8

8

Bodie woke anticipating his date with Claire that night. He couldn’t help feeling like a teenager about to embark on his first date with a girl, though it had been quite a few years since he had experienced that sensation. He couldn’t even recall the name or really the face of the first girl he’d dated, but it’d only been the one date, so that was hardly surprising.

It seemed like it would be forever before the day would end so he could pick up Claire at the appointed hour. By midmorning, he was scowling at the clock, annoyed by how slowly it seemed to be ticking past. His phone rang, diverting his attention from the offending timepiece, and he answered with the speakerphone on, so he didn’t have to pick it up. Ostensibly, he was working on pack business, but in truth, he was far too distracted to give it much consideration. “Hello?”

“Bodie, can you stop by?”

He nodded before answering his dad. “Sure. What time would you like me?”

“The sooner the better,” said Duke with a hint of gr