Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Liam’s face was hot enough to melt off his body. “Uh, we’re just having a quick lesson.”
“This sweet boy is helping us by choreographing a dance for the senior center’s talent show.” Dot looped her thin arm through Liam’s and tugged him closer to Tate. She had a mischievous gleam in her eye that he needed to squash immediately.
“Sorry, we ran late. I meant to be finished before you got here to work.”
“I’m a few minutes early.”
“Tate, why don’t you come dance with me?” Mrs. Snow shuffled over. Her hot pink spandex pants were stretched to capacity by her hefty frame, and her top could only be described as a mumu. It was bright, bold, and told the world she didn’t give a crap what people thought of her style.
Color leached from Tate’s face, which made Liam chuckle. He had no problem with the spotlight leaving him and shifting to Tate.
“Uh, no disrespect intended, Miz Snow, but I’m gonna have to pass. I'm not much of a dancer.”
Liam’s eyes met Tate’s, whose expression remained pained. Liam winked. The man had been a great dance partner the night they met in the club, but then he hadn’t had to do more than grind his hips and rock back and forth.
“Hmm.” Mrs. Snow tilted her head and studied Tate.
What did she see? Could she tell he had secrets?
“How’s your mama, boy?”
Tate stiffened. “ ’Bout the same as usual, Miz Snow. You know how it is.”
With a shake of her head, she said, “I know she’s trouble. Marissa was trouble in school, and she’s trouble now. You two boys practically raised yourselves, with you taking the brunt of it, if I’m not mistaken.”
Discomfort rolled off Tate in waves so thick Liam could practically see them. He squirmed, then shrugged. “Not all of us are lucky to have had you as a mama.”
“Don’t you try to sugar me up with sweet words, boy. I once made you scrub the whole bathroom after you dropped that cherry bomb in the toilet. I have no problem taking you to task again. You hear me?”
All that was missing was her shriveled finger wagging in his face. As it was, Liam could barely contain his laughter.
The smirk returned, and Tate seemed to shake off whatever cloud had momentarily rolled in. “Yes, ma’am.” He faced Liam. “Miz Snow was my mama’s fifth-grade teacher. By the time I came through school, she was the principal. Meanest one I’ve ever had.”
Liam’s eyes bugged, and he whipped his head toward Mrs. Snow to find her laughing instead of being offended.
A wide grin stretched her soft face. “Don’t you forget it, boy. Same time next week, Liam?”
What on earth was happening here? “Yes, ma’am. Same time, same place.”
“I can’t wait.” She shuffled on by, patting his arm as she passed. “You’re a good boy, Liam.” She narrowed her eyes at Tate. “You’d do well to try to be more like this one,” she said, shaking a crooked finger in his face.
There it was.
“Yes, ma’am. Can I help you to your ride?” He held out an arm, and Mrs. Snow took it with a harumph, but she still smiled.
All bark and no bite.
Liam grinned. The whiplash of emotions and information overload from the past few minutes had left his head spinning and his heart aching, which was becoming a common theme the more he learned about Tate’s life.
As Tate escorted Mrs. Snow to the shuttle that would take them back to the senior center across town, a beat-up car holding Randy and Daryl pulled into the parking lot. They hopped out of the vehicle and strode to Tate and Mrs. Snow, greeting her with smirks and probably a lot of sass.
Without warning, Mrs. Snow walloped Daryl on the side of his head with her tan leather purse.
Daryl yelped and hopped away from the woman. She didn’t miss a beat, treating Randy to the same smack.
Liam covered his mouth, which did nothing to hide his laughter. Tate, on the other hand, didn’t bother to disguise his. Instead, he held a fist out to Mrs. Snow, who bumped her knuckles against his, making Liam snicker even more.
The spunky old lady just became his favorite person.
He tried to keep from feeling warm and gooey inside as he watched Tate, who had a solid foot and a half on Mrs. Snow, help her onto the shuttle bus, but the effort failed. After Mrs. Snow climbed the step into the shuttle, Tate remained and helped each lady in turn as they filed out of the studio.
Randy and Daryl unloaded supplies from Tate’s truck.
Liam stared from the window the entire time.
“He really is a good boy.”
He glanced down to find Dot at his side. “Seems like it,” he said with a smile.
“Always thought he was so much better than where he came from. And I don’t mean because of where he grew up or the fact that his family doesn’t have two pennies to rub together. Those details don’t make up a person’s quality.”