Page 58 of John Wilder Gets Schooled
“Should I bring a gift? What do they even like?”
I grinned. “Give them a six-pack and a box of Lucky Charms and they’ll be over the moon.”
Avery laughed, then gave me a smile that was more real than whatever he’d had going on before, and I relaxed back into my chair.
Dallas was looking between us, his brow creased like he was trying to figure out what our deal was, and I suddenly remembered we were supposed to be acting like we were just neighbors.
Avery must have thought the same thing because he straightened up in his seat and said, “Thank you for the invite. I never realized how neighborly people were in small towns, but y’all are going out of your way to make me welcome.”
It was as subtle as a brick through a window, but I ran with it anyway. “Right,” I said. “It’s totally a small-town thing. And they don’t come much smaller than Goose Run, so we’re extra friendly!”
Just neighbors! Nothing to see here! Definitely no dick sucking!
Avery cleared his throat and said, “Did you want a beer or a soda or something?”
“No,” I said quickly, standing. “I gotta get going. Yard needs mowing.”
“I’ll see you out,” Avery said and followed me to the front door. Once we were outside with the door pulled closed behind us, I said, “Shit, Avery, I didn’t know you had a guest or I never would have mentioned your dick!”
To my surprise, he laughed. “I mean, I appreciate the hell out of the offer, and I’m definitely taking a rain check.”
The tightness in my chest eased. “You’re not mad?”
“Why would I be mad at you because my brother came to visit unannounced? Dallas just decided he needed to drive down from Richmond and check on me. He’s protective like that, since I’m the youngest.”
I tried to imagine what it must be like to have a family that actually gave a shit. My parents knew where I lived, but I hadn’t heard a word from them in almost six years. It was probably for the best, but it still stung.
I pushed the old hurt down hard. Screw my parents and their shitty, judgmental attitudes. I had a new family now, one thatdidcare. And it felt like maybe Avery was… not exactly a part of that family, not quite, but maybe my tiny little pool of people I trusted had expanded so that his toes were dipping in the edges? I didn’t know. The only thing I knew for sure was that whatever my brain said about this being casual, the warmth in my chest when I looked at him told another story.
“And just so you know,” he said, “I’m totally making decorations. Gracie can help me. She’ll love it.”
She would. Nothing got Gracie more excited than a craft project. And a craft project for a birthday party? That shit was like crack for five-year-olds.
His face fell. “She’ll be there for the party, right?”
“Yeah, it won’t be a problem.” Itwouldbe a problem, since everything lately was a problem when it came to the Moores, but there was nothing they could do about it. I was Gracie’s dad and I was in charge of when they got to see her, not the other way around, which was something they were finding hard to remember now Cassidy was out of town. I’d hoped things were settling down again, but the look Mrs. Moore had given me on Friday afternoon? Hell no. “Do you, uh, need any money for supplies and stuff? For the decorations? I mean, you shouldn’t have to pay for?—”
He cut me off with an embarrassed laugh, and I didn’t know which one of us he was embarrassed for. “No, it’s all good. I have a bunch of stuff on hand. You never know when you need emergency bunting, right?”
“That hasn’t really ever come up for me.”
He smiled, his cheeks pink. “Trust me, it’s an issue.”
I lingered on his front doorstep like a teenager not knowing how to end a date, awkward and idiotic. Then, remembering his brother was right there, I jerked my head toward my house. “I should…”
“Yeah,” Avery said and bit his lower lip. “Bye.”
“Bye.” I hauled ass before I said anything else stupid.
Didn’t stop me from tripping over the bottom step and almost face planting on his lawn, though.
I didn’t look back.
Dignity intact, right? As long as I didn’t see him laughing at me.
That evening was a quiet one.We sat out on the back porch and drank a couple beers. Avery’s brother’s car didn’t move, so I didn’t go over there again.
Danny told the twins about the birthday party because neither of them was good with surprises. Chase rolled his eyes and scoffed but didn’t refuse to come, so that was as good as approval. Cash smiled a little, ducking his head like he was trying to hide it.
