Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 90682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
It’s tougher to hear than I’d hoped. Whatever Duke is saying to Brian, he’s talking low and slow. Eventually, Brian nods.
Brian walks off without looking back until suddenly he’s in a full run to the other side of the parking lot on the other side of the Wylee’s building.
I sniff the air.
Sniff again.
“What the…?”
Beside me is a white plastic bag of chicken—one large carton of broasted chicken and what appears to be a cardboard container of potato fries that’s been busted open and devoured on Mrs. Galvin’s faux leather front seat.
Eating in her vintage car? He is in so much trouble!
“What a piece of shit,” Duke says as he folds his large body behind the steering wheel, closing the door with a loud thud.
I hear: What a piece of she-yit.
“First of all…” I lose no time starting in. “What in the hell are you doing here?”
“Getting chicken.”
That makes me laugh. “You freaking liar. Were you here spying on me?”
“No. You said they had broasted chicken, and I was hungry, so here we are.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
I fold my arms across my chest, dumping my clutch onto the seat. “You stole a car just so you could come and get chicken instead of sending me a message to grab some for you?”
“Didn’t steal it.” Duke nabs a potato fry from the container and pops the end in his mouth. “I borrowed it from Mrs. Galvin.”
Say what now?
My jaw drops open. “Mrs. Galvin let you borrow her car?” I know I sound absolutely incredulous, but this makes no sense. She won’t even let me borrow a cup of sugar. Why would she lend a stranger her Buick? “Why would she do that?”
I saw the glares she was giving him the other day when we were outside, and he was fixing the deck.
“I told her you were out with a narcissist and may need my help. She was more than happy to help me out.”
Happy to help him out?
I highly doubt that. “What did you promise her?”
“Nothin’.”
“Don’t you lie to me, Duke Colter.”
He sighs, loud and long. “Fine. I promised her two seats at the thirty-yard line to a game against the Chicago Steam and the Philadelphia Wildcats.”
“But…you’re not on those teams.”
“Her grandson is a fan of Chicago, apparently—not Texas or New York.”
“That’s it? Two tickets to a game?”
He’s quiet a few seconds before he admits, “And…a gift card to the Sunset Skillet.”
“The Sunset Skillet?” I giggle. “That’s where all the older people in town go for breakfast every morning. It’s like a pickup bar for grandparents.”
“And…” he begins.
“Stop it! There’s more?”
“And a pedicure at the Curl Up and Dye.”
That old woman is diabolical and has some nerve shaking down my houseguest for free shit when all he needed to agree to was filling her tank with gas and maybe running it through the car wash.
Anyway, still. It was nice of her to do but completely unnecessary.
My chin goes up a notch. “I was handling everything just fine, thank you very much.”
I don’t need a man to come galloping to my rescue, or in this case, in his burgundy steel steed.
“I wasn’t tryin’ to rescue you. I said I wanted chicken, and I wanted chicken.” He snatches up the container to show me the remains. “See?”
Not impressed.
“This whole car smells like chicken.” I glance in the back seat. “You’re going to have to air it out tomorrow or get air fresheners or something.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He rolls his eyes and looks over at me. “But for real. You okay?”
I suck in a deep breath and glance out the window. Brian has long gone, peeling out of the parking lot with a squeal, not having bothered to put on his turn signal, probably more pissed off than he’s ever been a day in his life.
Or not.
For all I know he’s a hothead.
“I’m fine. It was weird when he picked me up…” I gulp. “Worst hug ever.”
Duke doesn’t respond, just nods solemnly in support. “Yeah. Worst hug ever.”
“How long were you watching us when you went inside to get your chicken?”
“Not long,” he says. “But…” He clears his throat. “I could tell by your body language you weren’t into it. You weren’t touchin’ your drink, and he wouldn’t shut his fuckin’ mouth, and it looked off.” He shrugs. “So I waited. Just in case.”
I don’t believe for one minute he borrowed a car and came to the same place where my date was for the express purpose of getting fried meat, but I’ll never get him to admit it.
I’ve known Duke Colter for one week, and he’s already got my back.
My heart constricts.
“You gonna be okay to drive home?”
Pfft. “I’m fine. That whole thing was totally bizarre, but I never have to see Brian again unless the asshole shows up at our class reunion.”
I can shake it off.