Waiting on the Sidelines (Waiting on the Sidelines #1)(39)

“Sugar, really, stop your worrying,” he said. “You’re good to my son. That’s enough for me to know you’re good people.”

I dialed the pool while Buck took my keys and readied the car for his crew. I was able to buy myself another 20 minutes or so and was relieved until I was hit with an instant wave of panic. “Buck, I can’t pay for this!” I knew it sounded stupid and ungrateful, but I really couldn’t. My dad would kill me if I came home with a bill for thousands of dollars in car repairs.

“Girl, you worry too much. I said don’t worry about it,” he said, patting me on the back.

“Oh, I don’t know. That’s really nice, I don’t think I can accept that…”

Buck interrupted me. “Nolan, do you know how much money I’m worth?”

I was a bit dumbfounded. I just shook my head no.

“Well, let’s just say that I could spend an entire year picking up stranded motorists and fixing their car for free and it wouldn’t even make a dent in my bottom line,” he grinned and nodded for me to understand.

“Oh,” I said, shrugging.

“OK then, get your stuff ready, Reed should be here any minute,” he said, climbing back into his truck. “You don’t be a stranger this summer, now, you hear?”

“Yes, sir,” I said, saluting him.



I waited only a few minutes before I saw Reed’s Jeep coming closer in my rear view mirror. I hopped out with my purse and small duffle bag of stuff and put a thumb out to the side, pretending to hitchhike. He cruised up to the side of the road slowly and rolled his window down to let out a dragged out whistle. I blushed and laughed a little.

“Where you headed, hot stuff,” he said, pulling his sunglasses down to the tip of his nose. Even feigning to be a backwoods pervert he was still the cutest boy I’d ever seen.

I opened his passenger door and slid in the seat.

“Thanks for coming to get me; I’m so sorry your dad woke you up,” I said, looking him over. His hair was disheveled and twisted in all directions. He had a torn T-shirt on and long basketball shorts and Nike flip flops.

“Nah, no worries. I don’t need to sleep my day away. He’s right,” he said, flipping his sunglasses back on his face. “You wanna wait for the tow to get here for your car?”

“Ohhhh nooo. Trust me, no one is ever going to steal that car. Ever,” I said wryly.

Reed nodded and pulled back on to the road. He flipped his stereo channels a few times settling on some rap song I didn’t recognize. We finished our climb through the mountains and I could see the cityscape off in the distance. I was struggling to find something to say while we rode most of the way in silence. At least a dozen times I opened my mouth and closed it again, staring back out my window. While Reed and I were gelling, we hadn’t really spent much time alone. Truly, we have never been alone for long. And the anxiety of this situation was setting in and my stomach felt like it might soon flip out my throat and land in my lap.

“So, summer job, huh?” he said, looking at me for a second or two. His words startled me I was so lost in my own neurotic head.

“Oh, uh… yeah,” I nodded. Silence was starting to settle in again. I had to fill it. Talk, Nolan. Talk. “I just want some extra cash, you know? I want to be a little more independent. Buy my own gas, maybe get a phone that isn’t some off brand that no one’s ever heard of,” I joked.

“That’s cool,” Reed said. I looked over and noticed his forehead pinching together some under his glasses, almost like he’s thinking.

“I guess it’s hard for you to work during the summer even, huh? I mean, not that you have to… but you totally could, if you wanted. I mean… I’m sorry, I’m rambling,” I was doing that thing again where I stop making sense.

Reed just laughed. Finally, he responded. “Actually, a job might be nice. Something flexible. I still have a lot of summer drills and workouts. And coach wants me watching tape a lot this summer. Things are really going to get intense. And I’m just a junior. My senior year is going to be ridiculous.” He let out a heavy sigh and then turned to me with a tight-lipped smile.

“You can do it. Just take it a day at a time, right?” I said, patting his thigh once like he was a child. I pulled my hand back in my lap immediately, embarrassed by my bold and hokey gesture. “Just turn on Riggs Road up ahead. We can take that all the way to the aquatics center. I don’t think my interview will be long if you don’t mind waiting for me.”

“No problem at all. I’ll come in, too. Check the place out,” he said.

Just then my phone rang. I pulled it from my purse and looked to see Mike’s name.

“Sorry, it’s my brother. I have to take this, and yell at him for never being helpful,” I said. Reed just laughed.

“Hey, you sorry excuse for a big brother,” I half-joked.

“Nolan, are you OK? I’m so sorry. I didn’t even have my phone on. I was with Samantha and it was a late night, so…” he tried to continue but I cut him off.

“Stop. Stop. I don’t need to know. I’m OK, no need to alert the authorities,” I joked.

“Well, where are you? Do you need me to pick you up somewhere?” he asked.

“I’m good. Buck Johnson drove by and he hauled the car in. He sent Reed out here to give me a ride. He’ll just bring me home when I’m done,” I said quickly, hoping Mike wouldn’t dig too deep or tease. No such luck.