Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Never. My life hasn’t felt incomplete without kids, if that’s what you’re asking, but I think if I’d found someone when I was younger, I would have wanted them. Too old for that now.” He turned August’s direction and winked.
“You’re not old, because if you’re old, that means I’m old. I refuse to believe that.”
“I hate to break it to you, but—”
August covered Clint’s mouth with his hand. “Shh. I refuse to hear it.” He jerked his arm back when Clint licked him. “You don’t know where my hand has been.”
“I don’t care. Tasted like hand to me.” Clint grinned, and August felt something familiar stirring deep in his gut, something he had no business feeling about his old friend, who had hardly been back in his life for any time at all.
Desire.
August turned away.
“I went over to see Holden and Roe today. They said we can plan something for next weekend. They’d love to have us over for a barbecue if that works for you. Otherwise, they’d take the kids to meet up with us at Movies with Goats. I told them I’d ask you what you think will be best and get back to them.”
That conversation was exactly why August was surprised Clint had never found someone. He was the kind of guy who always wanted to help out, who would do anything for someone else. He’d been doing it since August had gotten back. “Maybe the Movies with Goats so he won’t feel like it’s a setup. They do ice cream and all that, right?”
“Yep, and sometimes they have booths with local crafts and games for younger kids. The Covingtons go all out.”
“That sounds fun.” These were the kinds of things August did growing up that he wanted for Reese. While the Covington farm had been here when he was a kid, they didn’t do goat activities back then. August had looked it up since Clint told him about it the first time.
“Maybe we can meet there an hour or so before the movie starts? Roe and Holden often go early, and the boys are sometimes already at the farm. They help by doing some work there or just go to hang out, but that will give them some time before the movie, and—what?” Clint asked, making August realize he was staring.
August shrugged. “Just glad to have you back in my life, is all.”
“Well, I’m fun to be around, so it makes sense.”
August laughed. “You’re all right, I guess.”
“Nope. No take-backs. You already told me your life wasn’t complete without me. You can’t change your mind now.”
“Pretty sure that’s not what I said, but okay.”
“I think that’s what you said. It’s what I heard, at least.”
He felt it again, that flutter deep in his gut he wished he could blame on overeating at dinner. He turned away and leaned back in his chair, the two of them watching Reese as he threw the tennis ball, all three dogs racing to get it.
It was the most perfect day August had had in longer than he could remember.
“I’m glad Butter got to play with other dogs. It’s good for her,” Reese said as they drove home.
“Me too. She’s worn out, you can tell. But she had fun.” He thought maybe that was Reese’s way of saying he liked Clint and enjoyed the time they spent at his house without having to say it. He was good at reading his son that way. “I’m sure we can bring her there to play again.”
“That’d be cool. You think maybe he’d start showing me how to weld when we bring her back? It’s okay if he’s busy or whatever. I know he said he could, but maybe he was just being nice—”
“He wasn’t. Clint’s not like that. If he told you he would teach you, it’s because he wants to. He’ll definitely start showing you. We’ll just have to let him know ahead of time.” As he sat there, August realized how often Reese did that, automatically assumed someone might not really want to spend time with him, or sounded like he didn’t think hanging out with him was important. Was that something he’d caused? Lewis? And why the hell hadn’t August realized it before?
“Cool.” Reese picked at his chipping black nail polish. “How’d you guys become friends?”
“He saw a group of kids picking on me and came over to stick up for me.”
“That was nice of him, but if I know you, you would have said you didn’t need it.”
August mock-gasped his outrage. “I would never do such a thing!”
“Um…yeah you would, Dad.”
Okay, so yes, maybe he would. “I did tell him that, but Clint just found his way into my life regardless.” And August had always been so thankful that he had.
“You never mentioned him before.”
“No, I guess I didn’t. I don’t know why. It was a long time ago; that’s likely the biggest reason. You have to remember I moved from here when I was fourteen. I wouldn’t have had a reason to mention him.” But those words tasted bitter on his tongue. They tasted like a lie. Why hadn’t August ever talked about Clint?