Lennox looked at his hand and frowned, then took it and shook firmly. “Lennox Kyle.”
“This is my old friend, Quinn MacGregor,” Charlie said in a tone that suggested no further questions were allowed. It was a motherly tone that should’ve surprised Quinn but somehow didn’t.
“He’s right, the wind is pretty bad today,” Quinn said and looked at Charlie.
She cussed up a storm, then held up a finger and marched to the kitchen. When she came back, she wasn’t wearing her apron, but still had her nametag on with a coat on her arm.
“Let’s go. You have a car, right?” she asked Quinn.
“Yeah.”
“We’ll take Lennox back to school first—”
“But Mom—”
“No. You’re going back to school andstayingthere. We’ll find your grandpa and take him home.” She pulled the coat on and pushed the kid toward the door. “Now hustle, I can’t miss more than an hour at most.”
That made Lennox move. It was obvious he knew what it meant if Charlie missed work. They clearly needed the money.
“Side lot,” Quinn called after them and stuffed a few fries into his mouth as he got out of the booth. He left money—including a big tip—on the table, then followed Charlie and her son out.
She was lingering, waiting for him, and as soon as he caught up, she asked, “You carrying?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Well, once we’re in your car, you’ll put it into the glove box.” Her tone didn’t leave room for argument.
Quinn lifted his hands. “Alright.”
In short order, they were in his car and he put his weapon away.
“Nice Glock,” Lennox quipped from the backseat.
“Shut up,” Charlie snapped.
Quinn didn’t dare to thank Lennox, but the boy was right; it was a nice gun.
* * * *
Quinn slowed at one of the entrances to the combined Spruce Creek Schools compound. Everyone from kindergarteners to high schoolers went to school here. There were several buildings, but if you grew up in this town, this was the place you were stuck at for your childhood.
“Donotslam the door,” Charlie warned when Lennox started to leave.
The boy huffed, then said, “Bye Quinn, bye Mom.” He didn’t slam the door.
Quinn steered the vehicle back to the direction Charlie pointed and a tense minute or two followed.
“Yes, he’s yours,” she finally said when he couldn’t get the words out to ask. “I guess condoms aren’t reliable after all.”
He hadn’t checked. It had been one time and they’d been so ashamed after. He’d never been with a girl before and he hadn’t asked if he was her first. He remembered her lectures of virginity being a social construct anyway so it hadn’t been something he would’ve thought about.
“It’s like fifty, fifty-five right now?” he asked, when a gust of wind rocked the car.
“Yeah, something like that.”
He turned the heat on higher. He wasn’t a fan of Benny Kyle’s, but he didn’t want the man to die of exposure either.
“Try here,” she pointed at the road to one of the trailer parks. “He had a dealer living here last year.”
