Page 182 of Gathered Sparkle

“Where are we even going?” Nicholas asks after a beat. “What are we doing?”

“We’re on a drive to calm your nerves. Just like we used to.”

“What, are you gonna take us on a race down the Strip?”

I laugh. “No way. Like I’d risk speeding with you and her in here. I grew up at least alittleover the last decade.”

We leave the busy streets behind and head toward the open stretch of desert. I flick on the radio, scrolling until I land on “Truck Bed” by HARDY.

Nicholas snorts from the back. “You still have no fucking taste.”

I crank the volume louder. “Deal with it.”

The music fills the car, but after a few more miles, I hear something that doesn’t belong. The sputtering, uneven sound of the engine struggling.

I frown and cut the music, listening as the engine coughs and wheezes before I pull over to the side of the road. “What the fuck did you do to my baby?”

“Drove it.” Nicholas raises his hands, mock-offended. “You’re the one who only ever kept it in the garage.”

“How the fuck would you know?” I get out and pop the hood, Novalee and Nicholas following to stand next to me.

“Because I never saw you driving it. You were always in that Bronco.”

I sigh, running my hand over the edge of the hood. “Yeah. Because this car… it has too many memories.”

“Agreed.”

I peer in and quickly spot the problem. A vacuum hose has popped off its connector.No wonder the engine was sputtering.The hose dangles uselessly, so I reach for it but immediately pull my hand back, hissing under my breath. “Damn. It’s too hot to touch.”

Nicholas watches me with a smirk. “Fate’s way of telling you I should’ve stayed behind the wheel.”

“More like your heavy foot shook it loose.”

“Heavy foot?I drove it like a saint.”

“Sure.”

“Guys.” I glance over at Novalee, who’s watching us with amusement. “You done with the bickering?”

“Who knows.” I smile, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’ve gotta wait a few minutes for it to cool down.”

She leans into my touch. “How long isa few minutes?”

I’m about to answer when her phone rings. She pulls it out and glances at the screen before swiping to answer.

“It’s Belle. Hey, babe.”

The phone is loud enough in the still desert air that we can hear Belle’s voice clearly.

“Girl, how are you? God, you never text back. What’s happening? When’s the show going down?”

“Sorry. I was a little… occupied.”

Belle’s laugh crackles through the phone. “Occupied? Sure. Four dicks are a lot to handle. I mean, you could handle them all at once. It’d save some time.”

Nicholas chokes on a laugh, and I can’t help the grin that pulls at my lips.

Novalee shoots us both a glare. “Belle.”

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