Her mouth was pressed into a thin line of fury. “We are not done with this discussion,” she said, jabbing her finger at me as I grabbed Lucas’s wrist and hauled him down the sidewalk.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said, and the door abruptly slammed.

“Sorry,” I said, grimacing up at him. “She’s uh…protective.”

“I don’t blame her,” he said, his voice returning to its usual gruffness. He yanked me back to him, obviously not pleased that I was currently the one dragging him along, and put his arm around my waist to keep me close. “She has good instincts for trouble.”

The Bronco was parked in front of the El Camino along the curb, with Vincent in the driver’s seat and Jason beside him. A flatbed trailer was hooked up to the Bronco with the Z secured on top of it, its wheels strapped into place. Music was playing loudly from inside the cab as Jason rolled down the window and whistled at me.

“Damn, look at those legs,” he said, leering out the window at me in my tiny denim shorts. Manson was leaning against the back bumper of the El Camino, and he stubbed out his cigarette as Lucas and I came down the driveway.

“Hey, Jess.” His smile made my stomach flutter as he came to greet me. I anticipated a kiss, and was caught by surprise when he hugged me and nothing more. But he was thinking clearer than I was. My mom was undoubtedly watching us from one of the windows, and if she saw a kiss, I was never going to hear the end of it.

But I didn’t like that he felt as if he had to hold back from kissing me. I didn’t like it at all.

“Have you ever seen this guy try so hard to be polite?” I said, giving Lucas a teasing poke as Manson and I separated. “I had no idea there was such a good boy in there.”

Manson laughed, and to my surprise, Lucas stopped me before I could open the passenger door. He made a face as he opened it himself, waiting expectantly as I stared.

“Well? Sit your ass down,” he said, when I didn’t move. I certainly hadn’t thought he’d opened that door for me. I blinked rapidly in surprise, lowering myself into the passenger seat as I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Are you…are you blushing, Lucas?” I couldn’t believe it. It had to be a trick of the light or something because there was no way his face was red right now. He scowled deeply, waiting for Manson to sit down in the passenger seat before he slammed the door and stomped around to the driver’s side.

“He was blushing, right?” I whispered quickly. “Don’t tell me I imagined that.”

Manson laughed again. “Careful, Jess. Getting Lucas flustered is risky business.”