Page 74 of Mustang Summer

“Brock,” his mom hissed, the shock so obvious in her tone that even he could detect it.

“What, Mom?They already treat me different.Now they know why.”He spun and climbed into his truck.His family backed up and he sped off.

Arriving at his place, he parked in front of his barn.He wanted,needed, to work on his cars.More specifically, the car he and Josie had brought home.It’d make him feel closer to her and if his dad wasn’t angry with him, they could work without talking about anything other than grease and bearings for hours.

Brock’s plans were dashed, because a convoy of Walkers approached, his parents in the lead.Brock scowled and stomped to the side door of the barn.He’d said his piece and had no wish to say more.

He shoved the door open and froze, his hands still planted on the door.

The spot his Shelby had been parked in now sat empty.

Chapter16

Brock stared at the empty spot in his barn, his stomach rising into his throat until a strangled sound escaped.

His parents rushed toward him, but Cash beat them.He skidded to a stop next to him.

“Where’s the car?”his dad asked.

“Dude,” Cash stepped around him.His blue eyes were bright with shock in the dim barn.“Did it get stolen?”

“What’s going on?”His mom crowded behind them.

“Good God.”His dad pushed past them into the barn and opened the large front door.

Brock stumbled to the open space and stared at the floor, like if he thought hard enough he could remember where he last put the car.His mind reeled.Had he parked it somewhere else and not remembered?It didn’t seem possible that it was just gone.

“Wha—” Dillon entered the barn.“Did a car get stolen?”

“Not just any car,” his dad grumbled.

“Look, Brock, I don’t want to upset you…” Cash started.

Brock dropped his chin to his chest, his gaze cemented on the packed dirt floor.He’d confessed his disorder not five minutes ago and they were already treating him different.Mom was right.

“And I’m really sorry, Aunt Nancy, that I assumed you were miserable and spending money frivolously,” Cash continued, “but don’t get mad at me.Brock, do you think your girl was behind this?”

“Can’t be,” Brock said.How could Josie get close to him and then do something like this?

“Can’t she?”Dillon argued.“You caught her in here scoping out your collection.”

“But she helped me get the Shelby.Mr.Blackwell offered it to her first.”

“She would’ve had to buy it from him, though,” Dillon pointed out.“For how much?”

Brock squeezed his eyes shut.It couldn’t be her.“Thirty-five thousand.”

His dad broke in.“Once finished the Shelby could be worth well over hundred thousand, easy.Hell, it’d be worth that without her having to even wash it.”

“Did she know…I mean…did you tell her about your autism—” Cash skimmed his fingers along the brim of his hat, his brows pinched.“Fuck, you didn’t tell us.Why would you tell her.”

“She asked about it.”Brock avoided looking at all of them and glued his gaze on his dusty boots.She’d asked.She’d known and offered to help him talk to Mr.Blackwell.

He’d just outed his mother to protect Josie.Had she just used him?

His mind spun over the details.He’d found her in his barn.He’d found evidence she’d tried to sneak into his building when her brother was vandalizing Dillon’s place.Then she’d seen him at Blackwell’s.And she had time to think on it after Blackwell offered her the car.

“I’ve got to call her.”He withdrew his phone and punched in her number with his whole family watching him.

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