Page 42 of The Perfect Catch

Penny shook her head and took a few steps forward. “Who can understand guys some times?” She gave me a hug before we got into our cars and headed out.

I glanced around the parking lot, hoping I’d catch a glimpse of Dax and that he’d come apologize. But the parking lot was nearly empty.

Chapter 31

Dax

Idrove around for a bit, ending up at the garage because I didn’t want to go home just yet. That morning I’d left the trailer with such hope that I had a future ahead of me, that I had a chance with an amazing girl and there was a possibility of college in my future. With the way I played today and my hurt over seeing Trent and Kate together, I just needed to disappear for a while.

“What are you doing here?” Doc asked, wiping down his hands. The towel he was using had just as much grease on it as his hands, and I didn’t think it was making much of a difference.

“Just needed a distraction.”

“After a baseball game? That’s a new one from you.”

I shook my head, trying not to give in to his small joke. “I just saw a picture of the girl I like with the guy who got me into the whole probation mess in the first place.”

“Ahhh, girl trouble. That is usually a distraction in itself.” He rested his hands on the tool table, staring at me with a small smile. “What are you going to do about it?”

“I’m not going to do anything. I’m a kid from a different neighborhood, different social class than she is. How in the world could I even think I have a chance with her?”

Doc grinned, and I knew I wasn’t going to like what he said next. “I seem to remember another girl from the same area of town falling in love with a rough kid, settling down, and having three kids, all of whom are great in their own right. Her love story ended shorter than planned, but she always loved your father and did everything she could to make things work for you three.”

At the mention of my angel mother, my throat constricted, a large mound filling the space there.

“Yeah, but I have absolutely nothing to offer Kate Adams. She’s already got the world at her fingertips. Why would she need me?”

“That’s something you’ll have to figure out, young Dax,” Doc said, chuckling. “Love is a crazy thing, but if you like her enough, maybe she’s worth the risk. Have you told her how you feel?”

I glanced down, hitting my shoe against the raised crack in the concrete floor several times. “No.” I’d admitted to the kiss last spring, but that didn’t translate to how I felt now.

Doc shrugged. “That would be the best place to start. She’ll never know unless you tell her how you feel, and you’ll be able to figure out your future once you do.”

I nodded, knowing he made sense but still not feeling brave enough to put myself out there like that. She hadn’t said anything about the kiss, whether she liked it or not, and I wasn’t sure I could take another disappointment right now.

“Thanks, Doc. I should probably get home.”

“You sure you don’t want to work on this car with me?” he asked, holding out a wrench. “You did drive out here for a reason, right?”

I considered the offer and stepped forward, first grabbing one of the old aprons Doc never bothered to wear. After I tied it around my uniform, I took the tool from him and listened to what he’d already done on the car. This was the distraction I needed, focusing on a problem I could see and fix.

I’d deal with everything on Monday. For now, I was just going to make it through the weekend.

Chapter 32

Dax

Monday seemed to take longer to pass than it should have. I was grateful I didn’t have Senior Committee as I still wasn’t ready to face Kate. The hurt in her eyes haunted me for most of the weekend. Would telling her I was the guy who’d kissed her have made a difference? Would it have made it so she didn’t go on a date with Trent?

We were congregated in the commons during lunch. I’d used some of my money to buy a slice of pizza from the cafeteria, knowing I needed to finish the rest of the school day and not having a growling stomach would help that. It was November, and I’d already started counting down the days to graduation.

The bell rang, and we started down the halls, breaking apart to go in different directions for our classes.

“Hey, Stratton,” said a familiar voice behind me.

I turned to see Trent striding up to me.

“I had such a great time with your girl on Friday. I think I’ll ask her out again for this week.”

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