The Truth About That Summer

thirty-seven

"Or are you just gonna keep standing there, watching me?" Luke raises his brows.

Oh, he's grumpy.

Good. My jaw sets defiantly. I've been grumpy for years.

"I want to talk to you about something, actually." I cross my arms over my chest.

"You want to talk to me?" Luke smirks but it fades quickly. "How the tables have turned, hm?"

I narrow my eyes at him, pursing my lips tightly together.

He can sass. He can joke. He can charm. But I will not let it get to me. Not this time.

After a few seconds, my silence works and Luke gives in.

"Alright." He pushes the door open wider so I can pass through. "Why don't we talk inside?"

"Thank you." I mutter curtly, leaving a wide birth between our bodies as I enter the shop. The smell of him alone is already too much.

Blinking hard to clear my mind, I take my place in front of the counter, pretending to scan the newspaper while Luke sits on the register stool.

"Mind if I keep going while we talk?" He nods towards the large stack of cardboard he's breaking down using a pocket knife.

I nod, "That's fine."

"Thanks." He chuckles to himself, shaking his head as he grabs another box. The knife makes a sharp, melodic sound as it tears through the cardboard.

Watching his hands making quick work of the task, I try to decide the best way to approach this.

I prefer to be blunt, but what was it Grams always told me? You catch more bees with honey?

"You know I really appreciate everything you've done to help Grams." I try my hand at sugar instead of spice. "I'm not sure what she would have done without you, after her fall."

Luke's head perks up at friendly approach, his brows raised in suspicion. "Like I said before: whatever June needs, I'm happy to help with."

"Mhm," I bite my bottom lip. "Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm here now," I meet his stare. "And yet you're always around. Grams seems to want you around."

Luke squints at me. "Is there a point you're trying to make, Dyl?"

"My point, Luke," I let go of the bite I'm almost taking out of my cheek, "Is why?"

Luke's hand halts over the cardboard, before he resumes his work, a sly smile on his lips. "I don't know." He glances up at me. "I'm likable."

"Depends who you ask. So why does she like you so much?" I lean my hands against the counter top. "I'm being serious, Luke. What don't I know?"

Again, he glances up and lets out a deep sigh. Closing his knife and tucking it into his pocket, he takes a break from his work and nervously fingers the hair sneaking out from under his cap.

"Okay. It's not a big deal, to be honest. When Laura got pregnant with Finn, she had... a hard time. My parents were fine with her having the baby," Luke sighs again. "So long as she didn't stay with Finn's dad. I mean, you probably can get the gist of that - he doesn't really show up. Not for Laura, and they assumed not for Finn, when he got here."

My brows crinkle. How could you not show up for Finn? I feel the frown becoming more pronounced on my face.

Nodding at my expression, Luke continues. "Well - you know Laura. Or you used to,"