plunged through the brush and rounded the bend. As he closed the space between the path and the Malones’ front porch, he noticed the ember-red end of Jep’s cigar as he sat in a rocker.
“Boy, get over here and sit your butt down,” Jep growled out from the dark.
“Past your bedtime, isn’t it?” Matt remarked. He sat on the porch step, leaned back against one of the wooden pillars and rested his forearms on his knees.
“Hell, no, it isn’t past nothing. Now what’s wrong with you?”
Matt glimpsed at his grandfather. He knew exactly what old Jep was talking about, but he wasn’t going to admit it. “Nothing.”
“That’s a load of crap, son, and you know it. Why are you being so damn gruff with Emily?” He pulled on his cigar and puffed out a fragrant cloud. “Why are you so damn mad at her?”
Well, playing dumb hadn’t worked. And he knew Jep better than anyone. He’d never let it go. “I’m not mad at her, Jep. But we aren’t the same little kids anymore. She went her way. I went mine. We’re strangers now.”
“Growing up don’t mean you have to become a stone-cold donkey’s bare ass.”
Matt scowled through the dark. He knew he was an ass. It suited him, he guessed. At the very least it kept people at a safe distance. “Maybe you should mind your own business.”
“Maybe I should come over there and knock you off that step.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. Jep was one person who usually succeeded in coaxing a grin out of him, even if he did hide it. “Yeah, you probably should.” He heaved a sigh. “Just let it go, Jep.”
“You’re gonna work for her all summer with that crappy attitude? With your mad eyebrows and pinched-up face, all bowed up like you’re ready to punch anything that passes by? And that look like you’re suckin’ on lemons? That’s your plan?”
“I don’t have a plan,” Matt answered. And he really didn’t. “Haven’t had a plan since the corps sent me home.” There, he knew his plan. He was a sniper. And he was damn good at it. As a civilian? He had no damn clue.
“Well, you sound like a big damn baby, you know that?” He pointed his cigar at Matt, ember side up. “You were discharged honorably. Four tours, Matthew. You’re home now, boy. Safe and sound, like it or not. And you’ve gotta figure out a new plan.” He sat back, rocked and pulled long on his cigar. “You’re a Malone. You’ll find your way.” He grunted. “But find it without being such a donkey’s ass to Emily or you’ll have me to answer to. I kinda like her.”
Matt pushed himself up. “Yeah, I can see that. Night, Jep.” He took the steps and headed to the shop.
When he stepped inside, he flipped the light switch and headed over to Emly’s Jeep. He ran a hand over the body as he looked over every inch, then squatted and checked the tires.
“Well, she seems to take pretty decent care of her ride,” he muttered to himself.
“Not surprising since she always took such pristine care of her Hot Wheels.”
Matt glanced over his shoulder at Nathan, who laughed. “God, she was such a little tomboy, playing in the low-tide bog, getting covered in that stinky muck.” He whistled low. “Far from that now, huh? I mean, well—” he grinned “—you know what I mean. Just look at her.”
Matt shook his head and hit the switch on the wall, and the jack lifted the Jeep. Yeah, he knew what he meant. He had looked at her. Hadn’t been able to help himself. But he wasn’t going there. “You need something, Nathan?”
“Nope,” his brother said. He moved to stand beside him, crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him. “Just thought I’d see if you wanted some help, squirt.”
“You want to push that toolbox over here?” Matt indicated with a nod.
Nathan rolled the double-stacked Knaack toolbox closer to the Jeep. He opened the top lid. “So what do you think of her?”
Matt shrugged. “Not sure yet. The body looks good. Tires are a little
“Boy, get over here and sit your butt down,” Jep growled out from the dark.
“Past your bedtime, isn’t it?” Matt remarked. He sat on the porch step, leaned back against one of the wooden pillars and rested his forearms on his knees.
“Hell, no, it isn’t past nothing. Now what’s wrong with you?”
Matt glimpsed at his grandfather. He knew exactly what old Jep was talking about, but he wasn’t going to admit it. “Nothing.”
“That’s a load of crap, son, and you know it. Why are you being so damn gruff with Emily?” He pulled on his cigar and puffed out a fragrant cloud. “Why are you so damn mad at her?”
Well, playing dumb hadn’t worked. And he knew Jep better than anyone. He’d never let it go. “I’m not mad at her, Jep. But we aren’t the same little kids anymore. She went her way. I went mine. We’re strangers now.”
“Growing up don’t mean you have to become a stone-cold donkey’s bare ass.”
Matt scowled through the dark. He knew he was an ass. It suited him, he guessed. At the very least it kept people at a safe distance. “Maybe you should mind your own business.”
“Maybe I should come over there and knock you off that step.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. Jep was one person who usually succeeded in coaxing a grin out of him, even if he did hide it. “Yeah, you probably should.” He heaved a sigh. “Just let it go, Jep.”
“You’re gonna work for her all summer with that crappy attitude? With your mad eyebrows and pinched-up face, all bowed up like you’re ready to punch anything that passes by? And that look like you’re suckin’ on lemons? That’s your plan?”
“I don’t have a plan,” Matt answered. And he really didn’t. “Haven’t had a plan since the corps sent me home.” There, he knew his plan. He was a sniper. And he was damn good at it. As a civilian? He had no damn clue.
“Well, you sound like a big damn baby, you know that?” He pointed his cigar at Matt, ember side up. “You were discharged honorably. Four tours, Matthew. You’re home now, boy. Safe and sound, like it or not. And you’ve gotta figure out a new plan.” He sat back, rocked and pulled long on his cigar. “You’re a Malone. You’ll find your way.” He grunted. “But find it without being such a donkey’s ass to Emily or you’ll have me to answer to. I kinda like her.”
Matt pushed himself up. “Yeah, I can see that. Night, Jep.” He took the steps and headed to the shop.
When he stepped inside, he flipped the light switch and headed over to Emly’s Jeep. He ran a hand over the body as he looked over every inch, then squatted and checked the tires.
“Well, she seems to take pretty decent care of her ride,” he muttered to himself.
“Not surprising since she always took such pristine care of her Hot Wheels.”
Matt glanced over his shoulder at Nathan, who laughed. “God, she was such a little tomboy, playing in the low-tide bog, getting covered in that stinky muck.” He whistled low. “Far from that now, huh? I mean, well—” he grinned “—you know what I mean. Just look at her.”
Matt shook his head and hit the switch on the wall, and the jack lifted the Jeep. Yeah, he knew what he meant. He had looked at her. Hadn’t been able to help himself. But he wasn’t going there. “You need something, Nathan?”
“Nope,” his brother said. He moved to stand beside him, crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him. “Just thought I’d see if you wanted some help, squirt.”
“You want to push that toolbox over here?” Matt indicated with a nod.
Nathan rolled the double-stacked Knaack toolbox closer to the Jeep. He opened the top lid. “So what do you think of her?”
Matt shrugged. “Not sure yet. The body looks good. Tires are a little
Similar Books
