Page 17 of That Moment
Axel winks at her, then turns his gaze on me. “And what about you? Still working herself to death?”
“Aren’t you the one who just took a three-hour meeting on Sunday?” Mom scolds.
I open my mouth, but Dad beats me to it, voice low and sure. “She’s finally doing something about that Mustang.”
“You mean Scotty?” He crooks his brow at me.
“No, me.”
Axel barks a laugh, nearly spraying crumbs across the table. “Wait, you are? Working on the car? Since when?”
Heat creeps up my neck. I twirl my fork against my plate, refusing to flinch. “Since I asked Scotty to help me with it.”
“So Scotty is doing it then?” He laughs, but the rest of the table goes quiet for just a second. Dad grunts like that’s enough of an answer. Mom’s eyes twinkle, but Axel? Axel smirks like Christmas came early.
“Scotty, huh? That explains the boots.” His grin turns wicked. “Guess it’s that time again.”
I narrow my eyes. “That time again?”
“You know.” He waves the roll like a gavel, crumbs scattering. “Every couple of years, you two do this little dance. You flirt, everyone laughs, and then you move on. Same routine, different season.”
I stab a green bean with unnecessary force. “Maybe everyone needs to learn to mind their own damn business once in a while, huh? I’m almost thirty years old, so it’s not cute anymore. Besides, you don’t really know anything about my relationship with Scotty.”
“Sure.” Axel leans back, smirk intact. “And maybe he’ll turn into Prince Charming if you kiss him just right.”
Mom shoots him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. “Don’t be an ass.”
“What? I’m just saying, Scotty’s my buddy, I know him. He’s fine for a laugh, but…” Axel shrugs, unbothered. “He doesn’t settle. And Adrienne knows that.”
My chest tightens. “You don’t know everything, Axel.”
“True.” He pops the rest of the roll into his mouth, already done with the conversation. “Anyway, I’ve got a date tonight. I just stopped by to grab a roll.”
He pushes away from the table, humming to himself as he heads for the door, chuckling. The slam of the door leaves a silence almost worse than his voice.
Sometimes I really wish one of my brothers had been a sister.
Dad mutters something about Axel’s priorities, but Mom shakes her head
“That boy. Never taken anything seriously in his life.”
“Except charming women,” Dad adds, almost amused.
I drop my fork, and it clatters against my plate. “Can we please change the subject?”
Dad shifts his gaze to me, the gruffness softening. “Never thought I’d see the day you let that car sit and collect dust. That Mustang was your baby.”
My throat tightens with guilt. “I know. I always hoped I’d take it with me when I went to college, but it just didn’t work out. But I miss it. That’s why I finally decided to do something about it.”
“Scotty’s a good mechanic,” Dad admits, slowly drumming his fingers on the table. “He’ll take care of it.”
“He’s not just fixing it,” I say quickly, needing them to understand. “He’s actually teaching me. I want to learn.”
Dad grunts, which in Hudson Slade language translates toWhy the hell didn’t you pay attention when I was trying to teach you?
“Well, isn't that ironic?”
But Mom beams. “Good. It’s about time you did something for yourself. You always did love learning new things.”
