Eat a scoop

Clint gives a hearty laugh, pulling Wendy into a rambunctious hug. “I can’t promise there won’t be any attacking chairs, but I’ll be there to defend my fair lady, how’s that?”

After pulling back, he gets a silly grin on his face and reaches into his back pocket for his rag. Bringing it to Wendy’s face, he wipes off a smudge of grease that had transferred from his own face to hers. “You’re looking more and more like an assistant to the assistant every minute,” he teases. “You better get out of here before you look like me! We don’t want to go to town looking like two grease monkeys.”


Laura can’t help her laugh as Nate takes her hand. “Alright. You both win. I’ll go.”


Carson grins mischievously at Misty. “Playing taxi for you? Mm, now that doesn’t sound so bad.”

As Jamie comes up with her offer, Carson’s hand slowly slides from Misty’s back, his concentration shifting. He looks at Misty as she makes him do the choosing.

Swallowing hard, he glances back to Jamie, daring to look her in the eye. Not only had she come to him…offered a hand to him…forgiven him…tolerated his presence here… but now she was inviting him to go along with her and the others on a fun outing. The last time Carson had been invited to anything in a group it had been to a bar, and only because he was the one with the wallet. This was so different…it was almost a little scary.

Carson was a strong individual…he could take a man down in the blink of an eye, say what he wanted when and where he wanted without remorse, handle just about anything in the heat of battle, and could throw is weight around with confidence. But here…around these people…there was a part of him, deep down that was constantly coming to the surface…and that was the little boy that had never found his place. He could feel the childlike longing to belong…the silly little desire to have someone give him a pat on the back for an accomplishment…the timidity when facing those he’d wronged.

His eyes fall from Jamie’s as confusion rises within him for the heat in his face. Why he felt so intimidated by this, he wasn’t sure. He finds himself declining. But he didn’t want to take the fun away from Misty.

“Eh, I’ll probably head on down to the car lot, actually.” He gives Misty a nudge. “But you should go.” He nods to her with insistence, indicating that he’d be upset if she didn’t. “If I get a set of wheels, maybe I’ll stop on by your place to see you tonight.” He throws her a wink and slides her off her lap. “Go on. Eat an extra scoop for me.”