“I’ve been drinking,” my father says, standing. “I’ll get one of the boys from the station to come and give you a lift home.”
“No bother, Mr. Montgomery. I’ll walk,” Meg replies.
“I’ll walk you home,” I offer, rising to stand next to her.
“No. I don’t like the idea of Megan walking home on her own, and if you go then you’ll have to come back alone,” my dad says.
“I’ll go with them,” Carter chimes in. My dad’s eyes move to him as he considers his offer.
“Okay. It’s fine as long as Carter goes with you.” I look at my dad. Is he serious? After the look he gave us before, I’m surprised he’s comfortable with us being alone together now.
Once we’ve walked Meg to her door I hug her goodbye. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she whispers in my ear. It earns her a pinch under the arm. There’s not much she wouldn’t do. “Ouch,” she laughs. “Thanks for walking me home, Carter,” she adds looking over at him.
“No problem,” he replies. His hands are shoved in his pockets looking all cool, calm and sexy.
“Feel free to take advantage of my friend on the way home,” she says with a wink. Oh. My. Fucking. God. She did not just say that. Carter just laughs at her comment. I, on the other hand, want to crawl under a rock and die. I’m glad I pinched her now. I should’ve done it harder. She’ll pay for that remark tomorrow. I give her a look letting her know I’m not impressed with what she just said. She just smiles at me sweetly. Bitch.
We’re both quiet on the walk back. I don’t know what to say to him. I’m still dying inside from Meg’s words. In a way I hope he takes her advice, in a way I don’t.
I know I probably shouldn’t pry considering I get the sense that all dad talk is off limits, but I jump straight in. “Does your stepdad speak that way to you often?” I ask, trying to break the awkward silence.
“I guess,” he shrugs. “He’s a cocksucker. I can’t stand him. What my mum sees in him, I’ll never know.”
“I’ve thought the same thing. She seems so nice,” I tell him as I shake my head trying to make sense of it.
“You don’t like him either?” he asks, looking at me surprised.
“No. Neither does my dad. They nearly came to blows a while back.”
“Why?” he asks.
“Lassie did his business on his lawn. You know, a poop. Let’s just say he wasn’t impressed. When he screamed at me and made me cry, my dad lost it.”
“Larry’s a fucking champion,” he chuckles.
“Lassie,” I remind him.
“Sorry, kid,” he says draping his arm around my shoulder. “He’s always gonna be Larry to me. You’ve gotta admit Lassie is a shit name for a kickass dog like that.”
As much as his comment gets under my skin, I’m smiling like a fool. I can’t believe he has his arm around me. I take a deep breath, inhaling his cologne. It’s musky and manly and very him. I could drown in his scent. Ugh! It’s official—I’m pathetic.
The nights this time of year in the suburbs of Sydney are quite hot, but his body temperature next to mine feels fine. I’m certainly not complaining. “I used to watch Lassie on television with my dad when I was a kid, which I’m not anymore by the way.” He throws back his head and laughs. Ignoring him I continue. “After every episode I’d beg him to buy me a dog just like that. One day he came home with Lassie. Of course he wasn’t a Collie, but I didn’t care. They both had the long hair and similar colouring. My Lassie came from a litter of pups from one of the police dogs on the force. That’s how my dad got him.”
“Nice story, great dog, but unfortunately still a shit name for my man Larry.” I playfully elbow him in the stomach and he laughs again. He’s really let his guard down tonight. I wish he was like this more often. He’s actually not a bad guy when he’s not being an arsehole.
“I like it, so it’s staying,” I enforce.
“Well, I like Larry, so that’s what I’m going to continue to call him,” he counters, pulling me closer to his side. I’m so short compared to him that I fit neatly under his arm.
We walk the rest of the block in silence. I’m tempted to wrap my arm around his waist, but I don’t. I’m sure that his arm around me is nothing romantic on his part, just a friendly gesture. When we reach my place we stop walking. “Are you going to come in, or head home?” I ask.
“Nah. I think I’ll head home. Tell your dad thanks for inviting me over tonight,” he replies, dropping his arm from my shoulder and turning to face me.