He’d been so focused on her he hadn’t thought to check. “I didn’t see it when I went out—or when I came back, for that matter. Unless I overlooked it. That’s entirely possible. I wasn’t thinking about Carl.”

Uriah clicked his tongue and shook his head. “That boy just won’t listen.”

Tobias shoved his hands in the pockets of the soft, worn jeans he’d yanked on when he’d heard someone at his door. “Are you going to call the police?”

“If he doesn’t get home soon, I’ll have to,” Uriah said. “I can’t let him run around without a license, doing God knows what.”

In that moment they both heard the sound of an engine.

Uriah stepped out onto the stoop and peered around the edge of the house.

“That him?” Tobias asked, leaning on the doorframe.

The old man cursed under his breath. “Sure is.”

“Should I grab a shirt so I can be there when you talk to him?” It was too cold to go outside without one.

“No, I can handle it.” With another disgusted shake of his head, Uriah stepped off the stoop and went to confront his son.

Tobias peered out his kitchen window long after he closed the door. He could hear raised voices, could see Uriah and Carl gesticulating. But finally, Uriah pivoted and stalked back into his house, and Carl opened his car door, sat in the driver’s seat and lit a cigarette.

The argument seemed to be over. For now.

Tobias was curious about where Carl had gone last night, but he didn’t want to get involved when tempers were hot—not if he didn’t have to. Uriah would tell him later.

Once he felt somewhat reassured that he wouldn’t need to intervene, he went back to bed. He’d been planning to go on a hike. That conversation with Atticus at the Blue Suede Shoe—where they’d revealed their plans to Maddox and Jada—had motivated him to start his training. But he’d have to wait until Sunday now. He was no good today.

He fell asleep almost immediately and didn’t wake up until Maddox came over to watch the UCLA game. Jada and Maya were helping Susan at Sugar Mama. The cookie store was extra busy because of Christmas, so that left Tobias’s brother with a free afternoon.

“What do you have there?” Tobias indicated the reusable grocery bag Maddox was carrying as he came in.

“Seven-layer dip, tortilla chips, pulled pork and rolls for sandwiches.” He grinned. “I’m hoping you at least have the beer.”

Tobias remembered the six-pack he’d given Uriah to mollify Carl. “I’ve got a couple left.”

“Only a couple?”

“Should be enough.”

Maddox gave him a skeptical eye. “You look like you just rolled out of bed.”

Tobias scowled. “I was up late last night.”