Page 4 of Along Comes Trouble

“Dude. You brought your niece to school late and told her to keep it a secret from her parents, and then got Tessa in trouble with her boss. I’d say you deserved whatever you got.” Sarah taps out a reply and hits send .

“I mean, it sounds bad when you put it like that.” I grin, but Sarah’s paying more attention to her phone than to me. “Who are you talking to ?”

She looks up. “Tessa .”

“Are you really? Let me talk to her.” I reach for the phone .

Sarah hides the device behind her back. “What? Why ?”

“Because, if she’s cool enough to pass your sniff test, then maybe I misjudged her .”

“I doubt you honestly think you misjudged her .”

“Okay, then maybe I want to apologize.” I reach around to grab the phone but Sarah twists away .

“I doubt you want to apologize, either,” she replies, laughing .

“Fine. Then maybe I’m bored and want to meet someone new. I don’t remember ever seeing her around before .”

“That’s probably because you haven’t. Tessa moved here in the spring after she got a job at the school .”

I give up my fight for the phone. “She moved here? To Brookside? That has to be disappointing .”

“Not for Tessa. She’s ecstatic. She’s from a small town in South Carolina called Bliss, which sounds like Brookside with an ocean. She got her dream job here and is just thrilled to be working .”

“Too much info, Sarah. I don’t care that much. Now—” I hold out my hand, “—hand it over .”

Sarah rolls her eyes. “Okay, fine. But nothing rude. Be the kind and caring gentleman I know and love .”

I guffaw as I take the phone. “You don’t know me very well, do you ?”

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