Not that anything is suggesting to me Remi’s life would follow the same path my brother’s did, but even I can see why I find myself taking an interest in the boy.
“No such thing as perfect, kid.Nobody deserves that title.”
Up ahead, I notice the sign for Pie Central, our local pizza place, and pull my truck up along the curb in front.
“Pepperoni okay?”
Remi seems a little confused as he turns from me to the storefront.
“Looks like your mom’s gonna be late, and you’ve gotta eat, right?”
“Well, yeah, but…I only have?—”
I cut him off when he starts digging through the pockets of his jeans.
“Consider it pay for a good day’s work.Sit tight.”
I don’t wait for a response and jump out of the truck.The scent of yeast and grilled cheese greets me when I walk in.There are two other customers inside, apparently waiting for their order.The girl manning the register and taking orders zooms in on me.
“Wait time on new orders is about twenty minutes,” she shares.
I point to the stack of precooked pies they keep warm on top of the oven.
“I’ll take two of your pepperonis.”
I’m in and out of there in no time at all.Getting into the truck, I shove the two boxes across the center console for Remi to hold.
A couple of minutes later, I pull up along the curb in front of what used to be Hugo Alexander’s place, but now belongs to Tessa and her boys.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Remi mumbles without looking at me.
“Yeah, well…maybe I’m trying to score points with your mother.I think she’s pissed at me.”
I can feel his eyes on me but keep mine on the Jeep Wrangler parked in the driveway.
“Your brother’s?”
“Yeah.Bought it himself earlier this year.”
I detect a little bit of admiration in his tone.
“I guess your family favors the Jeep?”
“Not me.”The boy shakes his head.
“Oh?So what car would you want then?”
“Not a car, a pickup.An older model Chevy C/K.”
Surprised at his choice—most teenage boys would go for something a bit flashier than the classic truck—I turn to grin at him.
“Yeah?Like the one you told me you worked on at school in shop?”
“Yeah, like that, but they’re expensive.”
He’s not wrong, because it’s considered a classic pickup, the ones in driving condition can be worth quite a bit.
“Not if you find one at the junkyard.It’d probably be in rough condition, but you could buy it for a steal and fix it up yourself.Hell, you’ve done it before.”
