Chapter 12

When Vaughn arrived, after driving the few hundred feet between their properties, he looked tired and annoyed, as though he wished he was anywhere else doing anything but this. His coveralls were worn, and grease spattered. His flannel jacket looked like it had seen battle and barely managed to come out on the other side. Yet none of those things, not even the collective assembly of them, made Vaughn look one ounce less attractive. The attraction that kindled in Randy’s blood dissipated quickly, however, when Vaughn lifted his eyes and glared directly at Randy. Without breaking eye contact, Vaught set the toolbox beside the grill of Randy’s truck and walked towards the driver’s door to pop the hood.

Randy forced his legs to move, to meet Vaughn at the open engine, and did his best to make sense of Vaughn’s tight lips and frown. He could almost hear his father’s voice: Make your mouth move, Randy. Speech is not new to you, for heaven’s sake.