And don’t give me any of that girls are breakable nonsense.”
I shake my head. “Dad has always wanted me to ride, but my mom wouldn’t let me. She pretty much swore he’d never see me again if he ever let me get on a bike. So he didn’t.”
Lincoln looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t, choosing to look down at his pancakes instead. “Well if you ever want a dirt bike lesson, now that you’re officially a legal adult and all, I’d be happy to teach you.”
My heart clenches. Ash used to say the same thing. I nod, staring at my food. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”
My phone buzzes from inside of my purse, but I ignore it. With permission or not, it’s still rude to be on the phone when you’re on a date. Lincoln starts telling me about the first dirt bike he ever had, a hand-me-down from his older cousin, and my phone vibrates again, longer, like a phone call. I reach my hand into the purse and press a side button to stop the call.
“You can get that if you want,” he says.
I shake my head. “I’m not going to be rude on our brunch date.”
He leans forward, dipping his eyes to meet mine. “How many dates do I get this special treatment?”
I tilt my head, pretending to consider it. “As many dates as I still find you interesting.”
“Challenge accepted.”
Our waitress appears, paper check in hand. “I’ll just take care of this whenever you two are ready,” she says, setting it in the empty space between our plates. “No rush though. We aren’t exactly busy,” she says with a laugh as she looks around the nearly empty diner.
Lincoln takes the check and my mouth opens. I should offer to pay for my part or half of it or something.
He shakes his head as if he’s some kind of mind reader. “I’m paying for this, don’t even try to argue.”
When our eyes meet, he winks at me. “I’m staying interesting. Plus, I’m a southern gentleman.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll pay for the next one then.”
“Never. It’s my pleasure to spend time with you.”
My phone buzzes again before I can think of a witty reply. Lincoln looks toward my purse, which is hanging on the back of my chair. “You should probably get that. It might be an emergency.”
I groan. “Okay fine, but only as we’re walking to the car.”
He leads the way toward the parking lot, holding open the diner’s door for me as I root around in my purse and find my cell phone. It’s only Shelby calling, and I’m relieved that Dad hasn’t decided to call and bitch at me for Lincoln and me being late to work. By the time I find the phone, the call has gone to voicemail. I go to call her back, but she calls me again immediately.
“You okay?” I ask instead of a hello.
“Hana,” Shelby breathes. “Hana, are you there?”
“Yes, what’s wrong?” Lincoln opens the truck door for me, but I stand there, unable to get inside.
“Hana, I don’t know what to do!” Shelby’s words are frantic, rushed. There’s shuffling on the line, and I think she’s running until I hear the sound of her car starting up.
“What the hell happened?” I ask.
Lincoln’s expression falls as he watches me with concern.
Shelby starts crying and my stomach drops. “Shelby, are you okay? Where are you? I’ll come get you.”
“No,” she says between sobs. “It’s not me. It’s Ash.”
“What about Ash?” I ask, pressing the phone hard to my ear as if that’ll somehow make her talk faster.
“He’s had an accident.”
Chapter 14
Though Shelby’s first reaction anytime something happens to her family is to freak out like the world is ending, it soon becomes clear that Ash is okay. He’d broken his arm, dislocated his shoulder, and suffered a mild concussion while racing in Florida. Another guy had crashed on the whoops, and Ash couldn’t get out of the way in time. His head had slammed straight into the inch of dirt covering the stadium’s concrete floor. I figured that Ash’s
I shake my head. “Dad has always wanted me to ride, but my mom wouldn’t let me. She pretty much swore he’d never see me again if he ever let me get on a bike. So he didn’t.”
Lincoln looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t, choosing to look down at his pancakes instead. “Well if you ever want a dirt bike lesson, now that you’re officially a legal adult and all, I’d be happy to teach you.”
My heart clenches. Ash used to say the same thing. I nod, staring at my food. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”
My phone buzzes from inside of my purse, but I ignore it. With permission or not, it’s still rude to be on the phone when you’re on a date. Lincoln starts telling me about the first dirt bike he ever had, a hand-me-down from his older cousin, and my phone vibrates again, longer, like a phone call. I reach my hand into the purse and press a side button to stop the call.
“You can get that if you want,” he says.
I shake my head. “I’m not going to be rude on our brunch date.”
He leans forward, dipping his eyes to meet mine. “How many dates do I get this special treatment?”
I tilt my head, pretending to consider it. “As many dates as I still find you interesting.”
“Challenge accepted.”
Our waitress appears, paper check in hand. “I’ll just take care of this whenever you two are ready,” she says, setting it in the empty space between our plates. “No rush though. We aren’t exactly busy,” she says with a laugh as she looks around the nearly empty diner.
Lincoln takes the check and my mouth opens. I should offer to pay for my part or half of it or something.
He shakes his head as if he’s some kind of mind reader. “I’m paying for this, don’t even try to argue.”
When our eyes meet, he winks at me. “I’m staying interesting. Plus, I’m a southern gentleman.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll pay for the next one then.”
“Never. It’s my pleasure to spend time with you.”
My phone buzzes again before I can think of a witty reply. Lincoln looks toward my purse, which is hanging on the back of my chair. “You should probably get that. It might be an emergency.”
I groan. “Okay fine, but only as we’re walking to the car.”
He leads the way toward the parking lot, holding open the diner’s door for me as I root around in my purse and find my cell phone. It’s only Shelby calling, and I’m relieved that Dad hasn’t decided to call and bitch at me for Lincoln and me being late to work. By the time I find the phone, the call has gone to voicemail. I go to call her back, but she calls me again immediately.
“You okay?” I ask instead of a hello.
“Hana,” Shelby breathes. “Hana, are you there?”
“Yes, what’s wrong?” Lincoln opens the truck door for me, but I stand there, unable to get inside.
“Hana, I don’t know what to do!” Shelby’s words are frantic, rushed. There’s shuffling on the line, and I think she’s running until I hear the sound of her car starting up.
“What the hell happened?” I ask.
Lincoln’s expression falls as he watches me with concern.
Shelby starts crying and my stomach drops. “Shelby, are you okay? Where are you? I’ll come get you.”
“No,” she says between sobs. “It’s not me. It’s Ash.”
“What about Ash?” I ask, pressing the phone hard to my ear as if that’ll somehow make her talk faster.
“He’s had an accident.”
Chapter 14
Though Shelby’s first reaction anytime something happens to her family is to freak out like the world is ending, it soon becomes clear that Ash is okay. He’d broken his arm, dislocated his shoulder, and suffered a mild concussion while racing in Florida. Another guy had crashed on the whoops, and Ash couldn’t get out of the way in time. His head had slammed straight into the inch of dirt covering the stadium’s concrete floor. I figured that Ash’s
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