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“Yeah, you did!” Penny swayed a little. “You like Huck.”
Autumn rolled her eyes. “He’s all right.”
“Well, all right or not, he’s got it bad for you. It’s obvious.”
Was it? He’d offered to show her the town, and she had the sense that he’d d
one it as much for her benefit as to prove a point. But just because he was offering to hang out with her outside the bedroom didn’t mean it would turn into anything more than an interlude between sessions in the sheets.
Still, there was that other thing he’d done for her…
“He talked to his dad and got me a job at the shop.”
“I know. Huck hasn’t done anything for anyone outside of his very close friends for a long time. He reached out and involved his dad—who he looks up to, by the way—which tells me that there’s something special about you.”
She let that sink in. Had Huck really done something nice just to help her out? Not that she’d count on such things, but just the idea felt good. Like he’d taken care of her, in an odd way.
Working on cars and bikes made her feel like she was home. Earning money was a must at this point. And he’d arranged for both of those things to happen. No strings. No bottom falling out. Just because. However temporary this was, he’d helped her find a place that felt closer to home than anywhere she’d been since her grandfather’s auto shop. Dare she hope her shelf life was increasing?
She found herself looking at the full-length mirror in Jenna’s room. She changed out of the frilly top and traded it for the standard white tank, then flicked her hair and let a small smile creep over her face.
“You look good,” Penny said.
Autumn felt a hint of confidence she’d never felt before. Maybe she was getting ready for someone in particular after all.
…
“What the hell are you wearing?” Ryder said to Huck.
“What’s wrong with this?” Huck asked.
Ryder just shook his head and laughed.
Holding a beer, sitting near the back of the large open area of Penny’s BBQ, under a beautiful spring night, he found himself nervous. Large glossy planks had been set down and sealed to make the dance floor, right in front of the deck. Twinkling lights were strung from tall posts surrounding the space. There was nothing but an open field as a backdrop to the BBQ. The whole event felt fun and peaceful.
Or would have if he could get his nerves in check.
Huck took his eyes off the band playing and people two-stepping, and he looked down at himself. “Seriously, what’s wrong with this shirt?”
“For starters? It’s a button-up,” Ryder said.
“But it looks good, right?”
Ryder eyed it and took a sip of beer.
“Lay off him,” Bass said, coming to sit next to them. “You look good, man. You actually look like you give a damn for once.”
Because he kind of did. He’d shaved. He’d dug the dark blue button-up out of the back of his closet. He’d even worn his nice pair of dark jeans and cleaned his boots. Sure, he’d rolled the sleeves. And running his fingers through his hair counted as combing it, right?
“He’s trying,” Ryder said.
Bass nodded.
“You guys act like it’s a big deal. It’s a damn shirt,” Huck said.
Ryder smiled and clinked his long neck beer with Huck’s.
Irritating as it was, Huck wasn’t happy the conversation about his attire was over, because that left his mind full of the one thing he couldn’t stop obsessing over.
