Page 45 of First in Line

“He can, but I wanted to do it myself. Like old times.”

I hesitate, looking at the car, the tool cabinet nearby, and Jax again. “Does this mean you don’t need me to hang around and help you out?”

The ghost of a grin dances on his full lips. “Even more like old times… Are you up for it?”

“Yeah, I think I remember everything.”

While Jackson lifts the hood, I roll up the sleeves of my blouse. Standing by his side, I bend over to look at the exposed components.

“So, what do you have left to do?”

“Not much. It took me a lot longer than it should have because I tried to save as much of the original engine as I could. My brother received the intake manifold last week, so I thought I’d work on that this afternoon.”

“I don’t see the exhaust one. Do you not have it yet?”

“No, it’s coming directly from Subaru in Japan. By fucking foot, it seems.”

I laugh. “You should have brought it back yourself. It would have been faster.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think of that when I ordered it months ago.”

For about three hours, we work together on our old blue friend. While the moment has me traveling back in time, I’m also very aware of the present. This is us now, not just then. We get along better than we did at the end of our marriage, and I’m not entirely sure what to make of it.

Have we matured? Or have our feelings for one another lessened so much that we don’t feel the need to fight over everything?

Once we’re out of things to do, we stand side by side, admiring our handiwork.Hishandiwork, really—all I did was pass him the tools and hold whatever needed holding.

As he closes the hood again, I look at Winnie with mixed emotions. “I’m glad you saved her,” I say, genuinely happy about it.

“Me too. A lot of things happened in this car.”

“You robbed a liquor store,” I humor.

“Winnie and I were criminals just that one time.”

“You won your first SCCA race ever.”

“I did. And then many after that as well.”

I hesitate only for a second before adding, “I lost my virginity in this car, too.”

Something shifts in his unique gaze. My words awaken a need that probably should have stayed asleep, but I’m not sure I mind. “I remember,” Jackson answers, his voice suddenly low. “I’m the one who took it.”

Silence follows, but we don’t need words. Not when our eyes say so much.

“Should we do something to celebrate?” he randomly wonders.

“The rebirth of Winnie?”

He smirks. “Yes.”

I should say no. Ihaveto say no. Nathan is waiting for me so we can try cakes for our wedding. I promised him I’d come back early, and I’ve already lingered here for three hours too long. That’s why, no, I can’t stay longer with Jax.

“Will you have dinner with me, Evangeline?” he asks since I’m not answering.

Technically, it’s just a dinner between two old friends who are about to be divorced. I’ve signed the papers. I’m just waiting for the right time to drop them off at my lawyer’s office so they can be filed. Dinner with him is technically not wrong.

But it feels wrong because there’s a part of me that knows Jax will always be more than a friend. He will forever be the manwho was there for every important milestone of my adult life. He was the first in line for everything.