Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 69468 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69468 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“Excellent.” She strode toward the parking lot, leaving us to follow. “Let’s find you a truck. Your…”
She paused to consider me, clearly still trying to figure out mine and Jude’s relationship.
“Friend.” I hoped that was true. We seemed headed in that direction at least, and it was the simplest answer.
“Great. Your friend is welcome to join us on the test drive.” She made her way to a shiny red truck, likely two or three years old, kitted out with several upgrades from the basic trim line.
“Now that’s a red truck.” Jude whistled low.
“Chevy,” I noted as I circled the truck, taking in the heavy-duty metal storage box in the bed and sprayed-in bed liner with added tie downs. Sarah had done a great job of meeting Jude’s wish list on the first try. “Looking good already.”
“I usually go for Fords,” Jude hedged.
“Drive it.” I nudged his shoulder, the same sort of shove I’d give Colt or an army buddy, but the electric zing on my palm was hardly brotherly.
“Okay, okay. One test drive.” Jude grinned at me. “What could it hurt?”
Plenty. The test drive was harmless enough, but that jolt of awareness was anything but.
Chapter Eight
Jude
“Man, that took far longer than anticipated.”
I felt the need to apologize to Carson again as we ate our burgers. Same brewery. Same order. We were both creatures of habit, something that amused me more than it should have.
“Buying always does.” Carson shrugged like spending over two hours haggling at a car dealership on a perfectly lovely Friday night was no hardship. “Sarah got the sale.”
“She did.” I smiled. I’d enjoyed hearing about Sarah’s recent graduation from Gunnison and her boyfriend, who would be in law school in the fall. Giving her the first sale of her post-college career had been a nice bonus. “And it is a sweet truck. For a Chevy.”
“Major upgrade.” Carson waggled his eyebrows at me. His obvious enjoyment of the truck might have had a little to do with my ultimate purchase. Just a little. Making him and Sarah happy had been almost worth the heartache of turning over Sarge’s keys at the end.
“I am sorry, though, that we’re eating so late.” I’d learned a long time ago that a delayed dinner could taste twice as good, but not everyone was as accustomed to pushing meal times.
“No problem.” Carson saluted me with a fry. “Less crowded.”
I glanced around the brewery. This time, we were seated closer to the patio, but the music wasn’t too loud. The Friday-night dinner rush had thinned out to a few groups drinking near the bar, more on the patio, and a few other tables having food like us. The overall vibe was mellow and in keeping with perfect late-summer weather.
“True.” I took a moment to appreciate the band, which had several couples out on the dancefloor for a sultry ballad. “More dancers to watch too.”
“Go on.” Chuckling, Carson made a shooing gesture. “Try your luck?”
“Nah. I’d rather talk with you.” I grinned at him before second-guessing sharing that sentiment. The last thing I wanted was any weird tension between us. I hadn’t come out to him as pan yet, and as far as I knew, Carson was straight. I tried for a more casual tone. “You were a big help tonight.”
“Eh.” A hint of color rose in Carson’s cheeks. “You negotiated well.”
“Thanks.” Overall, I was pleased with the deal. Carson might dislike the praise, but he truly had been a big help.
He’d pointed out a couple of things on the car report worth closer inspection. Simply having someone along had also been nicer than killing time waiting on the finance folks alone. “It’s going to be weird, though, driving home in anything other than Sarge.”
“Just wait.” Carson grinned, more of that mischievousness he didn’t show often. “Get a little mud on the tires.”
“You’re a country song waiting to happen,” I shot back. Being able to bring out his playful side made me feel taller. Stronger. Triumphant like after a hard procedure. Carson might be a risk to my heart, but he sure was good for the ego. I gazed out at the patio and the night beyond. The sun was finally setting, the last tendrils of color disappearing from the sky. “But not a bad idea. Nice, clear night. Not too cool. You up for a drive after dinner?”
“The canyon?” Carson didn’t disguise his eagerness.
Every kid who’d grown up in Lovelorn knew about Disappointment Canyon and the collection of state lands littered with skinny dirt roads perfect for teens bent on a fun escape. And perfect for a bit of off-roading while not going too far from home.
“Exactly what I was thinking.” The similar way in which we seemed to see the world was a pleasure I hadn’t had in years, a friendship connection where I didn’t have to waste time explaining or lobbying for my preferred outcome. “See some stars. Get a little dust. See what the truck can do on gravel.”