“It looks brand new.”
“I meant replacing it. River lent me his copy, and I spilled…gravy on it.” I inwardly cringed.Gravy? Lord, man.“Anyway, could I just leave this with you?”
“You could,” Amelia said thoughtfully. “Or you could just drop it by the shop.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Wouldn’t want to interrupt.”
Amelia leaned in the doorway and crossed her arms. “I think it’s averygood idea. In fact, I think River could really use a visit from you, Holden. It’s not far, just off Charleston Street, south end of downtown.”
“Right, but—”
“It was nice meeting you,” Amelia said with a strange smile, and then she shut the door, leaving me stranded on the doorstep.
“So that happened.”
I turned and headed back to the car, debating the wisdom of visiting River at his family’s shop. In public. In broad daylight.
Then I envisioned him stripped down to jeans and a sleevelessundershirt, his oiled muscles smudged with grease while he bent over something dirty and mechanical.
“On the other hand…”
I gave James our new destination and had him park around back. I slipped through an alley to the side of the garage, making sure no customers could see me. A window along the shop’s rear wall showed me a small, cramped office.
My fantasy was partially fulfilled: River wasn’t bent over a car but some paperwork, wearing a dark blue, short-sleeved uniform shirt with his name lettered in red on a white patch. Sweat and grease left a sheen on his arms, and he’d smudged himself on the edge of one sharp cheekbone.
My heart jackhammering in my chest, I tapped on the glass.
As he had at school, River’s face lit up to see me and then morphed into wide-eyed fear. He shut his books and disappeared from the room. A few moments later, he came around the side, wiping his hands on a rag.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed.
“If that’s your standard greeting, your customer service needs work.”
“I’m not fucking around, Holden. Why are you here?”
“Your sister said I could find you here so—”
His eyes bulged. “You talked to mysister?”
“Sure did,” I bit out, his reaction hurting and hardening my heart. “I knocked on your door and said, ‘Hello, Amelia, my name is Holden. I gave your brother a blow job a while back, and I’m quite certain he thoroughly enjoyed it.’”
River’s shoulders slumped, and he carved his hand through his hair. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do. But news flash: I’m a human being who is allowed to exist in the world and talk to people. Here. I got this for you.”
“Flowers for Algernon?”
“It’s about an idiot who smartens up for a bit, but it doesn’t last. He goes back to his old narrow, stupid world.”
River’s eyes darkened. “So…what? You bought this to teach me a lesson? To rub it in my face?”
“I don’t know why I bought it. I wanted to get you something, so I did.”
“Why?You’rethe one who called shit off, remember?”
“Because I fucking can’t stop thinking about you, okay? Every day, all day, every goddamn night. And I wanted todosomething instead of just sitting around being miserable. But it was obviously a mistake. Our favorite word.” I turned to go. “Toss the book in the trash for all I care.”
“Holden…”
