Page 18 of Feuds and Interludes
I shrugged, feeling a little guilty for all the times I’d gotten frustrated with him. He wasn’t a bad guy. Honestly, his company had helped me stay chill while I waited to see what shape Pops would be in after his date.
“Yeah.” I had no clue what else to say. I was honestly shocked that we’d gotten along. Maybe it was when there were folks around that he had to be extra, or maybe it was?—
“Yeah,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Well, thanks.”
He walked away while I was still thinking of something intelligent to say. I fisted my hand and banged the steering wheel. I really needed to learn how to talk to people without being a jerk. Especially him. I got the sense that under that attitude he seemed to have, there might just be a sensitive guy.
I started the van and let it warm for a minute before pulling around to the back entrance. The last thing I needed was for the temperamental beauty to backfire and scare half of Los Feliz.
Boone had just reached our grandparents and was shaking hands with Pops as I pulled up. Then Pops took Vera Jean’s hands and leaned in to kiss her cheek. I was too far away tohear but he said something to her, and her skin flushed as she chuckled.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said to him, squeezing his hands. She took Boone’s offered arm and a deep frown marred his face as they stepped off the curb.
“Thanks, son,” Pops said as he climbed in. He rubbed his hands together and smiled as he watched them walk across the lot to Boone’s car.
“No problem. Everything okay?”
“More than okay.” He didn’t bother to further explain his cryptic statement, so I put the van in gear and tried to exit the parking lot.Tried. There were two cars facing opposite directions at the driveaway and the drivers were having a conversation with each other, not caring at all that they were blocking the exit. I groaned and put the van in reverse, figuring I’d use the other exit, which meant driving past Boone’s car. Which he was currently abusing by slapping his hand on the roof.
I stopped in front of them, and Pops rolled down his window.
“Everything okay?”
Boone cursed then took a deep breath. “Battery’s dead.”
“It’s all right, you two,” Vera Jean said. “Boone is going to call for a service truck.”
“It’s late, why don’t we give you a ride home?” Pops offered.
I covered my protest with a cough. I’m not sure what I would have said. “I’m not a taxi,” or something rude like that. While I coughed, Pops got out and held the door open for Vera.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
I shook my head and smiled tightly, not wanting to take a chance my inner asshole would answer.
Pops opened the back door and gestured for Boone to climb in, but I could see him warring with himself. I could only imagine he didn’t want to leave his grandmother.
Feeling charitable, I said, “I’m sure your car will be fine here. I could bring you back tomorrow to pick it up,” I said.
Boone blinked those giant blue eyes at me, and I wanted to tell him to forget it.
No, I wanted him to climb in and for us to keep talking, obviously without our grandparents.
“That’s very kind of you, Shane.” Vera Jean fastened her seat belt and smiled at me. “Boone sometimes forgets to charge that thing.”
It was my turn to do the surprised blinking thing. Boone? Not be perfect? I started to razz him about it but the innocent look was gone and in its place was…anger?
He climbed in and sat on the bed next to Pops.
“Sorry, I don’t have extra seat belts back there.”
“Just don’t take the corners too tight,” Pops said with a laugh. He said something to Boone, and when I looked in the rearview, Boone looked as if he’d rather eat glass than be riding in my van.
Why so on edge, I wondered?
Vera Jean gave me the address, and I plastered a smile on my face rather than bitch about heading in the opposite direction from home and into the hilly, windy canyon road. The van was in great shape, but the hills were a challenge. I watched as Boone attempted to find something to hold on to in the back, while Bruce and Vera Jean continued talking.
“Oh! And there was the place you lot rented back then.”
