I stretched as I got out of my seat of my last class for the day. Professor Gaines, who was also my adviser, called out.

“Gavin.”

I went to the front to meet him. “Yes?”

“I’ve been really impressed with your project and talked to a buddy of mine who works for Boeing.”

That perked me up.

“I told him about a promising student. And he mentioned that he’s looking to bring someone he could mentor. Boeing has several large government projects, so the job would require high-level security clearance. They’ll bring someone in to talk to your family and friends. That wouldn’t be a problem?”

I wanted to close my eyes and mutter several curses. Instead, I shrugged. “Shouldn’t be.”

He clapped me on the back. “Good. He’s looking for someone with forward thinking on design of engines. He’s extremely interested in your rebuild of the Mustang’s engine and your focus on the sustainable use of natural resources.”

“I haven’t completed it yet.”

He patted my shoulder. “I have every confidence in you.”

I didn’t, and not about the engine. How could I go for a security clearance when my life was far from squeaky clean?

I left the class and seemed to drift as I walked across campus to the dorms, trying to figure out how to get out of the job opportunity. The thing was it was something I wanted. Boeing was a huge company with global reach. I could work with the best minds in the mechanical engineering industry. And I couldn’t take it because my dad had made a bad decision a long time ago.

Speaking of something else I couldn’t have, Megan stood with a growing crowd around her. She wore a long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows. Sunglasses held her long hair away from her face. But it was those damn stretchy pants clinging to her ass that captured all my attention.

I made my way over to the crowd. The guy nearest me barely glanced in my direction—all his attention was on her. I ground my teeth and forced myself to resist telling him not to even think about her the way he probably was. Instead, I asked him what was going on.

“There was a flyer looking for models for a shoot,” he said.

I arched a brow as a few guys started to take off their shirts. Apparently, she was looking for a certain type of model. Though clearly, these dudes hadn’t seen sun. A grin began to form on my face as Megan hadn’t noticed me yet. She was busy taking photos with her phone.

“Here’s the form.”

I glanced down at a girl with a cheesy grin on her face. The guy I’d talked to muttered thanks when she handed him one, but her eyes hadn’t left me. She held out her clipboard to me.

“Are you interested?” she asked.

Megan stole my attention when she made some ooh and ahh noises as she took a few more pictures. It was time to have a little fun. I took the form. The idea of making Megan squirm was too much to resist.

“We’re going to need your shirt off,” the tiny girl said.

The poor guy next to me tried to get her attention.

“I have mine filled out,” he said.

“Thanks,” she offered, but again she was staring at me. I gave the paper a once-over and signed my name at the bottom of the release.

The quick scan said Megan would be using the photos she’d taken to make a decision for the models she’ll use in an ad campaign for her senior project.

I filled in my cell number and wondered if she’d use it for other reasons.

“Thanks,” I said, handing the clipboard back.

The girl giggled, but she wasn’t who I wanted to impress. She walked over to Megan and announced me.

“We have Gavin next,” the girl said.

Megan’s hair flew around her face as she spun to face me. Her eyes narrowed and I shrugged.

“These ladies are next. Gavin has to wait,” Megan said to her.

The two girls waved at me. So she was looking for more than guys. The girls posed, but didn’t take off their shirts. I wanted to point out the sexist aspect to this test shoot to rile her. But I was also curious about her project. And when had I ever cared?

She took a few pictures and after she was done, she faced me. “Shirt?”

“They didn’t take theirs off—that doesn’t seem fair,” I teased.

The other guys added their agreements.

“We can take ours off,” the girls said as one.

“That won’t be necessary,” Megan said.

She rolled her eyes and they landed on me. “Either take off your shirt or keep moving.”

As her eyebrow lifted in challenge, I cranked up a smile and took it off. Girls giggled and muttered to themselves. Megan did neither. She just lifted her phone and snapped a few shots.

“Thanks,” she said, not giving me the slightest hint of what she thought.

Two could play that game.

“That’s it?”

She nodded. “We’ll call you if we can use you.”

Her assistant seemed floored. I walked over to Megan and moved a section of her hair away from her ear. I leaned down, ghosted my lips over hers, and whispered.

“You can call and use me anytime you want.”

She shivered. My work was done. I walked away knowing I’d won that round.

* * *

Late that night, I drove down the sad road to my small-frame house. It might not have been much, but we owned the land all the way to the shore in back. The tall trees cast shadows over everything.

On the way, I passed an unmarked car and a dark van with a magnetic plumbing logo. The Feds were onto us. It was only a matter of time before we would be taken in. Just another reason I needed to stay the fuck away from Megan. Last thing I wanted was her mixed up in my mess. Only one future needed to be screwed.

I parked in front of the garage and got out my truck. I used a worn key on my keyring to open the front door.

“Dad,” I called out.

He wasn’t in the front room. With me being older and taller, the house was pathetically small. When I was young, it had felt large.

“Dad?”

I found the basement doors and saw the light on down there. I went downstairs and found him at this desk.

We were sure the house was bugged.

“Hey,” I said casually. “How was the catch today?”

“Not as good as it used to be.”

My once proud father was more of a shell of his former self. He’d lost the little bulk he had and he’d let the gray take over his head.

“Yeah, well we’re going to need at least five bushels for the market this weekend.”

Dad should have taken the hint. Either he was truly preoccupied with the books he was working on, or he was taking me at my word.

“Why? Do we have a new customer?”

I glared at him, but he didn’t look up. “No, the forecast is a warm weekend. A lot of people will be cooking out.”

Finally, his eyes met mine. “Five, huh?”

Five didn’t mean bushels or even hundreds or thousands. Five large meant the boss wanted five hundred thousand clean money in cash by Friday.

“Well, you said the catch wasn’t as good as it used to be. And with the weather nice, a lot of people won’t be at the market. Still, I think we could sell five easily.”

Over the years, Dad had used his clever bookkeeping skills to buy an open-air market. Since we were scraping the bottom of the barrel middle class, the grants I got for college didn’t cover tuition. Even though Tate, Tade’s biological father, the one currently on death row was footing the bill, Dad had to funnel that money into legal status so he could use it to pay for my college.

I glanced at the wall behind Dad. There was enough money stashed there to buy a mansion, several fancy cars, a yacht, and maybe even a plane two times over. But we couldn’t use any of it. I thought about my shit truck. Good thing I’d learned auto mechanic skills in high school. I maintained it on my own.

“I was thinking about selling,” Dad said. He put his pencil down and met my gaze squarely. “I’m tired, son.” The weariness he carried showed in the lines that were etched all over his face. I scrubbed my face, unable to speak.

“You remember Connie?” he asked. I nodded. “She came by to tell me she’s finally getting married.”

Dad had stayed true to Mom as best he could when Bear wasn’t throwing women at him and forcing his hand. But Connie—the woman next door who cooked and baked almost as good as my mom, according to Dad—had tried her best to work her way into his heart. And from the look in his eyes, she had.

“Tell her I said congrats.”

I might have sounded happy for her, but I was sad for him. More sad for myself, as he was a reflection of my future.

“I got a job opportunity.”

There was no reason I had to tell him that. He already looked burdened with the world, but it had popped out.

“Good for you. You should take it.”

I can’t, I wanted to tell him.

“I’m going to build you a boat. And we’re going to fish together, you and me.”

Watery eyes met mine and he shook his head silently. “I’m going to retire, give up the business. You should take the job.”

It was my turn to silently shake my head. “I’m not going to let you give up. People will always want crabs and the markets are doing good.”

Our stupid between-the-line conversation continued because Dad knew although we were alone in the house, we were being watched and listened to.

“I didn’t send you to college to end up an old man alone with nothing to show for all his hard work but a two-bedroom house and a ten-year-old boat. You deserve more, son. Your mother would want more for you.”

I pinched at the corner of my eyes, hating my life and his. Who knew how close the Feds were to catching us. When would the search order come in? Would they take a wrecking ball to the walls and seize all we had left?

“I’m going to make us dinner,” I said. Dad looked like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

“I’m not hungry,” he said to my back.

“Yeah old man, well, you’re eating.”

“I don’t want seafood.”

I laughed. “That’s the last thing on the menu tonight.”

Upstairs, as I rummaged through the kitchen, I thought about Connie. Would I end up in the future watching Megan get married to someone else?