Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
GEORGE MICHAEL, “FAITH”
Kyle
By the time we picked up Adam from the U-Haul store and grabbed a pizza to take home, Josh was asleep.
Adam glanced in the back seat at my sleeping boy before breaching the subject that didn’t need to be discussed. “Eighteen-year-old girls look twenty-five these days,” he said.
I checked my review mirror to confirm that Josh hadn’t woken up. “I suppose,” I replied.
Through the corner of my eye, I caught Adam’s Cheshire cat grin.
He scratched his neck. “Eve is uh …”
“My brother’s best friend’s daughter. Barely out of high school. My neighbor. And ten years younger than me.”
Adam softly chuckled. “I was going to say really hot. Miles of legs. The long dark hair. The sexy grin. Dude, she smiles like she’s got a secret, and it’s hot. ”
“Well, good thing you’ll be flying back to Denver tomorrow. The whole Adam and Eve thing failed the first time; no need to relive the past.”
He fisted his hand at his mouth and tried to suppress his laughter so he didn’t wake Josh. I shot him a quick glance and a half grin. He wasn’t wrong about her.
“She was practically drooling over you,” he added.
“Also worth noting: I’m a math teacher at the high school and the football coach. Did I mention how small this town is? Oh, and if you look behind us, you’ll see I have a son.”
“I’d do her,” he said with a shrug.
I didn’t want to laugh, but my best friend had the most questionable morals. His favorite lines were: How are they going to find out? What are they going to do about it?
“They” meant any authority, such as teachers, police, parents, and the IRS. He was a terrible influence when we were younger, and I spent a lot of time in trouble for his bad ideas. Yet, I had no regrets.
Adam drummed his fingers on his legs. “I know you wanted to live in a small town for Josh’s sake, but this seems a little extreme.” He stared out the window at endless acres of land dotted with barns and farmhouses.
“Nah. It’s perfect.”
“You know what else is perfect? The tits on that?—”
“If you mention her again, I’m going to bury your body in the orchard. It would have such a biblical symbolism of the mortality of man.”
“Josh is asleep and can’t hear us. You forget that I’ve known you since we were kids. You don’t have to be a math teacher or a saint with me. So you can give me a long list of reasons why you should stay away from your neighbor girl, but nothing changes the fact that she’s a wet dream. So, since I’ve mentioned her again, and you’re going to bury me, at least give this dying man his last wish and tell me what you really thought when you met her.”
I blew out a long breath. “I thought I should have moved to Carthage.”
A triumphant grin grew along his face. “Melinda’s gone. You have a long road ahead of you as a single dad. Don’t deny yourself a little pleasure here and there.”
I shook my head. “I’ll keep my subscription to Playboy. ”
“I’d just get myself a good pair of binoculars. Which room do you think is hers?”
“Shut up, man. You’re such a pervert.” I tried not to laugh as we pulled into the drive, but Adam was relentless. “Hey, buddy,” I shut off the truck, then reached around to shake Josh’s leg.
He peeled open his eyes and yawned.
“We’re home. Let’s eat.”
The next night, the doorbell rang at six fifteen.
“You’re late,” I said, opening the screen door.
Eve squinted a fraction. “Sorry. Your imaginary date will be so disappointed.” She stepped inside and kicked off her shoes.
“It could be a real date. You haven’t seen me in twenty-four hours,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest while she curled her dark brown hair behind her ears.
I told myself to keep my gaze on her face. Even though I had driven Adam to the airport earlier that day, he was still in my head, taunting me with inappropriate comments and suggestions. Unfortunately, when I opened the door, I’d caught enough of her body to know she was wearing rolled-up denim shorts and a red tank top.
“What have you done to find a date since yesterday?” Eve asked. “I don’t think you made the personal ad deadline for today’s paper.”
“I went to the grocery store after I took Adam to the airport. Maybe I asked out one of the employees,” I said.
“Charity, Susan, or Jodie? Those are the three employees at the store. Charity is sixteen, so her parents might have something to say about you asking out their daughter. Susan is married with four kids but only works evenings, so you probably didn’t ask her out. However, I heard she and her husband fight a lot, so she might say yes if you did. And Jodie graduated with me, but she got pregnant on Valentine’s Day, so she’s about six months along. She and her boyfriend, Joe, plan to marry next year unless you asked her out tonight. I’d bet she’d choose you over Joe.”
Eve was a handful, and even that was an understatement. She was like a cigarette, addictive and bad for me, yet oddly alluring.
“Why do you think she would choose me?” I turned toward the kitchen, and Eve followed me.
“Just for reasons.”
“Such as?” I grabbed a six-pack of beer from the fridge. “Because I’m good-looking?”
“Pfft.” She rolled her eyes. “I withdraw my statement, Your Honor. On second thought, you’re too full of yourself for her to be interested in you. Are you taking those with you or hiding them from me?” She nodded to the cans of beer I tucked under my arm.
“Neither. Well,” I thought about it, “maybe both. I probably shouldn’t leave them where you can be tempted. I’m taking them with me.”
“Drinking and driving is a bad thing,” she said. “There have been some real tragedies around here.”
“Good thing I’m not driving. Listen, Josh is upstairs playing in his room. His jammies are on his bed. Tell him to brush his teeth at seven and read him a bedtime story at seven thirty. He’ll pick out the book. No water after seven. He’s had dinner, so don’t let him talk you into any snacks. He’s sly and ornery.” I grabbed an old blanket and flashlight and shoved my feet into my boots.
“Where are you going? Why do you need a flashlight and blanket?” Eve asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
I opened the back door. “I’m going down to the creek. I hear it’s a great place to stare at the stars and drink.”
Eve’s jaw came unhinged. “You’re a cruel man, Mr. Collins.”
I laughed.
“By the way, I charge ten dollars an hour to babysit.” She pulled her long, dark hair over one shoulder and inspected the ends as if her outrageous babysitting fee was no big deal.
I held back my response for a few seconds because she was something else. And whatever that something was made me want more of it.
“ I don’t make ten dollars an hour. I’ll pay you four an hour, and I won’t tell your parents that you were planning on sneaking out tonight.”
She planted her hands on her hips as if that and a slight chin lift made her look tougher.
Damn. I had to fight my grin.
“Five an hour, and I won’t tell my dad that it was Josh’s poop he had to clean up off the bathroom floor yesterday.”
I cocked my head to the side. “You said you unclogged it.”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Because I didn’t want you to feel bad.”
“But you’re okay with me feeling bad now because you want to blackmail me into paying more?”
“No. I’m okay with making you feel bad now, and I’m blackmailing you because you’re going to my creek to do my thing, and you’re doing it just to spite me.”
I slowly nodded. “Five an hour, and I’ll be back in two hours.”
“Perfect.” Eve looked at her yellow and red banded Swatch. “I’ll have my mom come over to check in around seven, so when you return at eight, I’ll be in the clear to leave. Have fun, Mr. Math Teacher.” She spun on her toes and sauntered toward the stairs.
Devil’s Head was a terrible idea. That girl was trouble.