Chapter 18

“Then why is he coming?” That was a damned good question.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh. How’d you do today?”

That one I could answer. “Shattered my old record. Lost all but two races.”

“Way to go—and next time you’ll know exactly how to beat them.” Her wet hand caressed my cheek. It made me smile.

“So I guess he’s fixin’ to come down this way and wanted to maybe get together and do something.”

“After you rake the lawn,” my father said from his eavesdropping chair in the living room

“I know, Dad.”

“I mean it, Reed.”

Though pretty good inside the house, I didn’t always do my outside chores in a timely manner. “We’ll do it before Mathias gets here.” My brother Devon was supposed to help.

“And maybe you’ll become friends,” my mother said.

“Maybe.”

“Become friends with who?”

“Oh. Cal.” I turned toward the stairs. Somehow, I had forgotten all about him. 4