He looked at the car, now sporting a long scratch from bumper to door. “It’s okay.”
“I’m going to pay for it. Ugh, I know a guy at Adrian Auto Body. Probably can buff it out for you.”
Stone raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s okay, J.J., really.”
“What, you’ve got three more just like it in the fleet back at your underground lair?” J.J. couldn’t help it; sometimes the snark just came out.
“How did you guess?”
This exchange had lasted longer than she had time or desire for it to last.Time to wrap this up.
“Well, if you change your mind, just let me know, and I’ll take a second job or sell my future grandchildren or whatever to pay for it.” She figured the SUV cost more than her first house and car. Maybe all the houses on her block combined.
Stone Stirling laughed and shook his head.
Why was he being nice?Whatever, she had half a dozen boxes to collect that littered the parking lot; she didn’t have time to puzzle out his game. She yanked the cart back and slid it into the cart return.
“Can I help?”
J.J. was struggling to chase the boxes now that the wind had picked up, and they were sliding away from her in all directions, albeit slowly. Her face was flushed with embarrassment. She’d turned into a gawky teenager out of nowhere.
“No, no, I’m fine,” she said as she bent down for a box that had slipped away. She felt like she was suddenly in a silent movie comedy, and she was the clown.
Despite her protest, the billionaire started chasing the boxes, too.
“I said I could do it myself.” But she was losing the battle.
Finally, after several comical minutes, J.J. had loaded two boxes into the back of her vintage Ford Escort Station Wagon, and Stone Stirling was behind her with four more.
“Here, you go.” He slid them in, and she was forced to be polite and grateful.
“Thank you.”
“Are you moving so soon after getting back?”
How did he know I had gone?She was reasonably sure he only knew she existed because she’d told him off on behalf of Libby, any chance she got.
“Did you miss me? I know I’m one of your favorite townies.”
“I did. And you are.”
“Right. Yeah, okay, so I’m out of here. Thanks for the help. And let me know if I owe you for the door.”
J.J. did not like a helpful or friendly Stone Stirling. She was still in battle mode against the guy, even though she hadn’t seen him in months, and they’d beat him at his own game.
She left him in the parking lot.
If she had to pay for his car, it would not be cheap. All that work to get the free boxes, and she mangles Stone Stirling’s car in the process.Typical!
J.J. tried to shake off the encounter and focus on something else.
Getting to Nora House, a bottle of wine, and some good cheese was the order of the rest of the night. She needed to rest and regroup so she could box D.J. on the ears tomorrow and face off against whatever BS he was into.
ChapterSix
“Surprise!”
Goldie ran out of Nora House and straight for her.
