Because I’m stupid, that’s why.
Maybe I’d gotten brain amoebas from my trip to the Gulf last month. Mom had said to be wary of warm water, but I’d gone swimming anyway.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing at his truck and directing all my ire toward it.
“Oh, that?” Tav said, slapping the hood of the Ford with a crooked grin. He glanced at my house and raised an eyebrow, as if daring me to make any unpleasant comparisons between my belongings and his. “That’s my baby girl.” He gave the hood another solid slap, then wiped his nose with the back of his hand and sniffed while his lips twitched. It seemed as if he wanted to laugh for some reason and that fueled my irritation.
“I thought you might turn up with that boy.” I was shocked by my own mouth. I hadn’t meant to bring the kid up at all. In fact, I’d told myself very sternly in front of the bathroom mirror earlier—while I was putting on cologne I usually didn’t bother with before work—that I wouldn’t talk to Tav about anything personal. I was going off the rails already.
He slowly shook his head, eyebrows dancing. “Ellis is over eighteen, but I told you, I’m not dating him, and even if I was, I wouldn’t drag him to work with me. He’s at school.”
My heart twisted. Christ, at school. The last time we’d been together, we’d been in school. Seeing that kid’s unlined face had really driven home the years that had gone by between then and now. Was Tav still the same? Would this version of Tav tell me what the fuck had been so wrong with me that he’d dumped me without a fucking word?
I blew out a long breath. None of that mattered. It hadn’t mattered then, and it sure as shit didn’t now.
“It’s not my business, I guess. Or maybe it is? But didn’t you want a driver to take you to work and such?” He quirked his eyebrows. “Course, I’m happy to be paid to stand here all day, I suppose.”
My hand twitched. I wanted to rub my eyes and sigh, but it was way too early in the day for that crap. “Ha fucking ha. You’re driving me to Windsor Racetrack.”
He let out a low whistle. “Isn’t that about two hours away from here?”
“Yes, and that’s part of why I want a driver. It will be nice to work on the way.” I sighed. “Will you need directions?”
He held up a finger, and I could tell by the way the corner of his mouth curled that he was about to do something he thought was very hilarious and would make me want to slap him. He dragged his phone out of his pocket and held it up, showcasing it like it was a prize on a game show. “I can work the interweb.”
Without a word, I tossed him the keys for my Honda Prologue, which he fumbled but held on to, and then I got into the back seat on the passenger side. I wasn’t sure why. I could’ve chosen to sit directly behind him, and then I wouldn’t have to look at his stupid handsome face, but apparently, I was doing dumb shit this week. Tav got in, settled his phone in the holder attached to the windshield, and then turned on the car.
“Is there somethin’ goin’ on at the track today or are you just goin’ to get in a bit of gamblin’?”
“It isn’t a horse track.” I rolled my eyes and glared at him as he pulled the car forward and took us down the driveway to begin our journey. I grabbed my laptop from the spot where I’d tossed it earlier, when I’d first come outside to wait, and powered it up, settling in to get as much work done as possible. “Yes, that’s me, gambling in the middle of the workday,” I snarked.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
