Chapter 22

He gets his chance after lunch, when Evie leads them out to the play area and abandons them for the first little kid she sees. “Love you!” she calls back to Gavin as she races off to play.

“Be careful!” he tells her, but he’s sure she isn’t listening. To Brody, he indicates a nearby bench. “Would you like to sit?”

“Thanks.” Brody sprawls on one end of the bench, dropping his backpack at his feet. He stretches an arm across the back of the bench and lets his gaze drift out over the play area, as if he’s sketching it out in his mind.

Gavin wonders how close he might manage to get to Brody before that arm is reeled back in. He doesn’t take his chances but perches on the opposite end of the bench. He’s acting like a silly teenager, and he knows it, but there’s something about Brody that really appeals to Gavin. The more he looks at Brody, the more he likes the guy. He hasn’t felt this way about…well, about anyone, if he’s being honest, at least not in quite a long time.