lifted off the seat again and tucked himself up.
Realizing I still sprawled, I struggled to turn around in the seat. “Can I have my underwear?”
He flung them into my lap. “I wanted to keep those.” I snatched the panties off my lap and turned them, trying to line up the leg holes so I could put my feet though them. Before I could lift one foot, he dropped the brake and hit the gas.
I managed to pull my underwear up just as he slammed to a stop outside the front entrance of the high school. How close had we been to the school when he’d ordered me to put out or get out? A tenth of a mile? Less? I gave him a dirty look. He gave me an innocent smile.
A bell rang. End of first period, or second? I grabbed my bag and opened the door. He peered into the rear view mirror. “Well, I’ll be damned if it ain’t Brandon McKinna.” I turned and stretched to see out the narrow back glass. A truck similar to Caine’s pulled in behind us.
Colt set the hand brake and climbed out. Jogging to the driver’s side of the truck, he slapped the roof. I managed to get out of the car and moved around the front end on trembling legs. When I reached the sidewalk, I hesitated, unsure what to do. Should I wait, or had he forgotten he’d said he’d go inside with me and give me an excuse for being late? Or lunch money?
There was no way I could remind him of such childish needs.
The guy behind the wheel lowered his window. While the pair chatted, the passenger door opened. I recognized the bright waves that flowed over the shoulders of the young woman who slid out of the truck. The tall blonde was in two of my classes.
“See you later, asshole.” When she rounded the front end of the vehicle, she slapped the hood and grinned. The guy behind the wheel flipped her a bird, returning her smile.
She bounded up to Colt. He threw an arm around her and kissed her cheek. “Hey, girl.”
She slapped his ass and turned away. When she spied me, she smiled. “Late, too? You’re Shelby, right?”
It took an effort to wrench my attention from Colt. “Yes. Isn’t your name Caroline?” Thick eyeliner ringed friendly hazel eyes. Her blue shadow was a shade too blue. A pale nude color shimmered on her lips, outlined in deep burgundy. Overdone perhaps, but I couldn’t deny she was pretty.
“That’s right.” She uttered a heavy sigh and glared at the one-story, concrete-and-plate glass building. “Let’s do this.”
“I-I was waiting for Colt. He’s supposed to tell them in the office why I’m late.”
She squinted from me to Colt while I shivered in the slight breeze. “How in the world do you know Colt Hannah?”
Pride made me snap. “I live with him.” Her mouth rounded. I hurried to add, “He’s my stepbrother.”
Her perfectly plucked brows rose briefly. “Huh, so Dale got married? Well, honey, he and my stepbrother are talking about the race this weekend, so I reckon you’d better let me write you a note.” She jerked a notebook from the stack of books in her arms. “Got a pen? What’s your mama’s name?” She pointed to one of the benches near the front doors. I followed her and took a seat on the concrete slab. Colt never spared a glance in my direction.
She folded the piece of paper with a flourish and held it out. I accepted the note with numb fingers. I was an idiot. A fool to think he’d do anything but use me.
No, I’m using him. Mocking laughter echoed in my head. Me, laughing at me. I had no idea what I was doing.
Another vehicle turned in and stopped behind the pickup. The tardy arrival got out of a minivan. The slender guy wore jeans and a polo shirt. He sauntered up to the bench where we sat. “How ya doin’, Caroline?”
He looked a lot like someone I’d have dated at my old high school, thin, with nerdy glasses. Safe.
“Hey!”
The baritone yell made the kid look over his shoulder. To my astonishment, Colt pushed his sunglasses on top of his head. “Me?” the young boy squeaked,
Realizing I still sprawled, I struggled to turn around in the seat. “Can I have my underwear?”
He flung them into my lap. “I wanted to keep those.” I snatched the panties off my lap and turned them, trying to line up the leg holes so I could put my feet though them. Before I could lift one foot, he dropped the brake and hit the gas.
I managed to pull my underwear up just as he slammed to a stop outside the front entrance of the high school. How close had we been to the school when he’d ordered me to put out or get out? A tenth of a mile? Less? I gave him a dirty look. He gave me an innocent smile.
A bell rang. End of first period, or second? I grabbed my bag and opened the door. He peered into the rear view mirror. “Well, I’ll be damned if it ain’t Brandon McKinna.” I turned and stretched to see out the narrow back glass. A truck similar to Caine’s pulled in behind us.
Colt set the hand brake and climbed out. Jogging to the driver’s side of the truck, he slapped the roof. I managed to get out of the car and moved around the front end on trembling legs. When I reached the sidewalk, I hesitated, unsure what to do. Should I wait, or had he forgotten he’d said he’d go inside with me and give me an excuse for being late? Or lunch money?
There was no way I could remind him of such childish needs.
The guy behind the wheel lowered his window. While the pair chatted, the passenger door opened. I recognized the bright waves that flowed over the shoulders of the young woman who slid out of the truck. The tall blonde was in two of my classes.
“See you later, asshole.” When she rounded the front end of the vehicle, she slapped the hood and grinned. The guy behind the wheel flipped her a bird, returning her smile.
She bounded up to Colt. He threw an arm around her and kissed her cheek. “Hey, girl.”
She slapped his ass and turned away. When she spied me, she smiled. “Late, too? You’re Shelby, right?”
It took an effort to wrench my attention from Colt. “Yes. Isn’t your name Caroline?” Thick eyeliner ringed friendly hazel eyes. Her blue shadow was a shade too blue. A pale nude color shimmered on her lips, outlined in deep burgundy. Overdone perhaps, but I couldn’t deny she was pretty.
“That’s right.” She uttered a heavy sigh and glared at the one-story, concrete-and-plate glass building. “Let’s do this.”
“I-I was waiting for Colt. He’s supposed to tell them in the office why I’m late.”
She squinted from me to Colt while I shivered in the slight breeze. “How in the world do you know Colt Hannah?”
Pride made me snap. “I live with him.” Her mouth rounded. I hurried to add, “He’s my stepbrother.”
Her perfectly plucked brows rose briefly. “Huh, so Dale got married? Well, honey, he and my stepbrother are talking about the race this weekend, so I reckon you’d better let me write you a note.” She jerked a notebook from the stack of books in her arms. “Got a pen? What’s your mama’s name?” She pointed to one of the benches near the front doors. I followed her and took a seat on the concrete slab. Colt never spared a glance in my direction.
She folded the piece of paper with a flourish and held it out. I accepted the note with numb fingers. I was an idiot. A fool to think he’d do anything but use me.
No, I’m using him. Mocking laughter echoed in my head. Me, laughing at me. I had no idea what I was doing.
Another vehicle turned in and stopped behind the pickup. The tardy arrival got out of a minivan. The slender guy wore jeans and a polo shirt. He sauntered up to the bench where we sat. “How ya doin’, Caroline?”
He looked a lot like someone I’d have dated at my old high school, thin, with nerdy glasses. Safe.
“Hey!”
The baritone yell made the kid look over his shoulder. To my astonishment, Colt pushed his sunglasses on top of his head. “Me?” the young boy squeaked,
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