Chapter 26

Gavin moves around the desk and starts to pack a few things into his laptop case—a pile of student essays, some books, things he’s taking home with him. “She likes you, too. When I tell her we went out without her, she’s going to be mad.”

“Then we’ll have to make it up to her,” Brody says. “You have her what, every other weekend? Once a month?”

With a laugh, Gavin tells him, “Her mother couldn’t last that long. Evie’s like the Energizer Bunny. She just keeps going, and going, and going.”

Brody watches him finish packing up. When he hefts the laptop case over his shoulder, he leans over to shut off his desktop computer and says, “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. You ready to head on out?”

“There’s something I want to take care of first.” Brody stands and takes Gavin’s arm, leading him around to the front of the desk.

Gavin has an expectant half-grin on his face, as if he isn’t quite sure what it is Brody might have in mind. “What?”