Page 38 of Bring me Back

She nodded to herself and came to the car, opening the passenger’s door. I guessed we were going today. I got inside; we both put on our seat belts and she started texting on her phone. “I’ll let her know we are on our way.”

I took us from the lot, switching the radio on when she finished texting.

“You can choose the music,” I told her, glancing to her side.

I nudged toward the glove compartment. “Open that.” She did what she was told and gasped as the contents fell down the second she opened it.

“Tapes?” she snorted.

“What the hell is wrong with tapes?” I complained when she reached down and grabbed the ones that had fallen over her bag.

Shaking her head, she read the titles. It was mostly old rock from when I was a teenager. I wasn’t a very exciting person; I liked what I liked and my taste in music hadn’t evolved since. Hallie gathered the tapes on her lap, looking from one to the other, not answering my question.

When she made her choice, she put a tape in the slot and arched her brow at me. “How old are you?”

“Old enough to put you in detention if you ask me that one more time.” I huffed. She laughed.

She selected aGuns N’ Rosesalbum. I nodded to myself.

“Do you like my choice?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied, lost in the song, my fingers tapping on the wheel.

“I know that album because my dad listens to it. Mydad.”

I scoffed, daring to look in her direction just as I entered the highway. “Good music is timeless, Cricket.”

“But you aren’t. How old are you, Mr. Miller?”

“Old enough to spank you.”

She sucked in a breath and I chuckled, pretending not to be affected by my own words. Maybe it was a bad idea to relax that much in her presence. All the work of convincing myself to stay away was going down the drain.

I turned up the radio to have something to do. I sped on the road, the music pouring through the speakers. Hallie turned to the window and watched in silence.

“How much are we bringing?” I asked when I couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“I left a lot with her, but I’m not sure what she kept. Have you talked to Sharon to see how much we can charge?”

I winced. Talking to Sharon Campbell was the last thing I wanted to do.

“It’s ok. I can talk to her if you prefer…” Hallie started.

But I interrupted. “God no. If anyone has to suffer, it has to be me.”

“Another one for the team?”

“Always.”

When she giggled at my answer and looked relaxed again, so I asked. “What’s the secret dress?”

“Hmm…?”

“Your dad said you have a secret dress. What’s that?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not a secret dress. I’ve been working on something for the last couple of weeks and Dad calls it the secret dress. It’s not a secret.”

“What’s the dress for?”

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