Page 98 of Control Freak

I raised the envelope. “Just bringing you some mail.”

“Oh. Yeah. Which college?”

“Thurston.”

“Cool.” He nodded. “Holden will be stoked.”

“Not you?” I asked.

“Eh, it’s good. Not too far from home. I can still drive down on weekends. I’d rather go to Hayworth, but it’s private andsuper pricey, so…” He shrugged. “Not an option. I could go to Riverton and keep working here, but?—”

“But you’ve got the grades for a better school,” Holden said as he emerged from his office, Gray behind him. “So, we’re not sending you to community college, right?”

“Right,” Bailey said.

“Besides, you need to focus on your studies, not work. We’re going to set you up for the ideal college experience. Dorm room, plenty of time to study?—”

“And party,” Gray put in. “Don’t forget that.”

“Butmostlystudy,” Holden said.

Flynn chuckled. “Good luck with that one. This kid doesn’t know what he’s been missing.”

Bailey rolled his eyes. “I’m not some frat-boy wannabe. I’m not gonna fit in with those people. I’m there to get a degree and move the fuck on.”

“Damn right,” Holden said, sounding a little proud.

“So, this is good news, then,” I said, holding out the envelope for one of them to take.

Bailey didn’t look eager. Holden took it from me. “Hey, nice. This is our top pick. Not too far from home.”

“Yeah.” Bailey nodded. “I can visit every weekend.”

“Maybe not every weekend,” Gray said with a chuckle. “Live a little. They don’t call it Thirsty U for nothing.”

Bailey rolled his eyes. “Right, yeah. All those parties you think I’ll be attending.”

Holden ripped open the envelope and scanned the letter, then handed it off to Bailey. “Good job, kid. You got your shit together, and it’s already paying off.”

He hesitated, then patted Bailey’s upper arm. Just a quick tap.

Bailey’s whole face changed, eyes lighting up. I could see how much he loved his big brother and wanted his approval, despite the grousing he sometimes did.

“Thanks. I’m trying.”

“You’redoing,” Holden said, then tapped the envelope. “It’s happening, man.”

“Everyone’s proud of you, Bails,” Gray added with a nod. “Way to go.”

Bailey’s smile widened. “Does this mean I can finally stop writing those god-awful essays?”

Holden chuckled. “Yeah, you’re off the hook.” He glanced at me. “And so is Shiloh. Thanks for helping him with the proofreading.”

“Always happy to help. It was Bailey’s work that made the difference.” I gave Bailey a quick hug, whispering, “You made him real proud. But you should be proud of you too.”

Bailey nodded to show he understood, blinking hard, and turned away to refocus on his work.

“Well, I should be going,” I said. “Just wanted to deliver the good news.”