Page 8 of Fanboy in the Falls (Devon Falls #3)

I still wonder if something happened when Gabe threw himself into the lake this afternoon. —Colin Templegate

There’s something about the air here, bro. I swear.

And yeah, it turns out Gabe has a little brother.

Who we’re picking up from school right now so we can bring him to the town hall meeting with us.

I’m looking forward to meeting this little brother.

I’ve never wanted children myself, to be honest, but I always liked the ones who showed up at racing events, shouting excitedly and asking ten thousand questions like how I pee when I race and what my favorite brand of chocolate bar is.

My answer was always Almond Joy, which never seemed to impress any of the kids. Poor Almond Joy.

I pull in a long breath and savor the scents that follow.

Sweetgrass. Something floral. Maybe a little manure keeping Devon Falls honest. Next to me, Gabe’s tapping his fingers against each other and looking everywhere in the car but directly at me or Tom.

“Great weather we’re having,” he says to the windshield.

“Don’t you think? Not too humid or too much sunshine.

And I hear it might rain this week. I hope that doesn’t mess up haying season. ”

It’s the fifth time he’s brought up the weather since we got into this car.

The last time he went on for almost three minutes about the potential snowfall for this winter.

I choke back a small laugh. For all the time we’ve spent together in the last few days, it looks like Gabe still isn’t quite over his nerves around me and Tom yet.

I glance into the rearview mirror to look back at Tom, who’s concentrating very hard on something outside of his window.

I still wonder if something happened when Gabe threw himself into the lake this afternoon.

I thought the two of them were acting weird when I found them outside together, but Tom said there was nothing to worry about.

Gabe taps his fingers against the console. “Could get more sun, though,” he half mumbles. Then he shakes his head. “Shoot, I hope they’re not livestreaming the town hall today. I forgot that Lou’s wearing his blue tutu,” he mutters.

I’ve got zero idea what he’s talking about. I glance into the rearview mirror again and catch Tom frowning. “Is something wrong?” he asks Gabe.

“Wrong? Wrong? No, of course nothing’s wrong,” Gabe says, his voice so high and quick that he may as well be hiding something behind his back while he says the words. “Nothing’s wrong at all!”

Both of Tom’s eyebrows go up. I decide it’s time for a gentler tactic.

“So tell us about Lou,” I say. “He’s six? And he’s your brother?”

Gabe’s eyes light up. “Yup, he’s my brother.

Well, my half-brother, actually. But I always thought that was kind of a strange phrase, you know?

Because I don’t love Lou halfway or anything like that.

We just have different fathers. I mean, of course we do, because my dad died when I was just a kid.

That’s how I have my truck, actually,” he goes on.

“He left it for me in his will. He loved that truck.”

“He had good taste,” I say.

Gabe laughs. “Says the man who drives a Porsche!”

I shrug. “I have a ‘75 Ford F-150 too. I can drive more than just sports cars.”

“Personally, bestie, I never understood the draw to collecting large hunks of metal,” Tom says easily from the backseat. “I prefer that all of my cars are simply able to get me from point A to point B. So you and Lou share a mother, little one? Is she also in Devon Falls?”

Gabe looks away from us to stare out the window. “Uh, no. She died when I was a teenager and Lou was just a baby.”

“I’m so sorry,” I tell him, just as Tom says “Oh, little one! That’s terrible.”

“Yeah, it was really hard.” Gabe turns again and gives us both weak smiles.

“Especially since we were living in Connecticut at the time and my stepdad left and took Lou with him to Vermont. He inherited a house from his grandparents here. Anyway, I had to stay behind in Connecticut, in foster care. So yeah, that was… tough.”

With every word he says, a fire of anger makes its way through my nervous system. “Excuse me?” I ask quietly. “Are you telling me your mother’s husband left you in foster care and took your younger brother away from you while you were mourning the loss of your mother?”

In the backseat, I can hear Tom’s breath hitch.

“Um. Well.” Gabe makes an attempt to raise the corner of his smile higher, but it doesn’t quite work.

“I mean, Dave’s not my dad, you know? It wasn’t his job to keep me.

And as soon as I aged out of the system and had enough money, I came up here to Devon Falls so I could be closer to Lou.

Now I get to see him all the time. So it all worked out. Oh, we’re here!”

I’m still trying to wrap my head about the newsbomb Gabe just dropped as I pull the Jeep up to Devon Falls Elementary School. Gabe basically leaps out of the front seat as we pull up to the curb. Tom and I, meanwhile, sit in silence.

“Is it just me, bestie,” Tom finally says. “Or did Gabriel Gomez essentially just tell us a story of a horrific life trauma and smile the entire time?”

“Sure seems like it,” I mutter. But I don’t have time to say more before the front door of the school opens. Out comes Gabe, and now he’s holding the hand of a cherubic little kid who’s wearing a bright pink sweater and a blue tutu over jeans with Mary Janes.

Something else Gabe just said races through my mind: I forgot that Lou’s wearing his blue tutu.

Tom hops out of the car to join me in the front, and Gabe helps Lou into the safety seat he moved from his truck to the Jeep earlier. “Lou,” Gabe says gently, “this is Tom Evers and Colin Templegate.”

The kid grins. “You’re the famous people my brother always talks about!”

Gabe’s face goes bright red. “Um, uh. I mean, when we met last year, I told you that I really liked your movies, Tom, and I used to watch your races sometimes, Colin, and—”

“It’s always such an honor to meet a fan,” Tom interrupts smoothly. He leans over the seat and holds out a hand. “I’m absolutely delighted to know you.”

Lou nods. “Are you staying for the leaf festival? Gabe says I have to wait because it’s not for a while still, but when it gets here we’ll have maple cotton candy! And the dough that you fry and pour the maple syrup on!”

Tom glances over at me. “Yes, we’re planning to stay for the festival.”

“Oh, that’s good! Because my brother likes you, and that means I’ll like you too. And you like my brother, right?”

“Uh. Lou. That’s not…” Gabe garbles his words as his face goes an even brighter shade of red.

“We certainly do,” Tom says. His eyes are wide, the corners of his mouth lifted just enough to show off his dimples. “Yes. We like your brother very much.”

Gabe’s face stays bright red the entire time he’s buckling Lou into his seat.