You would think the credit card I held between us was a poisonous snake the way he looked at it. “Um, that’s okay. I got it.”
“No, I’m the one who wants juice. Let me get it.” I wiggled the card between us again and I think his lip curled.
“This would be one of those times when I’m serious, Alta,” he said, voice strong and final. Completely ignoring my proffered card, he turned away. “I got it. You rest up.”
And that’s what I did, for several long minutes as Harper went off and bought me juice.
“Atlas!”
I jolted awake at the sound of a familiar voice. Had I fallen asleep? I must have. Right here out in the open on the padded outdoor chair Harper had sat me down in before getting me the lime flavored frozen juice from the festival stall I’d been eyeing all day.
Now the man in question was seated up front on a wooden stool manning the booth with the warm sunbathing his brown skin. He looked good in the light like that. Glowing as he sat forward with his arms crossed.
I shook my head.No Alta. He looked normal. Stop making him out to be some God among men. He kissed you once.
Also… the more I blinked awake the more I realized, he looked sort of pissed. His brown eyes slitted and stabbing toward something beyond the table.
“Yo, earth to Fernandez? What the hell? I’ve been calling you for like a year. Ox sent lunch. Chop, chop,” that same familiar voice said.
I wrinkled my nose. And then I shot up, recognition finally hitting me.
Clay!
My sister-in-law had three brothers, two of which were helping with the festival today and one of which was mean and pushy and all around sort of a ridiculous person. That ridiculous one was standing a few feet outside the shop’s booth, waiting for me with a bag in his hand and an impatient look on his face.
“Sorry!” I said, hurrying in his direction. “I didn’t hear you call.”
He just huffed, “Yeah well, today, Fernandez. I got places to be.”
Scampering forward, I rushed toward him. But just as quickly as I did, a hand circled my forearm and stopped me. Setting the tablet he’d been messing around with aside, Harper turned me toward him quickly. When I met his eyes, I saw I was getting the serious Harper. He was even glaring as he slid his arms into a knot across his chest to prove it.
“Who’s that?”
“Brother-in-law of sorts,” I answered.
“Did he just call you‘Atlas?’” he asked, his voice dripping with disdain.
I ducked my head. “Um, yeah. He does that.”
He blinked, and when I didn’t elaborate he barked, “Why?”
I winced. “Um, I don’t know. It’s like a nickname I guess?”
He did that blinking thing again and I swear he was calling me an idiot in his mind. I glared back at him and he narrowed his eyes, pointing a finger at my chest. “That’s not your name and it’snota nickname.”
“I’m aware, Harper,” I caved irritably.
“Then go over there and tell him to stop calling you by it.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” Hands grasped my shoulders and turned me around, forcing me to face Clay who was standing at a short distance with his ever present frown on his face. Steering me around the table, Harper hissed close to my ear. “Lesson one here at Take No Shit Academy, don’t let people call you out your name.”
“You call meBossall the time.”
He gave me a flat look. “That’s obviously out of admiration. It’s different.”
I blinked at him, momentarily taken off guard by his easy complimentary admission. “Yeah.” I cleared my throat, heat snaking up it suddenly. “Obviously.”
