Taking It Slow - Reese Knightley Page 0,21

reached a hand out to shove the truck door closed with a crack.

“Easy now, don’t break Tank,” he joked and turned, gripping Dillon’s hand in a hard grip.

Dillon did one better and pulled him in. The guy was about his height with shorn dark hair and blue eyes.

“Tank is on his last leg,” Dillon noted and grabbed up a duffle bag from his car before following him up the walkway.

“Yeah.”

“You can use my car if you need to. I’m headed out of town.”

“Oh?”

“Yup. Where are you headed?”

“Liam’s place,” he said and stepped through the open door.

“Really?” Dillon shoved the door closed and tossed his duffle.

“Yes, really, and it’s not like that. We’re friends.”

Dillon smirked with a curl of his nose and lip.

Spencer squinted. “I’m serious.”

“If you say so. Have fun.”

“Thanks.”

Dillon nodded and disappeared down the hall.

Making his way into his bedroom, Spencer shoved clothes and shoes into his duffle and turned off the light.

In the hallway, Wesley was waiting.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.” He smiled at his exuberant baby brother. “Let’s go.”

Tossing their stuff in the bed of the truck, he started Tank with a bang and a groan. Wesley fiddled with the radio that was more of a crackle than actual music. Pulling out of the driveway, he drove toward the main road.

He didn’t know if it was a good idea to hang out with Liam, but hell if he could or even wanted to keep his distance.

That episode last weekend on the front steps, as small as it had been, kept running on repeat in his mind. What if he hadn’t stepped away? Would Liam have kissed him or was that wishful thinking? Did he want that even though it might jeopardize their budding friendship?

Spencer squeezed the steering wheel with sweating hands. Friends, we’re just friends.

Now, if he could keep his mind on Liam’s big heart and off his sexy body, he’d be okay, he told himself as he took the onramp to the freeway and started the long drive to Liam’s house.

Liam

“Afternoon, Mr. Cobalt,” Jason Lark, the front entrance guard, called out as he drove through the gate.

“Afternoon, Jay,” Liam said with a wave.

He was still wearing the grin from the unexpected phone call. His gut tightened with the anticipation of seeing Spencer again. He hadn’t known that Adam and Jessica had called Wesley, but he was fiercely glad they had.

His hands squeezed the wheel. Last Sunday, he’d seen Wesley and Adam talking quietly. Adam had found him the next day and shared a bit about how worried he was.

“Worried, why’s that?” Liam drew his young cousin over to sit at the kitchen breakfast bar. That was when Adam had spilled about the mother’s drug use, the boyfriend stinking of drink and weed, how Wesley barely had enough to eat, and that Spencer was paying for everything.

Liam had been so shocked, he couldn’t speak. That was also when Adam had sworn him to secrecy.

“Please, Uncle Liam, you can’t tell anyone. Promise,” Adam said, looking so worried.

“I won’t. I promise.”

Anything to get Wesley away from the conditions of the house and also the chance to see Spencer was a win-win in his book.

He eased his large truck down the small street, noticing Rick’s car in the driveway next door. Perhaps, he had the day off from work. A black SUV was pulled up beside Rick’s car. The dark color and windows made it stick out like a sore thumb.

That’s weird. He frowned. He didn’t recognize the SUV belonging to anyone he or Rick, for that matter, knew.

He pulled his truck all the way to the end of his circular driveway to make room for Spencer when he got there.

Shoving the key into the door, he entered and tossed them on the small side table.

“Anna?” Silence greeted him.

He entered the kitchen and found her note. She’d gone to the store to pick up snacks for the weekend and Chinese food as he had requested for dinner. He smiled and honestly thought he didn’t know what he’d do without her before he hurried down the hallway to his room and changed into casual clothes and then grabbed his sneakers.

After seeing the house where Wesley lived and hearing the facts from Adam, he could only imagine how tough things were for the pair. Spencer and Wesley’s clothes had been aged. He had wondered if the garments came from thrift store purchases and now, it seemed more than possible.

Spencer paid the bills for two households. Along with the apartment Spencer shared with Dillon, the expenses wouldn’t