Page 72 of Love Complicated

As the teams load their cars in the back of their haulers and the patrons file out of the stands, I pull Cash and Grady aside.

“C’mere you two.”

They follow, both staring up at me. God, they’re cute, aren’t they? And I can’t fucking tell them apart aside from the fact that Cash usually has a frown on his face.

They were with me most of the night. Helping with everything from scoring to pill draws. Whether I was in the pits or the office looking for transmitters, they were there, assisting and they deserved to be paid.

“Can we help you every night?” Grady asks, hopeful.

“If it’s okay with your mom.”

Digging through my wallet, I hand them both fifty dollars. Might seem like a lot but they did good, and I wanted them to know it. I also can’t see very well—remember the whole practically blind and refusing to wear glasses—so I just grabbed whatever was the same in there and am thankful it wasn’t the hundred-dollar bill I had left.

Cash takes the money, tentatively like he’s not sure why I’m giving it to him. He looks at it, then me. “What’s this for?”

Prepayment for letting me have sex with your mom.Don’t look at me like that. I’m kidding. I didn’t say it... but I fucking thought it.

I look down at them, turning my hat around backward. “Well, you do chores at home, don’t you?”

They both nod and stare up at me curiously.

“Think of this as like a job. You do work around here for me. . . I pay you.”

It takes them a moment of staring at the money. Longer than I would have thought. If someone had given me money at eight, I would have pocketed and run before they could have changed their mind.

“We have jobs now!” Grady beams, counting money he won’t spend. Believe me. He logs his money in a journal he keeps in his desk at school.

Cash stuffs his in his pocket and turns to look over his shoulder at someone approaching us.

It’s Aly, her purse in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. She doesn’t even look at me and nods to the boys. “Time to head home, dudes.”

Fuck, she looks good.Tanned legs, jean shorts. . . hair up revealing her beautiful neck I want to bite. You don’t know how badly I wanted to bed her over the dinette in my trailer when she walked in.

“Ridge gave us money!” Grady shows her the fifty-dollar bill I handed him.

Her wide eyes sweep to mine. Reminds me of the look I got in the trailer earlier, and I intend to keep doing things to warrant this look as it’s becoming one of my favorites. “Fifty dollars?”

I shrug. “They did good tonight.” I nod to the front gates we’re standing next to. “I’ll walk you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“You can’t trust the people in this neighborhood.”

Aly laughs, shaking her head as the boys start to walk ahead of us. “You really don’t have to, Ridge. I’m sure you have a lot to do here.”

My jaw tightens. What’s with her? Does she really not want me around? It certainly didn’t seem that way in my trailer earlier. . . or at the concession stand. You saw the way she’s been looking at me. Am I imagining the attraction?

“If you want me to leave you alone, just say so.”

She’s quiet, her eyes on the sidewalk as we cross Oak Street and pass by her parents’ house. The lights are on, but I know they’re still at the track. They’re usually the last ones to leave.

“I don’t want that,” she admits meekly, watching the boys ahead of us.

They’re jumping in the air, trying to snag the branches of low hanging tree limbs lining the streets.

“What’s your plan with teaching?” Aly asks, her eyes finally drifting in mine. “What happens when Mr. Burke comes back?”

“I’m pretty sure those kids caused that accident,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood. Only she’s serious, and I know why. She doesn’t want to get involved in something that’s going to eventually turn to shit again. “Once he comes back, I’m out of a job. It was only temporary and just kind of worked out, you know?” I bury my hands in the pockets of my shorts.

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