Buried in Secrets (Carly Moore #4) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,95
knew what she meant. The temperature was in the seventies, and the sun had set, so the light was a soft glow from the twinkling lights and tiki torches flickering along the edge of the street. It felt magical, especially when I sat next to Marco and he pressed his leg against mine.
“I saw the Crimshaws were here,” I said as Marco handed me a hamburger that he’d doctored up.
“I was surprised to see Rob here,” Selena said. “But he left when he saw the Genslers.”
My mouth dropped open. Thad had been with the Gensler boy on the night of the accident. “They’re here?”
She gestured across the parking lot. “The couple with the little girl. Spencer’s over there with Thad.”
I glanced around and saw a middle-aged couple sitting at a table with a girl who looked about ten. I continued scanning the lot and saw Thad hanging out with two boys his age.
“They still let their son spend time with him?” I asked in surprise.
“They’re not friends like they used to be,” she said, “but they do see each other. It’s hard to prevent it in a school with so few students.”
I resisted the urge to glance back at the couple. “Does their daughter go to school in Drum?”
“Yes, she’s in the fourth grade.”
I put my hamburger down on Marco’s plate. “I’ll be right back.”
Marco snagged my hand and looked up into my eyes. “I thought we were going to just enjoy the evening.” I knew he wanted to say more, but Selena was watching.
I leaned over and kissed him. “I only want to make sure they know about Tutoring Club.”
He searched my eyes, and I found it disconcerting that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Did he really not want me to take advantage of this situation? I’d been looking for a natural “in” with them, and it had been handed to me on an engraved silver platter.
Neither of us said anything for a solid two seconds, then he gave me a soft smile and nodded toward them. “Go give them the Tutoring Club pitch.”
“Thank you,” I mouthed and gave him a quick kiss.
Grabbing the bottle of water, I took a sip as I walked over to them, checking the crowd for other families with school-aged children who didn’t attend the club. I stopped to talk to another family with two younger children, one of whom looked like he was in first or second grade, figuring it would look better if I was making rounds.
“Hi,” I said as I took a seat opposite the family. I introduced myself and took a few minutes to tell them how Tutoring Club worked and assure them it was free. After I answered all of their questions, I made my way to the Genslers’ table, my stomach in knots. I really didn’t want to screw this up.
“Hi,” I said, smiling brightly. “I’m Carly Moore, and I’m a waitress here at Max’s.”
Mr. Gensler extended his hand. “I’m Donnie, and this is my wife, Kay.”
I shook hands with both of them. “And who is this?” I asked, gesturing to their daughter.
“Scarlett, say hello to Miss Carly,” Kay said.
She gave me a shy smile. “Hi.”
“This is so nice,” Kay said, her gaze scanning the party. “I hope Max does this again.”
“We’ve had a great turnout,” I said. I wasn’t sure how much money he’d made, but he’d definitely earned some loyalty. “I suspect he will.” I glanced over at their daughter. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I’m making sure families are aware that we have a tutoring program here twice a week from three-thirty to five. We call it Tutoring Club, and we try to make it fun with games and rewards. I don’t know if Scarlett or any other children you might have need help, but I just wanted to let you know there’s an available resource.”
Donnie frowned. “How much do you charge?”
“Oh,” I said, “I’m sorry. I should have mentioned that part first. It’s totally free.”
“Why would you offer free tutoring?” he asked suspiciously.
“Max loves Drum and feels compelled to give back to the community,” I said. “Take tonight, for example; and Tutoring Club is a way for us to support Drum’s most important resource—our children.”
The couple exchanged a glance. “Do you tutor high schoolers?” Kay asked as she turned back to me. “Our son Spencer is in summer school, repeating English and social studies so he can start his freshman year in August.”