Page 46 of Throttle Therapy

“That’s great.What about later, when you were out in the shop?”She didn’t want to suggest what she was asking about, she didn’t want to plant ideas in her sister’s head.

“It was great!Joker showed me what some of the tools are and where they go.Papa said after all my homework’s done, if it’s okay with you, I can help out in the shop and he’ll pay me.”

Some of the tension and worry drained out of Jenna.

“You know the rules.Homework first and if your grades start slipping, then it stops.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lacey quipped with a mock salute.

Jenna swatted at her.“Off with you.I’m going to take a shower and then probably go to bed.I’m exhausted.I didn’t sleep well last night.”What she didn’t say was she’d been so worried about how today would go, she’d tossed and turned all night long, making her even more worn out today.Now she was going to rest.“It’s a school night—”

“So in bed by nine,” Lacey finished for her.“I know.I will.I want to get a good night’s sleep.I’m excited to see how tomorrow goes.”

Well, if nothing else, the new job, and the guys at the shop had gotten her sister excited about something that didn’t have Jenna wondering how she’d pay for it, for the first time in a long time.

Overthenextweekthey settled into an easy routine, Roadkill picked them up each morning, they would drop Lacey at school, then he would drop her at the shop.On Wednesday he asked if he could take her out for dinner the next day.Even though she hadn’t been part of the conversation, and had in fact been in another room, before Jenna had a chance to tell him she wasn’t sure, her sister had come into the room, accepting for her.

Jenna had scowled at Lacey, then tried to make excuses that she needed to be there for Lacey.To which, her sister had said she was fourteen, not four, and would be fine home alone for a couple of hours.And if they were that worried about it, she could go to the clubhouse.Jenna wasn’t sure she wanted her sister at the clubhouse without her, though she didn’t say anything.She didn’t want to offend the man who had done so much to help them both.

“All right,” she agreed.She’d wanted to but she was torn.She needed to make sure Lacey was safe and taken care of.The last thing she wanted was for someone to come along and take her sister away.

By five o’clock on Friday, Jenna’s stomach was in knots.And she didn’t even know why.It wasn’t like she wasn’t seeing him every day anyway.But oddly, she found she was nervous.Would he expect her to go home and change?Would he want her dressed up?Where was he going to take her?A million questions raced through her mind, making balancing her drawer at the end of the shift take twice as long as it should have.

The door opened, she looked up and found the object of her thoughts standing in front of her.

“You look like you’re about to rabbit.You okay?”

Jenna nodded.“Yeah, just stressed.What’s the plan for tonight?”

“I thought I’d take you and your sister home, then go get the bike.”

“You want to take the motorcycle?”Her voice shook just a little as she asked.

“I thought you might like to go for a ride before dinner.”

“So, jeans?”she asked.

“Jeans are great, and boots if you have some.”

She nodded.

“Anything you can’t or don’t eat, darlin’?”

Jenna shook her head.

“You like seafood?”

“What’s the point in living so close to the gulf if you don’t eat seafood?”she quipped before she thought better of it.

“Glad to hear it.You about ready?”

“Almost.Give me just a couple of minutes then we can head out.”She put away the notebook she used for scratch paper, picked up the cash box, and carried it into Papa Smurf’s office.When she got back to the reception desk, Roadkill was gone.A glance through the glass into the shop area told her that’s where he’d gone.He stood next to her little Focus, which still wasn’t fixed, though she wasn’t entirely sure what was wrong now.He was talking to Papa Smurf, Joker and Lacey.She picked up her bag and hooked it over her shoulder and shook her head in wonder at how quickly these men, men who most people would cross the street to avoid, had become so integral in their lives.

Going to the glass wall, she knocked on the glass then jerked her thumb toward the truck.Roadkill nodded and she headed out, knowing he’d unlock it before she got there.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Don’thesitatetocallif you need something,” Jenna said, one hand on the doorknob.