Page 64 of My Three Hometown Hard Hats

“Evie Girl,” I yell back, making a few of the teachers give us sideways glances.

Who cares? Not me.And apparently not Evelyn, either, with the goofy grin she’s giving me in the rearview mirror after getting her seatbelt buckled.

“Do you want to come with me to pick up Hadley?” I ask her as we turn out of the parking lot.

Her eyes pop wide. “Yes! Is she coming to our house tonight?”

“Yup. She’s actually going to stay the whole weekend at our house.”

“Like a slumber party?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, like a slumber party.”

Hopefully, a sexy slumber party.But honestly, I’d be fine with just cuddling with her on the couch and holding her while we both fall asleep.

“This is going to be the best weekend ever!” she shouts, making me cringe a little in the small space.

“You like Hadley, don’t you?” I ask her, driving down Hickory Avenue.

She’s quiet, thinking about it for a moment. “Of course I do. She’s really cool. Don’t you like her?”

I’m pretty sure I more than like her, but that’s an issue for another day.

“Yeah, I do.”

I put the truck in park and pull out my phone to tell Hadley we’re here.

“Hey,” she says after a few rings.

“Evelyn and I are here to get you.”

“Let me grab my bag. I’ll be right there.”

The front door of the house swings open. I expect it to be Hadley, but it’s not. It’s Grayson.Great.

I roll down the passenger window as he approaches. He opens his mouth to say something, but Evelyn beats him to it.

“Hi, Uncle Grayson.”

His face softens as he turns to look at her. “Hi, Evelyn.”

Hadley walks up behind her brother with her duffle bag slung over her shoulder.I wish she wouldn’t bring any clothes, so she’d have to wear ours all weekend. Ooooh… but maybe she brought lingerie. What color is it?

Focus.

“Can you let me in?” she asks him.

He sighs, his gaze roaming between Evelyn and Hadley. I don’t know exactly what it is, but he seems to make a decision.

He opens the door for his sister, tossing her bag into the backseat with Evelyn.

“Have a fun weekend,” he tells the girls. He looks directly at me, but his eyes no longer look like he wants to murder me in a dark alley. “Take care of them… both of them,” he adds, his eyes filled with more desperation than anger.

“With my life,” I tell him. He gives me a curt nod and steps back.

I get why he and Austin are best friends. They both have that jerky nod thing down to a tee.

“I want it to be boys versus girls,” Evelyn says, tossing her pink and black soccer ball from one hand to the other and back again.