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"Oh?" Nathan hooted. "Do share, Pop."
"Don't we have work to do?" Co
Pop gri
Nathan laughed until his sides hurt while Co
"There was also the one who painted herself in camo colors and decided that was all the clothing she needed."
"Pop, enough already."
Co
Ignoring Co
"The girl had brass, I have to hand it to her. Co
"Yeah, and my new girlfriend dumped me over that," Co
"Julie's not psycho," Nathan growled.
Co
"Quit yanking his chain," Pop said. "Wouldn't hurt you to ask someone out, though. I'm not getting any younger. I'd like grandchildren before I'm too old to see them."
"We could always set him up," Nathan snickered. "I'm sure Micah knows someone."
"I don't need your goddamn help finding a woman. The day I do is the day they put my ass in a pine box."
Nathan held up his hands. "Touchy today."
"It's called not getting any," Pop said with a perfectly straight face.
The laughter Nathan had been trying to hold back poured out. Co
"When you two are through dissecting my love life, I'll be out in the truck waiting. Someone has to do the goddamn work around here."
Co
Still chuckling, Pop hauled himself up and grabbed his keys. "Well, come on. Let's go join my grumpy-ass son so we can get this job done. He's right about one thing. Someone has to work around here since it seems everyone's taking off at the same time."
Nathan walked out ahead of Pop and slid into the SUV with Co
"You two go on ahead. I'll take my truck. I want to check on a system I just got a call about. Owner says the alarm keeps going off."
"Sure you don't want us to come along and help diagnose the problem?" Co
Pop grunted. "I may not be the computer guru in the family, but I'm laying odds it's a damn stray cat or a squirrel that's the culprit. If I have any trouble, I'll holler at you boys."
Co
"Want something to eat before we go?" Co
Nathan shrugged. He wasn't really that hungry, but Co
They hit the drive-through of their favorite local fast food joint, and Nathan listened while Co
"Julie's salon isn't far from here, is it?" Co
"No," Nathan said tightly.
"Shopping center one block over, huh?"
Nathan turned to look at Co
"Or a massage," Co
"Pussy boy Hudson would kick your ass and you know it," Nathan said with a grin.
"Nah, he's old and rusty."
Nathan snorted. "And you aren't? You've gotten soft since getting out."
"Julie's different," Co
"What do you mean, different?"
Co
Nathan stared at him agape. Plump? Was he trying to insinuate that Julie was fat?
Co
"What the hell are you trying to say?"
"Just that she's not your usual type. She's got hips, breasts."
"She's fucking perfect," Nathan growled. "Ain't a goddamn thing wrong with her." Hips and breasts. Was Co
"I wasn't badmouthing her, dude. Just citing the differences."
"How about you don't even fucking look at her, and you won't have to worry about her differences."
Co
"Hey, speak of the devil. Isn't that her?"
Nathan blinked at the abrupt change in topic but looked in the direction of Co
Her hair blew behind her head, whipping in the wind like strands of silk. She handled the little car like a pro, and she obviously enjoyed the ride. There was a hint of daredevil in her as she weaved back and forth in the busy traffic.
"On second thought, I can see why you're hot for her," Co
Nathan rolled his eyes. Julie could be driving a grandma car and Nathan would still be hot for her.
Ahead, Julie moved over to the far right lane and put her blinker on to exit. At that precise moment a truck came barreling up the on-ramp and T-boned the small car without ever coming close to yielding.
"Son of a bitch!" Nathan yelled.
Julie's car spun crazily into traffic, and cars scattered across four lanes in an effort to avoid a collision. The asshole driving the truck never even slowed. He careened wildly around several cars, regained control and roared off.
Julie slammed into the far left concrete divider and came to a halt.
In a maneuver eerily reminiscent of Julie's crazy skitter across the freeway, Co
Nathan was out and ru
The car was facing the wrong way and the battered passenger side rested against the concrete dividers. Julie's head lolled to the side, blood dripping from a cut above her eye. So much for the goddamn airbags.
He glanced around and then to the steering wheel. It was the only thing she could have hit her head on. Thank God she'd worn her seatbelt.