Daniel glanced around, noted how clean the thing was—it even had that new-car smell—and studied Evan. “You don’t have kids, do you?”
“Not yet. Unless you count this baby.”
“Is it new?”
“Got it two years ago.”
“But…gray? Didn’t they have red or black?”
“I like gray. Black shows dirt. Red stands out. So does the blue. I don’t need to be flashy, and I’d much rather run under the radar on the highways.”
“Good point.” Daniel ran his hands over the red-leather interior, wanting a car like this someday. He couldn’t fault Evan for his taste. “Hey, I just wanted you to know I wasn’t trying to play you or anything by meeting up at the coffee shop.”
“So the fact your pretty sister happened to be there had nothing to do with anything?”
“No. I thought she’d be done with her meeting.” Not really, but Daniel had wanted to see them together. Kenzie had that look when she stared at Evan. A look Daniel dreaded seeing, yet he liked his sister happy all the same. She was into Evan, no matter how much she tried to deny it.
And the guy liked Kenzie just as much. Daniel had watched Evan do his best not to stare too hard, but Evan had it bad.
Daniel decided to let it play out but keep a close eye on things. Besides, he, Rachel, and Lila had discussed it, and they all agreed. Kenzie and Evan sparked when near each other. And Bryce hadn’t been like that with his sister. They’d been comfortable and happy, but not…whatever Kenzie was with Evan. Not that Daniel remembered.
He didn’t know how to feel about that exactly.
“Seriously, Evan. How bad is Kenzie’s accounting problem?” Daniel forced himself to sound calm. “Like, we’re not going to lose our house or anything, or have Kenzie go to jail for tax evasion, right?” He’d learned a few things in school last year. And no two ways about it, taxes sucked.
Evan shot him a look. “Nothing like that. Your sister is smart enough to fix things while the problems are small. She might have a little fine to pay, but that’s it. Although I haven’t looked at her books, from what she’s told me, that’s probably all there is to it.”
But if there wasn’t, Daniel knew how to shift money around, to look as if they’d paid the right people and departments, then to shift it back. He’d gotten in big trouble for doing that once. He wouldn’t do it again…unless he had to.
“So, um, that’s good,” he said when Evan let the silence build.
After a moment, Evan asked, “What’s up with your sister? She’s single, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you don’t want me going out with her. I got that.”
Daniel shifted in his seat. “Well, I mean, you could go to dinner or something if you weren’t planning to use her for sex then dump her.”
Evan’s lips thinned. “That happen before?”
“Not like that. A little, but different.”
“That’s not cool. Real men don’t use women for anything.”
Daniel liked the sentiment, but he’d learned the hard way people said what they thought you wanted to hear.
“And I don’t kiss and tell.” Evan gave Daniel a look. “That’s so high school.”
Daniel shot him the finger, and Evan laughed.
“You shouldn’t kiss and tell in high school either. Girls don’t like it,” Evan said. “And besides, it’s stupid and immature.”
“Thanks for the life lesson, Dad.” Daniel gave Evan a wide, insincere smile.
“Wow. You really are a smart-ass.” Evan didn’t seem to mind. “So the phone pranks, could you show me how to do it? I really want to get my cousins and some of the guys I work with.”
“Sure.” Good to know Evan had a sense of humor. “But I have to know. Do you like my sister or what? ’Cause with you, it’s hard to tell.”
