“I know.” He sighs, scrubbing his hand up and down his face before he turns back to face me. “My mom is on my back about...” His eyes flicker with something but it’s gone as fast as it came. “I need to go and see her.”
I tilt my head. “You need me to come with you?”
“No.”
Well, okay then.
“Thanks for the ride, I’ll see you at the compound.” He doesn’t acknowledge me as I push out of the car and head inside to find Eric, leaving the sound of his tires squealing in his wake.
I stare at the back of his SUV as he speeds away. Luke is almost always broody, but that was a whole other level of broodiness.
I spin around and spot my car right away, fresh with four new tires on complete with a frowning Eric staring at the side of it.
“Eric?”
He whips his head around, coming forward with a sly smile on his face as he shakes my hand. “You really pissed someone off,” he says, pointing to the side of the car.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I groan, crouching down and running my finger over the scratch that runs along the entire side. “How much?” I ask, looking back up at Eric.
He runs his hand through his black hair, his dark-blue eyes flitting away before connecting back with mine.
“When do you need it for?”
“Today.”
He pushes his arms inside his coveralls that are covered in paint splatter and car oil. “I can have it done in a few hours, but it’s gonna cost a pretty penny.”
I stand up, pushing my hands into my pocket and gripping the note tightly. “Money ain’t a problem, I need it done ASAP.”
He nods, heading into his office and throwing a set of keys at me. “You can use mine, be back at three and it should be sorted.”
“Thanks.” I walk out and head toward
his lime-green sports car, my body vibrating with anger.
How dare she destroy my property, she knows I could have her arrested for criminal damage.
I start to formulate a plan in my head as I drive back to the compound, there’s no way that I’m letting her get away with this. She knows—she fucking knows what that car means to me.
Goddammit! She’s been so quiet, I thought it was over. I should have known that Geena wouldn’t let it drop, she always gets her own way. The only question now is—what does she want?
I pop open the trunk, pulling out the several boxes of burgers, sausages, and buns before I slam it closed and walk up the path, through the gate that leads to the back of the community center.
Every year Roy has a fun day to fundraise for the center. This year it’s later than usual because of him being away to take care of his sister. Almost the whole town comes, most of them run a stall or activity: face painting, animal pens, games, cotton candy machines—you name it, they have it.
The best part is the barbecue—which is always my job.
I use my back to open the gate before spinning around and walking through all of the stalls that are being set up over on the grass area. I head inside to put all of the meat in the refrigerator before heading out to the grill that sits on a decked area.
I’m opening up the lid when I hear a squeal. My head swings around to search for where it comes from, immediately spotting Lexi on the top of a ladder as she tries to hang streamers on the back wall of the community center.
My feet move before my brain can catch up as I watch her wobble again before she steadies herself, blowing out a breath and moving the hair off her face.
“Whoa there.” My hands land on her tanned thighs. She startles and spins around, making the ladder shake again before she grips onto the top step.
I can’t stop the pads of my fingers as they stroke along the outside of her thighs, wandering up and over her jean shorts and to her waist where I haul her off the ladder.
She frowns at first before a smile kicks up the corner of her mouth. That smile completely wrecks me inside and out. I spin her around, her feet coming up off the ground as she throws her head back laughing. The sound does things to me: sends shivers down my spine but has my stomach fluttering and a grin spreading across my face all at the same time.