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I tilt my head in judgment. “Deadbeat?”
“Army,” he says. “He’s deployed at the moment. Won’t be back until summer.”
I pause. “Well... now I feel like a jerk.”
“Don’t. You have every right to assume.” He chuckles as his gaze deepens. “So, you’re back in Clover.”
I take a step back. “I’m staying with my dad for a little while until I figure some things out.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“From who?”
“Tucker.”
I scoff. “Seriously?”
“Don’t get mad,” he says. “I practically beat it out of him when I saw your car at the shop. It wasn’t his fault.”
“Ah, right. At the shop,” I repeat, smiling. “I heard you had a job.”
He nods. “I have a job.”
“An actual, real job.”
“I went to school and got certified and everything.”
I squint. “Hmm...”
“What?”
“Well…” I look him up and down. “You’re wearing clean clothing, you’re trustworthy enough to be left alone with living children, and you’re stably employed.”
He leans in an inch. “I pay taxes, too.”
“Wow.” I feign a gasp and he laughs. “You’re like a genuine, responsible adult now.”
“It certainly took some practice,” he quips.
“Is there anything about you that hasn’t changed?”
He lowers his voice to a whisper. “I still have the Bolt.”
My jaw drops. “No way.”
“Yes way.”
“I loved the Bolt.”
“I know you did.”
“I take comfort in this knowledge.”
“I still have your helmet, too,” he says. “And I still know where you live, so I can swing by the next time I take a midnight ride, if you want.”
My smile widens. “Smooth.”
“Well, I think you’ll find a few other things about me that haven’t changed.”
