Page 54 of Scout

“Maybe I can help you. Give me your phone.”

His eyes flick from my hand to my face, unsure. Then he reaches into his back pocket and passes me his phone.

I type fast. Add myself as a contact, shoot myself a text from his phone, then hand it back.

“There, you have my phone number and address. But tonight we're meeting at Paddy’s for some drinks.”

His eyebrows lift. “Seriously?”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” I glance at Juniper. “And I’ve got to run. Junie Boo has a big spa night to prepare for.”

“Face masks and glitter,” she announces proudly.

Bradley chuckles. “Sounds intense.”

“You have no idea,” I mutter, steering her toward checkout. “Seven. Be there.”

He nods. “Okay.”

And just like that, something shifts. Something old and half-forgotten feels like it might be trying to come back to life.

But I don’t have time to think about that now.

Right now, I’ve got a little sister and a weekend of healing to survive.

I’m sittingat the bar, drumming my fingers on the wood, sipping a watery soda because I don’t want to be two drinks in before he even shows up. Bradley’s late.

Just as I'm about to text him, I glance out the window, and that’s when I spot him—sitting in his car across the street. Just… sitting there. Hands on the steering wheel. Not moving.

Seriously?

I slide off my stool and head outside, cutting across the sidewalk until I’m next to his car. I knock on the window once. Then again.

Bradley’s head jerks to the side like he didn’t realize anyone was watching. Caught. He looks like a deer in headlights. Great. He was planning to ditch me.

I knock again and flash him a grin, motioning for him to roll the window down.

“Come on inside, man,” I say through the window crack. “Don’t even think about skipping out. You’re coming inside even if I have to drag you out of that car.”

He blows out a breath so hard I see the fog on the inside of his windshield. But he rolls up the window, turns off the ignition, and finally opens the door.

“Dude.” I laugh. “I can’t believe you were going to ditch me like someone going on a blind date and not liking the person.”

“It’s not that,” he mutters. “I’ve just got so much on my mind with Nana’s death and the house. Any other time I’d be excited to be hanging out, having a drink.”

I step up beside him and throw an arm around his shoulders, giving him a squeeze as I steer us toward the front entrance. “Let’s get a drink and you can tell me what’s going on. Together, we’ll find a solution.”

I let my arm fall away as we reach the door.

“Your sister’s gotten big,” Bradley says, clearly trying to change the subject. “What’s her name again?”

“Juniper.” I can’t help smiling when I say it. “It’s crazy how she’s twelve now. Already acting like she’s a teenager.”

He grins a little. “Shit. Remember when we were that age? What were we thinking?”

I just shake my head and laugh, glad for the easy moment between us.

“Grab us a table and I’ll get us a pitcher of beer,” I tell him.