Back .”
“Oh.” Nate paused and I knew what he was thinking.
It was the first time since we’d officially been together that I’d gone back without him. And every single time he’d gone back with me, I’d gotten into trouble.
“So, you’re back now,” he finally added. “I can assume everything went all right?”
“No, everything’s not all right. I took Tim back!”
“Tim? How... oh, forget it. You can tell me later. Is he freaked out? I bet that messed up his self-centered world a little.”
“No, he’s still self-centered. He’s just not here.”
There was another pause while Nate took that in. “You mean...”
I let out a sob, so unsexy sounding. “Yes, I left him there.”
“I’m coming right over. Don’t move.”
I didn’t know what Nate thought he could do. I wouldn’t mind a hug and a few re-assuring if not accurate words. But I loved that he wanted to be here for me.
“Aren’t you at work?” I asked.
“I’ll tell them I’m sick, just don’t worry.”
Tim would be all right. I mean, what could possibly happen to him. He’d have to make up an excuse for my absence--at least he saw me go, he knew what happened to me--and he’d just have to wait it out until I got back, working with Mr. Watson and Duncan on the farm.
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Yes, it would be all right.
I heard the engine of a car drive up, and I turned my head, excited to see Nate. But it wasn’t him. It was my dad.
“Hi, Casey,” he said, eyeing me as I sat in Tim’s car.
Tim and I got our height from our father and I got his dark curly hair, though he kept his shaved so short you’d never guess what kind of hair he had. “What are you doing?”
“Uh, nothing. Just dreaming.”
He paused to take the image in, me in the driver’s seat of a car. “Why don’t you get your own license, Casey? I wouldn’t be worried about you.”
Oh, but you should, Dad, you should.
“Yeah, I’m just not ready yet,” I said.
“Your mother called me.” He shifted his briefcase to his other hand. “She’s upset about Tim again. Do you know what he did now?”
I didn’t want to get into Tim’s issues with Dad. I just shook my head. Dad huffed and headed for the front door.
Finally Nate arrived, parking his BMW right behind me. I heard him cut his engine, then slam his door as he jumped out and moved to the passenger’s side of Tim’s car. He slid in and gave me a much appreciated hug. I let myself relax into him, catching my breath for the first time since I came back without my stupid brother.
If Mom or Dad happened to peak out the living room window and saw us, they’d be wondering at the sight of us hanging out together in Tim’s car, but I couldn’t seem to move.
“He’s going to be all right, right?” I whimpered into Nate’s shoulder.
Nate rubbed my back, “Sure.”
But I knew what he was thinking. Since when did Tim ever NOT get into trouble? If he didn’t go looking for it, it came looking for him.
I started to tremble. “Oh, Nate, if anything happens to him, it’ll be my fault. I don’t think I could forgive myself.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to him. He can be an idiot sometimes, but he’s not stupid.”
Right. Tim may not be the wisest creature on earth but he was intelligent. He’d figure things out.
“Tell me what happened.”
I related the episode that led up to my taking Tim back in the first place.
“Ah, man.” Nate gave my hand a squeeze. “And why couldn’t Tim get to you in time?”
“He was making out with Josephine in the barn.”
Nate’s face scrunched up in disbelief. “What?”
“That’s the idiot coming out in him.”
“But, she’s just a girl.”
I huffed. “Not anymore. You could say she’s blossomed since we last saw her.”
Nate scratched his chin.
“Oh.” Nate paused and I knew what he was thinking.
It was the first time since we’d officially been together that I’d gone back without him. And every single time he’d gone back with me, I’d gotten into trouble.
“So, you’re back now,” he finally added. “I can assume everything went all right?”
“No, everything’s not all right. I took Tim back!”
“Tim? How... oh, forget it. You can tell me later. Is he freaked out? I bet that messed up his self-centered world a little.”
“No, he’s still self-centered. He’s just not here.”
There was another pause while Nate took that in. “You mean...”
I let out a sob, so unsexy sounding. “Yes, I left him there.”
“I’m coming right over. Don’t move.”
I didn’t know what Nate thought he could do. I wouldn’t mind a hug and a few re-assuring if not accurate words. But I loved that he wanted to be here for me.
“Aren’t you at work?” I asked.
“I’ll tell them I’m sick, just don’t worry.”
Tim would be all right. I mean, what could possibly happen to him. He’d have to make up an excuse for my absence--at least he saw me go, he knew what happened to me--and he’d just have to wait it out until I got back, working with Mr. Watson and Duncan on the farm.
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Yes, it would be all right.
I heard the engine of a car drive up, and I turned my head, excited to see Nate. But it wasn’t him. It was my dad.
“Hi, Casey,” he said, eyeing me as I sat in Tim’s car.
Tim and I got our height from our father and I got his dark curly hair, though he kept his shaved so short you’d never guess what kind of hair he had. “What are you doing?”
“Uh, nothing. Just dreaming.”
He paused to take the image in, me in the driver’s seat of a car. “Why don’t you get your own license, Casey? I wouldn’t be worried about you.”
Oh, but you should, Dad, you should.
“Yeah, I’m just not ready yet,” I said.
“Your mother called me.” He shifted his briefcase to his other hand. “She’s upset about Tim again. Do you know what he did now?”
I didn’t want to get into Tim’s issues with Dad. I just shook my head. Dad huffed and headed for the front door.
Finally Nate arrived, parking his BMW right behind me. I heard him cut his engine, then slam his door as he jumped out and moved to the passenger’s side of Tim’s car. He slid in and gave me a much appreciated hug. I let myself relax into him, catching my breath for the first time since I came back without my stupid brother.
If Mom or Dad happened to peak out the living room window and saw us, they’d be wondering at the sight of us hanging out together in Tim’s car, but I couldn’t seem to move.
“He’s going to be all right, right?” I whimpered into Nate’s shoulder.
Nate rubbed my back, “Sure.”
But I knew what he was thinking. Since when did Tim ever NOT get into trouble? If he didn’t go looking for it, it came looking for him.
I started to tremble. “Oh, Nate, if anything happens to him, it’ll be my fault. I don’t think I could forgive myself.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to him. He can be an idiot sometimes, but he’s not stupid.”
Right. Tim may not be the wisest creature on earth but he was intelligent. He’d figure things out.
“Tell me what happened.”
I related the episode that led up to my taking Tim back in the first place.
“Ah, man.” Nate gave my hand a squeeze. “And why couldn’t Tim get to you in time?”
“He was making out with Josephine in the barn.”
Nate’s face scrunched up in disbelief. “What?”
“That’s the idiot coming out in him.”
“But, she’s just a girl.”
I huffed. “Not anymore. You could say she’s blossomed since we last saw her.”
Nate scratched his chin.
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