Read Online Lilies and Lies by Mary Manners - Free Book Online Page B

lips, for Maddie to locate her tongue. “I’d like that, but…”
    “What?”
    “You’ll have to drive.”
    It took a split second for the meaning to register, and then laughter spilled, warm as molasses syrup, from Gunnar. “That’s a deal, Maddie. Playing chauffer will be my pleasure. Seven o’clock OK?”
    “Perfect. I have to work at the nursery ’til five.”
    “Me, too—at the garage.”
    “What about Kyle?”
    “He’s going camping with the Thompsons. They’re headed to the lake with their RV and they invited him.”
    “Oh, that will be fun…a weekend of sun, swimming, and exploring.”
    “That sounds about right. Have you had dinner?”
    “Not yet. I was thinking about going for dessert first. Anthony made his killer zeppole for the special tonight...those little pockets of donuts dusted in sugar. Have you ever had them dipped in chocolate sauce? They’re to die for.”
    “No wonder Kyle thinks you’re so cool. You two are cut from the same cloth as far as food goes…dessert before dinner.” Gunnar motioned for Jada, placed the zeppole order when she stepped over to the booth. “OK, I’ll bite. But, we’d better devour them fast before Kyle comes back from his tour of the kitchen to get his hands on them.”
     
    ****
     
    “Got everything packed for camping?” Gunnar asked Kyle as they climbed into the truck to head to school Friday morning. Axle already lay curled in the bed, snoozing as if he’d just finished working a double-shift. “A flashlight, extra shoes?”
    “I’m good. It’s gonna be so much fun. Mr. Thompson is gonna teach me how to fly fish, and we’re gonna roast hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire. Mrs. Thompson’s bringing her guitar so we can sing campfire songs, too. She said I can do some strumming if I want, and she might even teach me a few new songs.”
    “Good. Then you can teach me .”
    “Cool. Maybe I can do some chores around the garage when I get back and earn some money to buy a guitar of my own. Do you think I can do that, Uncle Gunnar?”
    “I think that’s a great idea. I could use some help on that ’57 Chevy I’m restoring for Mr. Glick. Do you think you’d like to learn how to overhaul a transmission?”
    “Yeah.” Kyle tossed his camp pack and bedroll into the back seat of the extended cab. “Maybe one day I can own a garage, too, just like you do.”
    “It’s a lot of work to run a business, but if you enjoy what you’re doing then most days it doesn’t seem like work at all. It’s important to remember that.”
    “Who taught you so much about cars?”
    “My Uncle John, Grandma’s brother. He died before you were born, so you wouldn’t remember him. He started out pumping gas when he was just a kid and worked his way up to building his own garage. I used to hang out there a lot when I was about your age, maybe a little older. I paid attention and picked up some things.”
    “Was he nice, like he didn’t mind you hanging around and peering over his shoulder?”
    “He was real nice, and he didn’t mind me hanging around at all. I think he even liked it.”
    “But your step-dad wasn’t so nice, right?”
    “You could say that.”
    “Mom said he used to yell a lot…and worse.”
    “Yeah, he wasn’t exactly Mr. Sunshine. But he’s gone now, to somewhere far away from here. It’s all in the past and better left there, where it belongs.”
    “How come you never talk about your scar…how you got it?”
    Gunnar pressed the inside of his forearm to his side, hiding the wound. “Why so many questions all of a sudden?”
    “I dunno. I’ve just been doin’ some thinking, I guess.” Kyle tilted his head to the side, his brown eyes trained on Gunnar. “I’m getting older, so there’s a lot to think about. All these things go through my head, and I’m trying to figure stuff out.”
    “What kind of stuff?”
    “I dunno. Just…stuff.”
    “Well, that really clears things up.” Gunnar sighed and ran a hand