nod.
“Dean, watch it. My car isn’t fancy like the trucks you boys have, but it works.” Emma walked over with a smile and hugged each of us.
Emma was hot. That was undeniable. When she was hired to teach at our high school right out of college, we were stoked. Economics was much more fun when you looked at a gorgeous blonde with great knockers. What none of us ever anticipated was that she and our boy Landon had been hooking up all summer. Of course that was only because Landon had lied about his age, but still. Landon would always be a legend in our group.
Amy exited the backseat and walked over.
“Amy! Hey!” I hugged her, and Jon and Ricky waved. “I thought you were in Bloomington?”
Emma bent her head to the side and watched us. She was protective over Amy. She had been since she took her on as her teacher’s aide. I thought it was cool as shit that they stayed friends even after Emma and Landon moved to California.
“My parents and I came home to be with the rest of our family. My aunt and uncle are hosting dinner.” She smiled and adjusted her glasses. “I am looking at apartments for next year. When my dad’s job ends, we will move back home. I am going to share a place with some friends.”
“That’s sweet, Amy.” Jon held up his beer can in acknowledgment, and Emma frowned. “Sorry, Ms. Harris.”
“Ugh! Cut it out, Jon. You know damn well that I’m not your teacher anymore.” She stomped her foot in frustration, and we laughed.
I turned back to Amy. “Will you work at another preschool?”
Emma narrowed her eyes. “Dean, how do you know where Amy works at IU?”
Amy giggled, holding her hand over her mouth. “You want to tell her or should I?”
I winked at Amy. “Nothing to hide, Ms. Harris.” Emma punched my shoulder. “Ow.” I rubbed it and continued. “I’m dating a senior at IU, who has a son. He’s in Amy’s class.”
Amy nodded with a proud smile on her face. Jon frowned and popped open another beer. Landon stood behind Emma, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. They spoke at the same time.
“You’re dating?” Landon asked mouth agape.
“You’re dating someone with a child?” Emma screeched.
Ricky hooted. “We’re all thinking the same thing. You’re still a damn kid yourself, Dean.”
I saluted Ricky with my middle finger. “Settle down. Grace is awesome, and so is Finn. She’s a fantastic mom. She goes to school full time, works at Maria’s Diner, and raises Finn. Yeah, we’re dating. So what?”
Landon still hadn’t shut his damn mouth, but Emma’s face had softened into a grin. Jon stepped forward, pointing at me. “You know what the problem is. You’ll leave them. And when you do, you’ll hurt her, but more importantly, you’ll also be hurting that kid.”
An awkward silence surrounded us.
“You are not going to hurt them, right Dean?” Amy’s face was contorted in confusion.
Shitballs.
“No, Amy. I’m not.” I glared at Jon, and he rolled his eyes and leaned back against my truck.
“Is this serious, man?” Landon asked and took a drink of his beer.
I frowned. Yes, it was serious. But it wasn’t Emma and Landon serious. We weren’t in love. We weren’t moving away together. I cared about her and Finn, but things were still new with us. I wasn’t sure how to answer.
“Getting there.” I kicked at a rock with my boot. “I really like her. And Finn too.”
“Is there a dad in the picture?” Emma asked quietly. She had told me last year that she had no relationship with her father, so this was a real soft spot for her.
My lips pursed before I answered. “No.” They didn’t need to know the details.
Amy rubbed her mittened hands together. “I feel sad for them today.”
I stopped breathing and took a step forward. “Why, Amy?” I had spoken to Grace on the phone this morning. She sounded quiet, but fine.
Amy’s eyebrows pinched together. “You know why. ’Cause they are alone.”
I looked at my
“Dean, watch it. My car isn’t fancy like the trucks you boys have, but it works.” Emma walked over with a smile and hugged each of us.
Emma was hot. That was undeniable. When she was hired to teach at our high school right out of college, we were stoked. Economics was much more fun when you looked at a gorgeous blonde with great knockers. What none of us ever anticipated was that she and our boy Landon had been hooking up all summer. Of course that was only because Landon had lied about his age, but still. Landon would always be a legend in our group.
Amy exited the backseat and walked over.
“Amy! Hey!” I hugged her, and Jon and Ricky waved. “I thought you were in Bloomington?”
Emma bent her head to the side and watched us. She was protective over Amy. She had been since she took her on as her teacher’s aide. I thought it was cool as shit that they stayed friends even after Emma and Landon moved to California.
“My parents and I came home to be with the rest of our family. My aunt and uncle are hosting dinner.” She smiled and adjusted her glasses. “I am looking at apartments for next year. When my dad’s job ends, we will move back home. I am going to share a place with some friends.”
“That’s sweet, Amy.” Jon held up his beer can in acknowledgment, and Emma frowned. “Sorry, Ms. Harris.”
“Ugh! Cut it out, Jon. You know damn well that I’m not your teacher anymore.” She stomped her foot in frustration, and we laughed.
I turned back to Amy. “Will you work at another preschool?”
Emma narrowed her eyes. “Dean, how do you know where Amy works at IU?”
Amy giggled, holding her hand over her mouth. “You want to tell her or should I?”
I winked at Amy. “Nothing to hide, Ms. Harris.” Emma punched my shoulder. “Ow.” I rubbed it and continued. “I’m dating a senior at IU, who has a son. He’s in Amy’s class.”
Amy nodded with a proud smile on her face. Jon frowned and popped open another beer. Landon stood behind Emma, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. They spoke at the same time.
“You’re dating?” Landon asked mouth agape.
“You’re dating someone with a child?” Emma screeched.
Ricky hooted. “We’re all thinking the same thing. You’re still a damn kid yourself, Dean.”
I saluted Ricky with my middle finger. “Settle down. Grace is awesome, and so is Finn. She’s a fantastic mom. She goes to school full time, works at Maria’s Diner, and raises Finn. Yeah, we’re dating. So what?”
Landon still hadn’t shut his damn mouth, but Emma’s face had softened into a grin. Jon stepped forward, pointing at me. “You know what the problem is. You’ll leave them. And when you do, you’ll hurt her, but more importantly, you’ll also be hurting that kid.”
An awkward silence surrounded us.
“You are not going to hurt them, right Dean?” Amy’s face was contorted in confusion.
Shitballs.
“No, Amy. I’m not.” I glared at Jon, and he rolled his eyes and leaned back against my truck.
“Is this serious, man?” Landon asked and took a drink of his beer.
I frowned. Yes, it was serious. But it wasn’t Emma and Landon serious. We weren’t in love. We weren’t moving away together. I cared about her and Finn, but things were still new with us. I wasn’t sure how to answer.
“Getting there.” I kicked at a rock with my boot. “I really like her. And Finn too.”
“Is there a dad in the picture?” Emma asked quietly. She had told me last year that she had no relationship with her father, so this was a real soft spot for her.
My lips pursed before I answered. “No.” They didn’t need to know the details.
Amy rubbed her mittened hands together. “I feel sad for them today.”
I stopped breathing and took a step forward. “Why, Amy?” I had spoken to Grace on the phone this morning. She sounded quiet, but fine.
Amy’s eyebrows pinched together. “You know why. ’Cause they are alone.”
I looked at my
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