“It’s bittersweet, isn’t it?” Harlan said. “I remember those games. You’re ready to move on, but it’s scary too.”
“Exactly,” Liam said.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, Jeff on the caller ID. “It’s your dad.” I swiped to answer. “Hello?”
“Thank god,” Jeff rushed out. “Liam hasn’t been answering my texts. You got him off the road, right?”
“Yeah, sorry. We’re out to dinner now.”
“Where’s his car? Did you wait for the tow truck?”
I pulled at my neck and tried to stay cool. “No, but Harlan called for one. They’re taking it to the shop he likes.”
Jeff was silent for a beat. “Royce?”
“Yeah.” I cast a quick glance at the man in question sitting across from me.
“Does he know where the good ones are? He probably goes to some expensive one.”
“Jeff, he’s from Columbus. I’m sure he knows a good mechanic.”
Jeff hissed out a breath. “But the expense.”
“I don’t think we need to worry about it,” I said, more pointedly.
“What, like, he’s paying to fix our son’s car? Are you guys serious or something?”
I could feel Harlan actively trying not to look at me. One car breaks down, and suddenly I have to explain myself to everyone and their dad? Everything was just coming at me so fast. Boyfriend. Serious. And who had I become that I’d let Harlan pay for something for my son beyond a stick of gum? I picked at a divot in the wood table. “Can we drop it? Do you want to talk to Liam?”
I handed the phone off and brightened my face to reset. Harlan’s face was unreadable. I forked one of the brussels sprouts from my plate and popped it in my mouth. I groaned as the flavor spread over my tongue.
“Good, right?” Harlan said, watching me with expectant eyes.
“The smoked salt instead of bacon is a really nice choice. Might have to get some of that.”
“I have some. I’ll share it with you,” he said.
My cheeks flared hot and my stomach tingled at the memory of the other things Harlan and I had shared.
Good girls share.
I was thankful to be sitting next to Liam and not across from him. I trained my gaze on my plate so he wouldn’t look at me.
The meal went on easily. Liam dropped his act of being rude to Harlan and it was a relief. Maybe Liam was trying to warm up to the idea of Harlan and me together.
We returned to my house after dinner, and Harlan gestured to my porch swing. “Can we sit out here for a minute?”
“Sure.” It was a perfect spring evening: a light, warm breeze, and a perfect ambient temperature.
He seemed shifty and I wondered what was bothering him.
“I’m getting out of here,” Liam said, leaning past the door’s threshold. “Thanks for dinner, Royce. And helping with my car.”
“Your mom did the hard part. I was just there for support,” Harlan said.
I sat on the porch swing and patted the seat next to me. “Come sit.”
I pecked Harlan’s cheek when he sat and he took my hand. “Thanks for helping us out. And taking us to dinner. And,” I leaned toward the house to make sure Liam wasn’t close, “for being kind to Liam.”
