That Thing You Do (Crystal Lake 2)

“Who?” Beck frowned.

“Unless you follow the Premier League in Europe, you probably won’t know him. He’s a footballer, and in that world, he’s top ten and only in his second season.”

“You mean soccer player.”

“No, I mean footballer,” Nate said with chuckle. “They take their labels very seriously over there.”

“I think I’ve seen him on ESPN. He’s being talked about like he’s the next David Beckham.”

“That’s him.”

Beck was impressed. “That’s great news, Nate. I hope you land him.”

Nate thought about it for a few moments and realized the answer to his current problem was staring him right in the face. “Hey, what do you say about me renting the Manchester place for a few weeks?”

Beck’s eyebrows shot up. “You want to stay out there? Mom will kill you, you know that, right? She’s been talking about getting you back here for weeks. Told me point blank that you weren’t allowed to stay at my place because she wanted you all to herself.”

Nate sat back and held up his hands. “I’m good at Mom’s. I need it for Link. He’s headed here to get away from things and needs some privacy.”

Beck shrugged. “He can use the place if you need it. I’m actually happier to have someone living there than it standing empty. I’ve sunk a lot of dough into it, and I’d hate like hell for vandals to break in. I’ve got a security system with all the bells and whistles, but it’s still better to have a body inside.”

They spent some time working out the details, and when Beck would have ordered Nate another beer, he shook his head.

“Can’t. I’ve got dinner at the country club with the Malones, the Bakers, and the entire wedding party.”

“That sounds like it could get interesting.”

“Hopefully, it goes off without a hitch.” The Malones were pretty laid back, while the Bakers were…not.

“Hey, what’s this I hear about Molly and Kyle Langley?” Beck asked, shoving his empty plate aside and signaling for the bill.

Nate’s head shot up. “What? You know about that?”

“I play ball with Kyle, and he’s chatting her up. At least that’s what I heard. Doesn’t seem to be Molly’s type, but then, she’s changed a lot, so who knows?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Nate all but growled.

Beck frowned. “It’s not supposed to mean anything other than what I

just said. She’s all grown up now, and from what I’ve heard, there’s a lot of guys sniffing around the kennel so to speak.”

“Like who?” This was news and not the kind Nate wanted to hear. Kyle, he could handle. The guy was a knob.

Beck’s frown deepened. “Why the hell are you so riled up?”

“I’m not.” But he was. What the hell was wrong with him? “I just… She’s Molly, one of the guys, you know? I look out for her. Kind of like a sister. That’s it. Nothing more.”

“Did you interview Jessica before Zach started dating her?”

“Don’t be an asshole.”

Beck chuckled. “Well, I’m pretty sure Molly can more than look after herself.” He leaned forward, and Nate didn’t much care for the look in his eyes. “I have a feeling this is something else entirely.”

Nate shook his head. “Not gonna do that, Beck. Don’t turn this into something it isn’t. Trust me, Molly might look different and maybe even act different sometimes, but she’s still the same girl where it counts.” He thumped his chest. “And the wrong guy will hurt her. That’s all.”

His brother tossed his napkin. “I’m going to have to disagree with you on that one. Last fall, Dan McIntosh took her out for dinner—”

“McIntosh?” Nate interrupted. “He’s got lead between his ears. Why the hell would she go out with him?”