Page 34 of Mustang Summer

“Who’s Bill?”

“My dad.”

Odd.People would expecthimto be the one to refer to his parents by their first names.

“So,” she continued, “is this a gift for your dad then?”

“No, it’d be mine, but he could come down and help me work on it.”

“Doesn’t he come down otherwise?Fargo’s only an hour away from Moore.”

Brock shrugged and stared out the window.“We don’t have much else in common.”

“I see.”

She turned off onto the gravel road that’d take them to Mr.Blackwell’s.Brock checked the time and they were running early.

“But are you two close?”she asked.

“Close enough.”

“Is he resentful of Moore?Why doesn’t he come visit?Are he and your mom separated?”

“No, they’re still married.”

“Then why do you have to lure him back home?”

He switched his focus to stare out the passenger window to the sugar beet crops that stretched to the horizon.“Moore isn’t his home anymore.”

“But you’re his son.”

“And he doesn’t know how to deal with me,” Brock snapped, then clamped his mouth shut.

“I see.”

“You keep saying that.What do you see?”His words sounded more heated than he meant them to.He hated reaching that point when he felt like he was going to explode from a foreign sensation roiling inside of him.

They reached the same turn they’d met at the other day and she stopped the car.She turned in her seat, he could almost feel her gaze on his face.

“Brock.”Her voice was gentle.

Eye contact.

God, he didn’t want to.Talking about his dad’s awkwardness around him wasn’t on his to-do list for the day.

But his mom had worked his whole life trying to get him to blend with regular society, he couldn’t bring himself to ignore Josie now.

He adopted the same position as her.

“I get it,” she began, “you’re a dude and don’t like talking about feelings, but this is how we’re going to get you that car.No judgment from me, okay?”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”Once he said it, the pressure inside of him eased slightly.He didn’t want this beautiful woman lying to him.Anyone lying to him upset him, but when Josie did it, he grew more frustrated than normal.

She sighed.“I can’t blame you, can I?I haven’t exactly been the pillar of myself around you.Would it work if I swear to be truthful to you from here on?”

He nodded his head once.

She didn’t turn away and he glanced at the clock.Being late today was not an option.

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