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“I’m not surprised. I didn’t think you’d willingly hand me a notebook that detailed your dream college or crushes or deepest secrets.”
She gasped. “I did not write those.” God, she hoped not.
Nathan leaned in, so his face was right in front of her with his lips tilted up in one corner. She leaned away. “You’re right, you didn’t. But I sure like seeing you panic.”
She rolled her eyes but breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’d take one good sibling over none any day,” Nathan said. The cart was empty now, aside from a single book. Tully picked it up and took the obligation of filling the final slot. “Introduce me to Eugene next time he’s in town. Technically he’s the closest thing I have to a brother now, like a brother-in-law.”
Tully shook her head and bit back the smile that worked against her mouth. He sounded ridiculous, but it didn’t sound horrible. Without Eugene, her childhood would have been unbearably lonely. She didn’t mind sharing that with Nathan. “I’m not sure you’ll share the same interests.”
“Is he anything like you?” Nathan asked.
“More than Joliet,” Tully replied.
“Then I’ll like him just fine.”
Tully couldn’t voice a single word after that, so she grabbed the empty cart and pushed it back to Mrs. Pritchard with Nathan obediently following. Mrs. Pritchard nodded in approval, and even though she didn’t say anything more than, “Don’t forget to grab your bags,” Tully could tell she was impressed by their record time.
Nathan walked her out to their cars, which were some of the only ones left in the parking lot. He stood by his and waited until she was opening her door to drop her bag into the passenger seat.
“Just so you know, my dad is going to be home tomorrow.”
Tully cringed, having forgotten about that part of their deal. She didn’tdislikethe idea of eating dinner with Nathan’s family, but if eating with his mom made her nervous, eating with his dad too turned her stomach with anxiety. “I guess that means I’ll be joining you all for a nice family dinner after we study.”
“Just be your delightful little self and you’ll be fine. That annoyed expression right there would be perfect.” He smiled, and Tully huffed. How did he do it? How did he relax her with a few jesting words? How did he make her want to smile all the time?
“Real encouraging.”
“See you tomorrow, angel.” He waved goodbye.
Tully rolled her eyes and climbed into her car. Damn you, Nathan Rondeau.
thirty-six
tully
“No Sandy today?”
“She’s busy working on dinner.” Nathan opened up the front door wide enough for her to enter. “Plus, I wanted to get to you first and avoid any unnecessary contact.”
“My savior.”
He shrugged. “I do my best.” They skipped right past the greetings with his mom who bustled around the kitchen, and from what he told her his dad would be home in about an hour. “So we have until then to work on what we need.”
Tully nodded and settled her stuff onto his desk. “That should be enough time. Did you go over the stuff forThe Iliad?”
“As promised.” He took a seat next to her and opened his copy of the book. “I even highlighted all my favorite lines.” He opened up to a page with three separate blue highlights and tilted it to show off his work. Tully acknowledged his effort with an impressed nod.
“Nicely done.”
“Now, uh, I just need you to explain what half of these mean,” he sheepishly admitted. Tully scoffed but pulled her chair a little bit closer.
“Then we only have fifty-seven minutes to get it done.”
Fifty-six minutes later there was a soft knock on the door and Tully paused her explanation of the overall themes of fate versus free will. The door opened and Sandy came in, wiping her hands on a clean kitchen towel. “Hi, kids! Sorry to interrupt, but Nathan, your father just came home and dinner is ready. Tully, I hope you’ll stay again for dinner. We’re having pork chops tonight.”
Tully offered her a kind smile to hide her nerves. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
