Page 24 of Smolder

“Sure you don’t want that coffee milkshake thing you like to drink?”

I glanced up at him. “How do you know about that?”

He winked. “Stalker, remember?”

A laugh bubbled out of me, and the tension slowly eased. Maybe this wasn’t the end of my college career. He sure seemed to believe his dad would help me out with this. I was struggling with it, but then, with a father like the one I had, I didn’t have much faith in parental figures.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I stopped walking to pull it out. I’d put it on silent for class, but I had to keep it on me in case something happened with Grams. A number I didn’t recognize lit up the screen. That was never good.

“Hello?” I said into the phone, trying not to jump to the worst-case scenario.

Dad was home with Grams until I got back today.It was fine. She was okay.

“Is the Royal Shelton?” a man asked.

I tensed up, gripping the phone tightly. My eyes lifted to meet Amory’s.

“Yes,” I replied.

“This is Sergeant Phillips, down at the police station. One of my officers brought in your father, Vinson Shelton, about twenty minutes ago for driving with a suspended license. He asked that we call you. Your grandmother is home alone, and he is saying she has dementia. He is being, uh, rather difficult, or he’d have called you himself. There is a fine for him to be released if you want to come here and pay that.”

I was already walking toward the parking lot again, almost at a run.How long had Grams been home alone? When had he left her? Why had he been driving? I should have taken the car, not my Vespa. This was what I got for saving money on gas. Damn him.

“How much is it?” I asked, realizing I hadn’t said anything.

“It’s one thousand for this offense. The next time, it will be higher with jail time included.”

Shit! We didn’t have that kind of money to blow on this right now. Bills were coming due. I had enough to cover them all, but not that much left over.

“Okay, he’ll have to stay there for the time being. I need to get to my Grams. I’ll figure something out,” I told him as my Vespa came into view.

“Yes, ma’am,” the officer replied.

I ended the call, shoving my phone into my pocket, then glanced over to see Amory was beside me. He still had my books.

“I have to go. I need those,” I told him, reaching for them.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern etching his face.

I might as well tell him. He was the one coming here, doing all he could to get me to go on a date. If he saw what a shit show my life was, he should back down quick enough.

He didn’t hand me my books.

“My dad has a suspended license and was pulled over, then arrested. He was supposed to be with my Grams, who is home alone and has been alone for God knows how long. I need to get to her, then figure out how I’m going to come up with a grand to get him out, although I’d like to just leave him in there. I would if it wasn’t because Grams needs someone with her when I’m not home.” I reached out for my books. “Please, I need to go. I have to hurry.”

He held out my books and opened my satchel to shove them inside, then turned to my Vespa.

“I can give you a ride. It’ll be faster. Not sure it’s safe to drive when you’re worked up like this. Especially that thing.”

Nope. I’d told him the truth, but he wasn’t about to witness it firsthand.

I shook my head and turned to my Vespa. “Thanks, but I’m fine.” Which wasn’t the truth. This day was just getting worse.

“Uh, no, you’re not. Looks like you’ve got a flat front tire,” he told me, and my stomach instantly sank as my eyes dropped to the tire.

“Are you kidding me?” I asked.

“Back looks low too. You must have run over something on the way here this morning. Come on. My car is right over here.”

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