Page 18 of The Perfect Catch

Dax

Iwalked back into the trailer after a long night of work, having had to stay late to help fix a special car Doc needed done for the customer to pick up early the next morning. He gave me a lot of freedom to work on things, but then again, he’d done a lot to train me over the years. And working on engines was something that came naturally to me, almost like math.

“Look at this, Dax!” Bree said, jumping up and down with a bunch of bags.

I laughed and then realized I hadn’t come home to give Bree any money for the clothes. “Are those your dance clothes?” I asked as she pulled out a black piece of cloth.

“Yes, and a few other things. I’m so excited.” Bree clapped her hands and giggled.

“How did you pay for them?” I scrubbed at my face with both hands, a pit forming in my stomach. I did everything I could to avoid being in debt to people, already knowing how it felt to mooch off others from before I had a job, and I didn’t want my siblings to go through that.

Bree gave me a look to say I was the slowest person in the world. “Kate bought them. I told her I didn’t have any money when she came to pick me up, and she insisted that we still go shop. She bought all the stuff in these bags, and even a couple new t-shirts I liked.”

I slumped onto the couch. “Are there any receipts in there? I need to pay her back.”

My sister peered into the bags and shook her head, her voice softer when she said, “No, she kept them in her wallet.” Bree’s bottom lip began to quiver, a sign that she’d be in a full-on meltdown if I didn’t say something to stop it now.

I reached out and touched her arm. “Hey, you’re okay. I’ll just pay her back for it. I told her I was going to pull out some money for you to take, and I forgot on my way home.”

Bree grinned, carefully folding the workout clothes and other everyday clothing and sliding it back into the bags. If there was someone who deserved to be spoiled with a shopping spree, it was Bree. She would keep everything in pristine condition for as long as possible.

I stepped outside and dialed Kate’s number, waiting several rings until I was sure it was going to voicemail.

“Hey,” she said, picking up, breathless.

“Hey,” I said, surprised she’d answered. I must have taken too long to respond because she spoke first.

“How was work?” I heard her take a big gulp of air and smiled.

I leaned against the side of the trailer, tipping my head back to rest on it. After a long day, talking to her helped ease some of the tension that had piled on that day.

“It was good. I just got off a few minutes ago.” I took in a deep breath, prepping myself for the total of the items Kate had bought my little sister. With all the fees for the three of us, plus new cleats for Karsten, it would be tight. If I had to pay her back in little amounts, I’d do that. “I need to pay you for the clothes. How much did it all come to?”

She giggled on the other line, and I pictured her small upturned nose scrunching with the sound. “Nothing. You owe me nothing. That was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

“No, really,” I said, pulling off my hat so I could itch near my forehead. “I want to pay you for all of it. Just let me know, and I’ll get the money to you tomorrow.”

“Dax, I’m serious. I wanted to do something nice for your sister. She totally deserves all the fun stuff. She’s probably the sweetest girl I’ve ever met. Keep your money and let me have this.” Her voice took on a harder tone, more stubborn.

I groaned. “Are you sure? I really didn’t mean to forget to give her the money. I feel like such a jerk.”

“You’re not a jerk, Dax. I’m sure you can use the money for something else anyway.” She paused a few moments, and I could hear her smiling by the pitch of her voice. “You’re pretty special, Dax. Just remember that.”

“Uhh…” I wasn’t sure how to respond to a compliment like that. I’d always been the bad boy, the troublemaker, or the one who was destined for no good because of my family and where we lived. Then again, sometimes I played into that stereotype. Having someone say I was special made my head spin.

She laughed on the other end. “I actually have to go, but I’ll see you at school tomorrow, right? You still don’t have work Friday night for the game?”

“Um, no, I’m off. Yeah, I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow.”

She hung up, and I closed my eyes, wishing I could redo that last conversation. I’d always given Ben a hard time for struggling to talk to girls, and now I’d had a small dose of what he went through on a daily basis.

I wasn’t a fan of being in people’s debt because I already got enough looks as it was. I didn’t need to be burning bridges by taking advantage of people’s kindness. It was something I would do different than what my father promoted.

But Kate had been so kind already. I just hoped that letting her buy Bree clothes wouldn’t come back and bite.

Chapter 14

Kate

---