Cy chuckled as he rolled onto his back, letting Ash get up. "Might wanna text Mike back, Luke. Let him know we're about to converge on him."
"Yeah, but he wanted to talk about changing someone's bumper," I reminded them. "Hanging out with me is one thing. All of us? Won't that get people pissed off at him?"
"Not if there's a business deal involved," Ash said, pausing for a moment. "Huh."
"What does 'huh' mean?" I asked him.
Completely naked, he turned and lifted a finger like he was about to make a point. "Did anyone see Emily's car?"
"Have a few times," I assured him.
"The tires?" Cy asked. "Yeah, almost bald."
"And Blaze said her inspection is overdue," Ash said. "How many others in this town have the same problem, do you think?"
"Most," I assured him. "Shit, that's like a hundred and fifty bucks a year, easy. I mean, my truck's got farm plates, so it's cheaper."
"The old truck did," Ash reminded me. "Your new one doesn't." He waved that off. "Who does inspections in this town?"
"Mike," I said. "There are a few other places between here and Bonham, though. More if you head back to Sherman."
"Mhm," Ash agreed. "And who sells tires? What business in town does those things? If we want to make friends and show we're just as important as Simmons, the first step is bribing people."
"That's what Billy said," Violet agreed.
Ash was smiling. "So let's help the entire town by helping Mike. I have an idea for a new program. Something about need-based credit through Southwind." He murmured as if he wasn't sure of the terminology yet. "I have an hour to figure it out, but I have a plan. Text Mike and warn him that we're having a business meeting and that he'd be an idiot to refuse."
"That," I told him, "I can do."
Chapter Thirty-One
We left the house late, which meant we got to the Grill late. Faith wanted to know if she could take her puppy down to Zeke's house. I said she needed a leash - because I did not want to risk that dog getting through the fence and being hit on the road. Naturally, she couldn't remember where she'd put it. Cy gave her Lucy's, which worked, and then Cessily monopolized Cy's little lady, promising she would spoil her properly while we were out.
By the time we got to the Grill, the church crowd had already descended. That meant it wouldn't be easy to find a spot, and yet as soon as we walked in, I saw Mike at one of the bigger tables, flipping through his phone. So did Ash. He tapped my shoulder and paused in the middle of the diner.
"What do you want? I'll grab it so you can talk to him," he offered.
"I dunno, a burger?" I said. "Not real picky, Ash."
"See if he bought anything yet," Ash told me, because there was a line in front of the counter.
I headed over and claimed the seat beside Mike. "You ordered yet?"
"Nah," he said. "Wasn't sure when you'd get here."
So I pulled out my phone. "What do you want?"
He listed off his order and I texted it to Ash. Then I added a couple of things for us all to share. Ash sent me back an emoji blowing out a heart as a kiss, showing he'd received it. I smiled at the screen and then dimmed it, but Mike had noticed.
"So, how's that whole thing work anyway?" he asked.
"Which whole thing?" Because that could go a lot of ways.
"You're with him and him and her too?" He shifted in his chair. "I, uh, saw the pictures. Those ones from court? Yeah, Lance got 'em from Charlie. Sounds like they're being passed around. Luke, the whole town knows that you had your tongue down Cy's throat."
"And you completely skipped over the hand on my dick?" I asked. "Because that was pretty obvious in those photos too."
Mike's face was getting a little flushed. "Yeah, um, saw that too. I'm tryin' ta... I mean, I don't..."
