He turned the volume dial slightly and a man’s voice filled the car.
“Scott Horsley,” he said, triumphant.
Merritt threw her head back against the car seat headrest.
“Dammit,” she groaned, “I didn’t know we were playing.”
“From this moment forward, we are officially keeping score.”
They waited in line after that, and Merritt focused all her attention on listening to a story about the latest stunts of extremist congresspeople jockeying for power and then one about a girl in Tuscaloosa whose lemonade stand had raised over $700,000 for MS research.
“That’s nice—”
“—Ohfuckme.”
“Whoa,” she said, genuinely surprised. “What’s wrong?”
Whit was clenching his jaw and shaking his head as if he were in some sort of psychic pain.
“I just cannot stand this guy.”
He nodded at a bald man with hexagonal glasses wearing a bright neon safety vest and a cheerful smile.
“He looks... nice,” Merritt said tentatively, surprised by Whit’s sudden vitriol.
“Just wait,” Whit said, pulling to a stop as the drivers in front of them had their doors opened so their kids could pile in. Merritt watched as Whit’s face shifted only slightly—from murderous to willing-to-seriously-maim—and then was surprised when the stranger tapped on her window.
“Oh,” she said.
“Mm-hmm,” was Whit’s response, in an I-told-you-so voice. He rolled the window down. “Hello, Noel.”
“Hello, Whit,” the man beamed, placing his hands on the open window and leaning forward, far too close for Merritt’s comfort. “We don’t usually see you for pickup. And who is this?”
His tone, Merritt noticed, was akin to that of a grandmother asking after a college kid’s plus-one at a family wedding.
Okay, she thought,I’m starting to get it.
“I’m Merritt,” she said, so Whit didn’t have to go into details.
“Isee.”
Noel winked visibly at Whit, whom Merritt felt tense next to her.
“I work with Whit,” she explained. She wanted to add more, but then that felt suspicious, like she needed to give a reason for being in his car, as if it wereshadyorfishyor any of those words that meanuntoward, when in fact, it was entirelytowardthat she was here. It was!
“Mm-hmm. Well, as much as I’d love to chat,” Noel said, as if he weren’t the one leaning through the car window, “I have a job to do.” Another wink. “But I did want to ask if you’ve given any more thought to—”
Whit cut him off. “Carpool duty. Yes.”
Noel’s eyes went big. “Yes?”
“Yes, I’ve given it more thought, and no, I won’t be volunteering. Would you mind sending Annie this way? The line is starting to back up.”
Merritt tried not to laugh at the positively affronted look on Noel’s face. In response, the man seemed to grip the car door more tightly as he actually lowered himself to be eye level with Whit, as if Merritt were invisible between them.
“You know, Whit,” he said, his tone more serious now, “I’ve told you that I think it would be good for you, now that Helen has passed on to the Great Beyond—”
Merritt stifled a gasp at his absurd word choice. Whit cleared his throat as if to interrupt, but Noel barreled forth.
