fierce heat their interactions used to have. Something had cooled off between the two. Trevor didn’t know what it stemmed from, but it was nice not to have to referee.
“Dan will love it,” Em added, stepping back to admire her work.
“Dan better love it with his hands to himself.” Trevor earned a disapproving look from Em and an additional one from Shelby.
The doorbell rang and some of Trevor’s tension eased again. Shelby looked excited. She looked happy. Though she was obviously trying to play it cool, she couldn’t dim the smile on her face or stop checking herself out in the mirror.
It didn’t have anything to do with him, but he was glad she could have those feelings in this moment. He didn’t want her to be sad, and with the help of the Baker women, she wasn’t.
How weird was that?
It took him a few moments to realize that three pairs of eyes stared at him expectantly. “What?”
“Open the door, moron. Girl’s gotta make an entrance.”
Trevor frowned. Of all people, he didn’t expect Callie to get the girly parts of prom, but he pushed off the couch and went to the door as Em scooted Shelby out of the room.
When he got married and had kids, he hoped to God they weren’t girls. Living through one prom night as a kind of guardian was enough for his life experiences.
On the other side of the door, Dan stood in his tux, looking a little pale. The teen clutched a plastic container that housed a little pink corsage.
“Hi, Mr. Steele.”
Trevor tried not to laugh when Dan’s voice cracked in the middle of the greeting.
“Hey, Dan. Now, before I let you in, I’m going to have to frisk you.”
Dan didn’t look worried, but he did look confused. “Um, okay.”
“It’s a joke.” Trevor moved out of the door and gestured Dan inside. Okay, maybe it would be a little fun to have girls. “Lighten up, kid.”
“O-okay,” Dan agreed.
“Hey.” Shelby stepped out from where Em had hidden her away. “Please ignore my brother. No one gets his jokes.”
Trevor watched Dan smile and fidget a little with the plastic container in his hands. “Oh, it’s okay. Um, here.” He shoved the corsage toward Shelby, hands shaking.
Either this whole dance thing was a first for poor old Dan, or he was acting the nerdy role to keep Trevor from being suspicious about his nefarious teenage motives.
Trevor was pretty sure it was the former.
“Why don’t you put it on her?” Em handed the plastic container back to Dan.
With shaky hands, Dan helped secure the corsage around Shelby’s wrist. It went a long way to soothe Trevor’s nerves at anything crazy happening.
“Well, we better get going so we can meet Haley and Jacob.”
“Home by twelve thirty. Not one drop of alcohol, and Dan, watch those hands.” Again Trevor had to try hard not to laugh when Dan immediately dropped his hands from Shelby’s arm. “You go anywhere besides prom, you text me.”
“You don’t get to tell us what to do.”
Trevor only had to raise an eyebrow to have Shelby backing down.
Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. “Text any change of location. Home by twelve thirty. Got it.”
“Don’t forget to have fun.” Trevor grinned at Shelby’s scowl, but she couldn’t hold it and smiled in return.
“Thanks.” She turned around to face Em and Callie. “Thank you both for everything tonight.”
Callie only shrugged, but Em offered a beaming smile and said, “Our pleasure. Enjoy yourselves.”
Dan and Shelby eventually made it out the door, and Trevor felt weird. He’d done his best, enlisted people to help out with the whole prom situation, and he hoped Shelby hadn’t felt like it was less.
But Trevor was reminded that his mother should have been there, and it hurt even him that she wasn’t. As Em and Callie began to gather their belongings, Trevor felt a sudden odd panic. He didn’t want to be alone tonight.
“You girls want to stay for dinner?”
“Sure,” Em piped up, but Trevor’s eyes
“Dan will love it,” Em added, stepping back to admire her work.
“Dan better love it with his hands to himself.” Trevor earned a disapproving look from Em and an additional one from Shelby.
The doorbell rang and some of Trevor’s tension eased again. Shelby looked excited. She looked happy. Though she was obviously trying to play it cool, she couldn’t dim the smile on her face or stop checking herself out in the mirror.
It didn’t have anything to do with him, but he was glad she could have those feelings in this moment. He didn’t want her to be sad, and with the help of the Baker women, she wasn’t.
How weird was that?
It took him a few moments to realize that three pairs of eyes stared at him expectantly. “What?”
“Open the door, moron. Girl’s gotta make an entrance.”
Trevor frowned. Of all people, he didn’t expect Callie to get the girly parts of prom, but he pushed off the couch and went to the door as Em scooted Shelby out of the room.
When he got married and had kids, he hoped to God they weren’t girls. Living through one prom night as a kind of guardian was enough for his life experiences.
On the other side of the door, Dan stood in his tux, looking a little pale. The teen clutched a plastic container that housed a little pink corsage.
“Hi, Mr. Steele.”
Trevor tried not to laugh when Dan’s voice cracked in the middle of the greeting.
“Hey, Dan. Now, before I let you in, I’m going to have to frisk you.”
Dan didn’t look worried, but he did look confused. “Um, okay.”
“It’s a joke.” Trevor moved out of the door and gestured Dan inside. Okay, maybe it would be a little fun to have girls. “Lighten up, kid.”
“O-okay,” Dan agreed.
“Hey.” Shelby stepped out from where Em had hidden her away. “Please ignore my brother. No one gets his jokes.”
Trevor watched Dan smile and fidget a little with the plastic container in his hands. “Oh, it’s okay. Um, here.” He shoved the corsage toward Shelby, hands shaking.
Either this whole dance thing was a first for poor old Dan, or he was acting the nerdy role to keep Trevor from being suspicious about his nefarious teenage motives.
Trevor was pretty sure it was the former.
“Why don’t you put it on her?” Em handed the plastic container back to Dan.
With shaky hands, Dan helped secure the corsage around Shelby’s wrist. It went a long way to soothe Trevor’s nerves at anything crazy happening.
“Well, we better get going so we can meet Haley and Jacob.”
“Home by twelve thirty. Not one drop of alcohol, and Dan, watch those hands.” Again Trevor had to try hard not to laugh when Dan immediately dropped his hands from Shelby’s arm. “You go anywhere besides prom, you text me.”
“You don’t get to tell us what to do.”
Trevor only had to raise an eyebrow to have Shelby backing down.
Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. “Text any change of location. Home by twelve thirty. Got it.”
“Don’t forget to have fun.” Trevor grinned at Shelby’s scowl, but she couldn’t hold it and smiled in return.
“Thanks.” She turned around to face Em and Callie. “Thank you both for everything tonight.”
Callie only shrugged, but Em offered a beaming smile and said, “Our pleasure. Enjoy yourselves.”
Dan and Shelby eventually made it out the door, and Trevor felt weird. He’d done his best, enlisted people to help out with the whole prom situation, and he hoped Shelby hadn’t felt like it was less.
But Trevor was reminded that his mother should have been there, and it hurt even him that she wasn’t. As Em and Callie began to gather their belongings, Trevor felt a sudden odd panic. He didn’t want to be alone tonight.
“You girls want to stay for dinner?”
“Sure,” Em piped up, but Trevor’s eyes
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