Free Can't Stand the Heat? by Margaret Watson Page B

had been thoughtful. Kind. Willing to do anything to help his friend. This Nick was rude, sullen and disrespectful. Had Walker been that way with his own parents? Angry and insolent? Had he been that much of a pain in the ass?
    Maybe that was the reason he’d fought with his father all through high school.
    What did Nick want?
    And what was Jen going to open? Walker edged forward, curious in spite of himself.
    “Then you shouldn’t have waited until ten minutes ago to tell me you lost your calculator,” she was saying. “The school has a loaner program. You could have borrowed one.”
    “Those are for dorks and losers. No one else uses them.”
    “Then you’ve got a problem, pal. I can’t give you the money.”
    “That’s so unfair. You have the money.”
    “Yeah, I do. But it’s already in my savings account.”
    “You could take it out if you wanted.”
    “Why should I?”
    “Because someone stole my calculator.”
    “Really?” Jen asked. “Did you report it to Mr. Breen?”
    “He couldn’t do anything.”
    Walker noticed the kid didn’t look at Jen.
    “Translation—you lost it. So you pay for it.”
    She was at the counter now, and set down shampoo that had a picture of a lemon on the bottle, and a box of allergy medicine.
    “You don’t care, do you?” Nick raged. “I’m going to bomb that test, and you don’t give a sh—”
    “Nick.” Jen glanced at the cashier and the people behind them in line. “You’re making a scene,” she said. “Stop it.”
    Before Walker realized it, he was behind them. “Are you guys all right? Need help with something?”
    Jen spun around and her face reddened. Walker had no trouble reading her expression. He was the last person she wanted to witness their fight.
    “We’re fine, thanks,” she said. She shoved her shampoo and medicine to the side and grabbed Nick’s arm. “We were just leaving.”
    Walker followed them out the door. This was an opening, and he was going to take it.
    “I couldn’t help overhearing you,” he said, following them down the sidewalk. “Nick needs a calculator?”
    “Not your business, Walker.”
    Their kiss had been four days ago, and he hadn’t seen her since. The Harp had been busy over the weekend, and she’d managed to slip out each night.
    Now she was acting as if it they were nearly strangers, and that irritated him. He sure as hell hadn’t been the only one affected by that kiss. He’d felt her response.
    Time to remind her of that.
    “It sounds as if you didn’t bring enough money,” he said, although that wasn’t what she’d said. “Can I lend you what you need? Just until you get home?”
    Jen took a deep breath. “It’s not that I don’t have the money. I need it for…never mind. Nick lost his graphing calculator and he doesn’t have enough to pay for it.”
    She’d just handed Walker something he could use. “How about I lend it to him?”
    “No, thank you. We’re fine.” She elbowed past him, pushing Nick ahead of her. The kid’s shoulders were hunched, and Walker read embarrassment in every line of his body.
    “It’ll be a loan. He can work it off,” Walker said.
    “Work? For you?” Nick stopped and looked at him, his hope almost blinding. “Really?”
    “Sure,” Walker said easily. “I could use some help with…” He thought quickly. “Getting ready to run Sorceress at the Harp.”
    “Awesome!” The kid was practically bouncing. “I could totally do that. That would be the cherry.”
    Jen pulled a ten-dollar bill out of her wallet. “Nick, go buy my shampoo and medicine while I talk to Mr. Barnes.”
    “But, Mom…”
    “Nick. Go.”
    He opened his mouth to protest, shot a glance at Walker and shuffled back into the drugstore.
    Jen turned to him. “I can’t believe you said that. I told you to stay away from Nick.”
    “Are you going to do the DNA test?”
    “No. I’m not changing my mind.”
    “Then this is a good way for me to get to know him. Without him