Page 34 of Daring You

“How’s he doing, anyway?”

“Oh…you know. Covering up any pain by turning into a grouch if you try to ask him about it.”

I chuckle. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”

“Tell Locke and his family they’re welcome, too,” Mom says, immediately understanding who I’m referring to.

“I think they’re busy, but I’ll ask. Mind if I ask Ash?”

“Oh boy,” she says. “I’m not sure the supermarket has enough beef to feed him.”

Not much intimidates Callie Donahue. My giant, tattooed biker friend is no different, probably because he makes the best chocolate-hazelnut croissants in Manhattan.

“When are you going to bring a girl around here instead of your friends, who eat us out of house and home?”

“Okay, Mom. Gotta go.”

“Someone like Carter. She’s such a lovely person.”

“Oh—do I see? Uh-huh, I do. Ash is waiting on me. Love you, Mom.”

Mom gives some sort of laugh-sigh, then says, “I love you, too, honey. See you at six.”

I’m not lying. I may not see Ash, exactly, but I see his bike outside the warehouse, and that’s good enough reason for me to bail on my mom when she’s asking about my love life.

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