Page 18 of Throttle Therapy

“You manage to support the two of you on the wage you’re making at the Driftwood.I have no doubt you can handle it.But let’s go talk to Papa Smurf first.Will you follow me over there so we can talk to him?”

Jenna felt his gaze like it was a weight.She wanted another job, anything to get away from Mason.Well, almost anything.She still wasn’t willing to work at The Angel’s Den, even waiting tables.She nodded, but before she had a chance to tell him she thought it was a waste of time, but she’d go a knock sounded on the door behind them.

“That will be your sister.”Roadkill stood.“You ready?”

Jenna nodded and stood.Might as well get it over with, then she and Lacey could make their weekly stop at the local library.They both loved to read, but with how hard she struggled to keep food on the table, they couldn’t afford to buy many books, so the library was a life saver, both for physical books and digital ones.

Roadkill opened the door, revealing Lacey.

“Hey, we’re about to go for a ride, want to come?I thought maybe, if it’s okay with your sister, I could take you to lunch afterward.”

Lacey’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him then to Jenna and back again.Jenna knew she knew something was off, but she wasn’t sure yet if it was good or bad.

“I’ll go, if Jenna wants to go.”Lacey’s gaze went to her sister.

Jenna smiled and did her best to hide any apprehension about the whole thing.“I do.Come on, let’s go run this errand, then we can decide about lunch.”She moved forward and pulled her sister in a hug, shooting a glare at Roadkill as she looked around Lacey’s head.She didn’t like him using her sister to manipulate her.He should have asked her about lunch away from the girl, who would now get her hopes up and now Jenna had to say yes.

As if she didn’t want to.She would love going out with him, even with her sister along.It wasn’t that she was hoping for something between them.He was totally out of her league.But she liked being around him and would take as much of it as she could get.Even if he was just being nice to the poor fat girl.

In the car, she made sure her sister was buckled in, then followed Roadkill’s motorcycle out of the parking lot, wondering as she followed him what it would be like to ride one of those, and knowing she’d probably never get the chance.

“Where are we going?”Lacey asked as Jenna was careful not to let the motorcycle, and the butt she couldn’t help but notice from this angle, get too far in front of them.

“To meet someone.”

“Why?”

“It’s kind of a job interview.”

“For who?”

Something about Lacey’s tone made Jenna glance over at her sister.

“For me, why?Are you thinking you need to get a job?”

Lacey shrugged.“I could.It would help with the bills and help you not be so stressed about money all the time.”

“If it works out, this will help with that.There’s also talk of possibly something for you, if you want it and if you can keep your grades up.I won’t let you sacrifice your education in order to help out.”

“I can help,” Lacey said, folding her arms across her chest.

Jenna pulled the car into a parking space near the front of a building with Savage Road Service and Repair painted in giant letters across the top of the building.She twisted in her seat to face her sister.

“Yes, you can help.And if this doesn’t work out,” Jenna waved toward the building, “I may need you to, as much as I hate it.I’m the adult here, Lace.It’s my job to take care of you.It’s your job to be a kid.”

“I’m not a kid.”Her voice was sullen.

Jenna forced herself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly.“No, you’re not.But you’re not an adult yet either.I want to make sure you don’t have to take on adult responsibilities before you have to.That’s my job.Okay?”She reached over and squeezed Lacey’s leg.“Let’s go in and see what they say?The least I can do is think about it, okay?And if you want to work, we can talk about it, but I won’t let it interfere with your schooling, all right?”

Lacey glared at her for several seconds, then nodded.

“Then let’s go in and see how this goes.”Jenna didn’t wait for her sister but released her own seatbelt and got out of the car.She took a deep breath and went to where Roadkill waited by the door, watching her.

“Everything okay?”he asked, glancing toward the car where Lacey was just closing her door and heading their way.

“Yep.We just had to have a little talk.Let’s go meet this guy.What did you call him again?”

“Papa Smurf.”