He's the guy moms warn their daughters about. Bold, outspoken, and self-confident, Brian O'Brien returns to his hometown only to discover some things changed in his absence.
Brian has a new neighbor - a shy, smart girl Leah, who hates his guts since...
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The mouthwatering aroma of lasagna fills our kitchen. Pops puts two plates on the round wooden table and tells me to sit. I waste no time and serve myself a generous helping.
My dad glances at me and digs into his dinner. Famished, we keep quiet at first. When the food’s halfway gone, I ask Pops the big question, “Has the haunted house been rented?”
He huffs out a chuckle. “Haunted, my ass. It’s a dump. I’m surprised someone decided to live there, but I heard the rent’s cheap.”
“Who lives there now, then?”
My dad chews for a moment. Then, he answers, “A woman named Grace and her daughter. I don’t know what the girl’s name is. They moved here in September, but it’s as if they didn’t.”
I raise my eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
Pops shrugs. “They don’t talk to anyone, don’t go out much. Grace isn’t too friendly. If looks could kill, I’d be dead. She must be afraid of my tattoos.”
I boom with laughter. “Afraid of you?” Pops is over six feet tall, and yeah, his arms are covered in ink, and he rocks his chin-length hair, but he’s one friendly dude. My dad’s famous for his barbecues and the bikes, which propels me to ask, “So, what’s up with the business?”
Dad’s eyes sparkle. “The paperwork’s ready, but there’s a shitton of stuff to do. You ain’t gonna be lazing around, boy. We’ll start conditioning the garage first thing in the morning. Then, we have to sit and plan how we’re gonna work. You remember how to hold a wrench, don’t you?”
“Sure thing. Any clients yet?”
Pops nods with a proud smile. “Bill’s gonna bring his sweetheart tomorrow; he says the engine sounds funny. It might be nothing, but we’re gonna look anyway.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. “Tomorrow? The tools Jimmy bought are still in boxes.”
“That’s why I told you not to get smashed tonight, little fucker. A couple of Buds, and that’s it. We’ve got shit to do.”
I nod and go on eating. Pops has been dreaming about his bike repair shop for years. Jimmy bought a garage and gave it to Pops, which made Dad lose his shit and yell that he ain’t the dude to take his kid’s money. Jim said if Pops didn’t want it, he’d give it to my dad’s ex-boss so he could expand the business. That was enough for Dad to cave in.
Jim’s the most generous guy I know, but we don’t want his money. He worked his ass off to get it, and I have my savings from working. I don’t know what the fuck I’m gonna spend it on; it’s not like I have an idea about what I wanna do.
