"Yeah, but maybe this time, he was being nice."
"Nice? Jake?" Joel made a scoffing sound. "Dream on. He wasn't being nice. He was in a hurry to get his Camaro."
"But what did that have to do with anything?"
"I told him he'd gethiscar after I got yours."
"But why would you tell him that?"
"Because I figured as long as they were here, they could help me find the place, and maybe watch my back while I did it."
"But instead, he went out and got it himself?"
"Pretty much."
"Well, maybe it was some kind of peace-offering. Or maybe he wanted to keep you out of trouble."
Joel was frowning now. "What, you're sticking up for him?"
This reminded me of our last fight, back when I'd thought his brother was some poor slob, driving a beater. I no longer thought that, but this wasn't even about Jake. It was about Joel.
I squeezed his hand. "Hey, I'm on your side, totally. I just hate that you're fighting, that's all." In a quieter voice, I added, "I would've killed for a brother."
"Yeah? If you wanna trade, let me know."
"Except I can't," I said, "because I don't have one. That's my whole point. I'm just saying, maybe you're luckier than you realize." I summoned up a smile. "He's older right? So maybe he was looking out for his little brother."
Joel's eyebrows lifted, and I saw a hint of humor return. "Little, huh?"
I let my gaze drift over the length of him. He was tall and muscular, with large hands and long legs. Obviously, there was nothing little about him. At the sudden image that popped into my brain, heat flooded my cheeks and – to my total embarrassment – other places, too.
I cleared my throat. "You know what? Forget I said that." Suddenly desperate to change the subject, I said, "Hey, about the Camaro. Is that the car from that movie?"
"Flashbang? Yeah, that's the one."
"But why didn't you tell me?"
Joel gave me a wicked grin. "Because I didn't want you to know."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, well that's nice."
"Hey, I wasn't looking to advertise it," he said. "And you've gotta remember, we'd just met."
He was right. At the time, wehadjust met, and we weren't exactly hitting it off. "But if the car was some kind of secret," I said, "why'd you take it out that night?"
"Because my own car was blocked in, and there was no way in hell I was gonna let you walk home in the dark." His mouth tightened. "Alone."
I had to smile. "So you pulled out a movie prop?"
"Hey, I'd havestolena car if that's what it took."
I laughed. "Oh, stop it. You wouldn’t."
"Wanna try me?"
"No," I said. "Definitely not."
Joel smiled. "Probably, Ishould'vestolen a car. That Camaro? It was how my brothers found me."
