Free Salvation by Anne Osterlund

closed over his eyes, and a curved female form pressed against his back. “Guess who?” Hot air breathed on hischeek.
Char.
She slid her hands down the outline of his face, then linked them low around his neck. And propped her chin on his shoulder.
When was she going to get the message?
    He disconnected the strangling fingers.
    She slid forward, her hip glued to his side.
    And he pulled away.
    Leaving her facing Beth. “What is that you’re wearing?” Char mocked the white dress. “A
quinceañera
petticoat from the nineties?” He knew the sarcasm was her response to his rejection. She worked so hard to fit in sometimes she got carried away. But he didn’t want her hurting people because of him.
    “It was my grandmother’s,” Beth said, pride full in her voice.
    Maybe he ought to intervene.
    The other girl sneered. “Well, you should tell your grandmother to take it with her to the grave.”
    “Shut up, Char,” Salva said.
Too late.
    Beth’s eyes had widened, and she had stumbled backward.
    Around them everyone had frozen: Luka, Nalani. Even Tosa.
    A car horn broke the awkward moment. “Hey, what are you dweebs standin’ around out in the cold for?” Pepe yelled.
    Char detached herself from the situation and headed toward the voice.
    Tosa also shifted in that direction.
    Salva’s focus remained on Beth, his mind a verbal blank. He couldn’t afford to apologize for Char, where she might overhear and contradict him. But…
    “Beth,” he managed at last, “are you all right?”
    “She’s fine.” Nalani pushed herself forward, blocking his view. She crossed her arms over her dark sweater and glared at him as if the encounter with Charla was his fault.
    There came a loud rapid-fire honking.
    “Oh my God, man!” Tosa was shouting.
    Salva’s attention finally turned. And landed on a bright yellow sports car with a lowered convertible hood.
    Pepe leaped out over the front driver’s-side door and landed in front of Char. “Care for a ride, my lady?” he said.
    Her hand slid to Pepe’s chest as if she had to hold on to him in order to stay upright.
    His grip closed around her fingers, then pulled her toward the passenger’s side.
    “Holy Swiss cheese!” Tosa hopped into the back without an escort. “Get out. Just get outta here!” He raised his hands toward the fog. “Your mom’s seriously lettin’ you drive this thing?!”
    “What does she have to say about it?” Pepe scoffed. “It was her parents who bought it.”
    “Man, I could work three shifts at the machine shop and not be able to afford the insurance on this baby.” Tosa looked up. “Well, Salva, you gonna stand there all night or get in?”
    “He’s speechless,” Pepe teased. “His Highness is so blown away by this beauty’s excellence that he’s frozen to that field, and we’ll have to thaw him out next spring.”
    Right.
Salva glanced back toward Beth. But she haddisappeared. Along with Nalani and Luka. No doubt they’d finally headed for the dance.
    “Come on, Resendez!” Pepe climbed into the driver’s seat. “Who’s stalling now? The later we show for Linette’s party, the harder time Tosa’s gonna have gaining her attention.”
    Tosa didn’t look too concerned. He was pounding the top of the door. “You know how many horses this baby has?”
    Salva approached, then looked directly down at him and admitted ignorance. “Nope.”
    “We are talkin’
three hundred horsepower,
man.
Trescientos.
”
    “Well, move aside.” Salva swung one leg, then the other, over the door and slid down onto the black leather. He closed his eyes and breathed the incredible smell.
En el nombre de Dios.
Life was unfair, and sometimes that wasn’t a bad thing.
    The car screeched away from the curb, wrapped its way around the field, and headed for the party.
    It was possible, he realized about an hour later, as the music blared from Linette’s family room stereo, that he might have made an error in judgment—by suggesting Pepe go