Chase laughs haughtily. “No, he isn’t.”
“Gav …” I warn.
Gavin covers his face with his hands. “Don’t do this to me, guys.”
“You’re on our team, Uncle Gavin. You want her to stay.”
What?My insides soften as Chase’s features smoothen out.
“I have something to ask you,” Chase says.
“Yes,” I say, much to his surprise. I stand and grab my purse. “You can buy my brunch.” I head for the door. “Come on, Gavin.”
“Gavin, don’t you dare,” Chase growls.
“Megan. Wait,” Chase says.
I keep walking.
The sun shines high in the sky on this beautiful day. I walk across an empty lot beside The Wet Whistle toward Gavin’s truck.
“Megan!” Chase shouts behind me.
“Nope. You had your chance to talk. Now that I’ve accepted that I’m leaving—oof.”
I’m spun around by a frantic Chase. Kennedy is on his heels. Gavin follows with his hands shoved in his front pockets like he’d rather be anywhere else besides here.
I pant, trying to catch my breath. “What do you want?”
“Talk to me.”
“Why? Because you decide it’s convenient for you?”
“Listen to him, Megan,” Kennedy pleads.
I take a long, deep breath and summon my strength. “Talk.”
Chase twists his hat around backward. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“Cool. What else?”
“What does that mean?” he asks.
“That means I heard you, so you can continue to your next talking point.”
He furrows his brow, annoyed. “Why won’t you just talk to me?”
“We’re talking, Chase. But you hurt my feelings last night. You embarrassed me this morning in front of your mother. And this …” I look at Kennedy, then Gavin. “This isn’t exactly great for my ego either—not that I care about my ego. It’s just that you aren’t doing me any favors.”
“I just need five minutes.”
“You get five seconds.”
His eyes widen. “What?”
“One. Two. Three.”
Chase panics, digging in his pocket.
