My mom unfortunately announced my presence before I managed to stop staring, and Austin definitely caught me. It had to be all over my face how impressed I was by his physique because even from here I can see the flare of awareness in his eyes. I wait for disgust or pity to come across his face, but is that interest I see instead? No way! There’s no way Austin thinks of me that way. I shake my head, trying to snap myself out of it.
Great! Way to make things awkward, Laney!
“Looks like breakfast is ready. I’ll go and uh… find a shirt to loan you since I messed up the other one,” my dad says. He gives me a curious look as he passes me on the porch followed by another expression that I’m not quite sure what it means. I’m sure he’s wondering why I’m undressing my best friend with my eyes. Yeah, Dad, I know it’s wrong. I watch as my mom and dad disappear back in the house, then I take a deep breath before turning back to Austin.
He closes the hood on the truck and strides up the driveway with the confidence and presence of a man that owns the town.
I am not still admiring my best friend! Get it together, Laney!
“You’re up early. What brings you out this way?” I ask, doing my very best to relax and remind myself that I’m not his type, and even if I were it wouldn’t matter because our friendship is way too important to me to throw away on what would probably be a fling.
“We didn’t really get to talk last night, and I want to know what’s going on in your life. You’re my best friend, Laney.”
His words make me feel even guiltier than I already did. I know he deserves an explanation, but before I get into it, my mom comes out onto the porch with two full plates already fixed and full of eggs, bacon, and biscuits. She sets them on the table on the front porch. “You two can eat out here and catch up. That way Austin won’t see my dirty kitchen,” she says.
I start to disagree since the kitchen isn’t dirty by any stretch of imagination, but my mom’s not having it. “Your dad and I are going to eat inside, it’s just too hot out here for us.” Then she pulls a folded white T-shirt out from where she had it tucked under her arm and hands it to Austin. “Here you go. Thank you for helping Jerry with the truck. I was sure he was going to break something,” she whispers and then clams up when my dad comes out and sets cups of coffee by our breakfast plates.
While I really, really love the view of Austin’s naked torso, I’m relieved when he puts on the T-shirt because at least I don’t have to try so hard to think straight. Although Austin is wider in the shoulders than my dad, and wow, he can really fill out a shirt. Look away, Laney! Look away! I tell myself.
5
Austin
We barely sit down and Laney asks me about the shop, but I know she’s just trying to change the subject. I let her, too, because even though I want to know what’s going on, I’m still trying to work things out in my head about what just happened here. My pulse is still racing from the way she was looking at me and my reaction to her. So yeah, if she wants to talk about the shop, I’ll do it. Anything to get back on track.
She praises me for the smart hires I’ve made in the last two months, and I remember telling her about them a week or so ago. “I drove by there the other day, it looks really good too. Not that it didn’t look good when your dad had it, but you’ve fixed it up really nice.”
Her words should thrill me, but instead they shock me a little. “Wait, you drove by the other day? How long have you been in town? And why didn’t you come in?”
Busted!
She stutters and stammers, knowing that I’ve caught her. I don’t even know where to start or how to start with everything. This is not like her… not like us. We’ve been best friends since grade school. We’ve always told each other everything. Why could she not come to me for this? It has to be bad.
I push my plate away, and instead of fisting my hands like I want to, I reach out and cover her one hand with mine.
I feel like I’ve given her enough time to settle and tell me what’s going on. Or maybe I’m just scared of what she’s hiding from me. “What happened with Keith?”
She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. Anyone else would think that she’s making fun or brushing something off. But I can see it clearly. She’s trying to hide the fact that she’s hurt and embarrassed. With a brave smile on her face, she tells me, “I caught him with another woman. Like, uh, having sex.”