AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yep.” Nick hoped he sounded cheerful, and turned up the wattage on his smile. “I’m a big fan of your daughter’s too.”
“A fan?” Mrs. Burke raised an eyebrow. “I thought she hadn’t started dancing here yet.”
Nick laughed. “Oh no, I didn’t mean …” Mrs. Burke’s expression didn’t change. “I meant I admire her personally. Although she’s an incredible dancer.”
“We all met at a bar,” Hayley jumped in. “Kevin and I were dancing at a bar.”
Mrs. Burke considered this. “You must have made quite an impression,” she told Nick.
Nick shrugged and immediately wished he’d chosen a better response. Everything about Carolyn Burke demanded a higherstandard of behavior, from her pressed gray slacks and dark green blouse to her posture and her piercing gaze.
“They’ve certainly made an impression on me,” he said.
The four of them sat in the living room as Kevin manned the grill, and Hayley told her parents the story of how they’d found a friend in Nick Freeman. She and Kevin had discovered the Squeaky Lion the night they moved to Columbus, and they were so happy with their new home that they couldn’t help but dance. That dance caught Nick’s attention—and Nick, by the way, was aphenomenalsinger who brought the house down every Friday. After chatting that night, the three of them just knew they were going to be friends. And wouldn’t you know it, Hayley had gotten a job at the Squeaky Lion around the same time Nick got a summer gig at Vivez. So it was a rare day when they didn’t spend time with Nick Freeman, who had done so much to make them feel welcome in Columbus—including introducing them to the best chocolate milkshake known to humankind.
Nick was impressed, even as he realized Hayley was using him too. He was a character in a story for Mr. and Mrs. Burke, a tale of how he, Hayley, and Kevin got along famously, with no rivalry or deception or inconvenient attraction.
Soon it was time to eat, and Nick tried not to look too happy when Hayley sat to his right at the kitchen table, or disappointed when Mrs. Burke took the seat to his left. It was easiest just to focus on the food. Nick had to grudgingly admit that Kevin could put together a fantastic lunch.
“Nick, I’ve got to thank you for helping these two get settled.” This from Mr. Burke, as he took a break from his burger. “Makes me feel better about dropping the ball this time around.”
“Daddy,” Hayley chided. “You were out of town!”
“Could’ve come back,” he said.
She sighed. “Mom and Dad were on vacation in Colorado when we moved.”
Nick said, “That sounds wonderful.”
“Oh, it was,” Mrs. Burke said. “Then we got back from two weeks in the mountains to find out our daughter lives in a different state.”
“Mom, it wasn’t like we …”
“Hayley Michelle.” Her mother stopped her. “You could have called us.”
Hayley stared back for a beat, then looked at her plate.
“I could still call the guys if you need anything fixed.” Hayley’s dad had a twinkle in his eyes. “Phil’s been roaming the streets for weeks, just looking for an excuse to use his new circular saw.”
Hayley laughed. “And how is Phil going to fix anything with a saw?”
“Easy. He’ll saw the couch in half, and then he’ll use his nail gun to put it back together.”
Hayley tried to look annoyed, but she couldn’t keep from giggling. “Dad’s the leader of a bunch of degenerates,” she told Nick.
“Men,” Mr. Burke corrected. “You meant to say I equip men of extraordinary skill.”
“Most of them are retired,” Hayley went on, “so they have all this time and money to play with power tools. Honestly, Dad, you’re like a drug dealer.”
“Sure, except drug dealers make tons of money.”
“You sell power tools?” Nick asked.
“Power tools and so much more, my friend,” Mr. Burke said cheerfully. “I run the biggest hardware store in West Lafayette.”
Hayley grinned. “He’s very proud.”
“Definitely could’ve used you for the move, Tom,” Kevin spoke up. “You think you know what you’re getting when you hire professionals, but …”
