Page 135 of Reeves

"I was hurrying."

"Safety first on missions." Reeves kneels and ties them with quick, efficient movements. "Double knot so they don't come loose when we're exploring."

I stand frozen in front of them, cooler in one hand, backpack in the other. Watching them, the way Benjy leans slightly towardReeves and how Reeves's entire focus narrows to this small boy, nearly undoes me.

I'm cooked.

THIRTY-ONE

Reeves

The Street:The procession has filled it from curb to curb. What began as a handful has become something the whole neighborhood moves inside of.

I steady Benjywith one hand as he climbs halfway into the driver’s seat. His sneakers squeak against the leather door frame when he leans over the wheel like he’s about to take the truck for a spin.

“Easy,” I tell him, gripping the back of his shirt and lifting him the rest of the way up. “You don’t touch anything unless I say so. This thing’ll move if you do.”

His eyes go wide. “It will?”

I almost smile. “How about let’s not find out.”

He nods like I just handed him classified information, hands hovering an inch above the wheel, soaking it all in. I give him a second, then tap the side of the truck. “All right. Back seat. We’ve got some tanks to check out.”

He hops through the opening between the two front seats, already talking again, already asking another question I answerwithout thinking. He asks if he can press the buttons in the back and I tell him he can.

I'm standing outside of the driver's side with my forearms resting on the open door frame.

Charli opens the passenger door and sets her small cooler on the floorboard.

For a second, I don’t say anything because I'm speechless.

The dress gets me first. It's light and soft, moving with the light breeze. The hem skims her legs in a way that makes me have to adjust my cargo pants before we are both embarassed.

Her hair’s pulled up loosely, a few strands falling around her face and the back of her neck exposed in a way that pulls my focus before I can stop it.

I drag my eyes back up.

“You ready?” I ask with the most natural, easygoing voice I can muster.

She looks me up and down with an amused look. “I've never seen you in that.”

I glance down at it like I forgot what I’m wearing. “Yeah, I guess not. I thought he would get a kick out of it,” I nod my head toward the back seat.

“You wear it well.”

I believe that's a compliment, but I'm not sure what it means when one wears his fatigues well. There’s a beat where neither of us moves.

Benjy fills it for us, tugging on my arm from behind. “Are we going or what?”

"I need to grab your booster. Hold on."

"No need. We're all set," I say as I open the back driverside door and pat the new booster to indicate to Benjy to sit down.

I'm glad I thought to ask Ms. Landry to get one for me on my way back to New Orleans because she had it waiting for me in the kitchen when I got done with my meeting with Ridge.

Benjy peers in at the black and gray booster seat sitting behind the driver seat.

"That's for me?"