He started to walk back to the staircase but then turned around to face us again. “You two are going to the Triple C festival, right?”
“Yeah,” I replied, not liking the faux innocent look on his face. I could always tell when he was up to something. “What do you need?”
“Well,” he began, waving a hand toward the window. “My car has been having issues. I was wondering if I could ride with you two to the festival, and then I’ll find another way back here.”
There was nothing wrong with his car yesterday. But before I could say anything, Max spoke up.
“It’s fine with me. You don’t mind, do you?” he asked me.
Jake’s eyes twinkled mischievously, and I huffed. “Not at all,” I said, glaring at Jake. “Just hurry up and put some clothes on.”
Jake smiled triumphantly. “Be down in a sec.”
Once he was gone, I turned to Max. “I’m so sorry. I know you didn’t expect to come here and see a half-naked man in my house.”
He shrugged and let out a laugh. “It’s okay. I think it’s fantastic you’re friends with a famous golfer. My grandfather loves watching him.”
“Even though he can be a little annoying, he’s one of my best friends,” I said.
Jake’s footsteps pounded down the stairs. “All right, I’m ready.”
The guys walked out the door while I locked up. I looked at Max’s truck; there was only one row of seats. “Do you want me to drive?” I asked them.
Jake patted a hand on the hood of Max’s truck. “This’ll be perfect. It reminds me of the truck my grandfather drove when I was young.”
Max looked at me and shrugged. “I don’t mind driving us.”
Great. I’m going to be stuck sitting in the middle between them.
“Great,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
I walked around to the passenger’s side and Jake opened the door for me, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
He flourished a hand toward the inside of the truck. “In you go.”
Max got behind the wheel and I slid to the middle, sandwiched in between both men. “Thank you for driving, Max.”
“Of course,” he said, smiling over at me.
Jake cleared his throat and leaned forward so he could see around me to Max. “So, what do you do, Max?” I wanted to know the same thing, but Jake beat me to it.
Max glanced over at him before focusing back on the road. “I’m a professor at Appalachian State. I teach math, mainly Calculus.”
I gasped and waved a hand between me and Jake. “That’s where we went to college.”
Max chuckled. “I know. Your grandmother told me you did.”
“She did?” There was no telling what all she told him. “What else did she tell you?” I asked, cringing at the thought.
His grin widened. “Let’s just say she loves to talk about you.” Silently, I groaned. She probably told him about the time I ran into a tree and broke my nose. Talk about embarrassing.
“I really wanted to go to Appalachian State,” he continued, “but ended up at UNC Charlotte. I taught there for a few years until I moved to Boone and started teaching at ASU. My students just recently convinced me to start snowboarding.”
That made me laugh. “And how is that going?”
“Eh,” he said with a shrug. “I’m not that bad. We should go sometime.”
“I’d like that.”
