Page 25 of The Other Half

“Come on!” Her cheery voice called from the car before she climbed in the driver seat.

With a deep breath I walked around it and climbed inside. A little brown dog, smaller than most cats, trotted across the bench seat and climbed into my lap. Giant googly eyes stared up at me, and erect ears folded at the top stood a little taller while she examined my face.

“That’s Princess Poppy.”

“Well good morning, Muskybait,” I said to the strange little creature staring me down.

“She’s not Musky bait!” Cassie scolded then laughed. “She’s a princess. Aren’t you, Poppy?”

Hearing her name had the little dog wiggling in my lap. “What happened to her face? She looks like she ran into a wall at full tilt.”

“It’s supposed to look like that!” she said while she started the car. “She’s a smooth-coated Brussels Griffon. That’s what they look like. And I think she’s beautiful. Aren’t you, Poppy?”

The engine roared, and I exhaled a breath that my repairs still held steady. “I still think it looks like a bat and a squirrel had a baby.”

Poppy did a little circle then curled up on my lap. Furrowing my brows, I looked down at her then over to Cassie, who appraised the sight of us with a wide grin.

“She likes you.”

“It would seem she does,” I answered, then gave Poppy a little scratch behind the ears.

Cassie drove the car around the turnaround, and we started back down the driveway.

“Your truck is on the causeway?”

“Yeah.”

“I really can’t believe you did this. You’ve got a knack for saving me. You must think I’m such a mess.”

“It’s fine. I’m honestly surprised I got this thing working again. Where in the hell did you even get it?”

There was a moment of hesitation, then she answered. “My grandpa.”

“Did he get it when he was a teenager then hand it down to you?”

“It’s not that old. At least I think it’s not.” She laughed, and I joined her. The same shock I felt when I’d laughed last night hit me again. How was it she could inspire laugher in me with such ease after so many months of not even being able to smile?

One look at Cassie and I was spitting out smiles like a malfunctioning ATM.

“This interior is... wow.” I ran a hand over the orange velour.

“Shut up, I know!” She laughed harder and my own smile grew with hers. “It’s so ugly!”

“It is not the kind of car I would picture someone like you driving.”

“Someone like me?” she asked, glancing over.

“Um, yeah, you know...” Hot. Gorgeous. Stunning. “A woman,” I lied.

“A woman?” Her dark-blonde brow rose in a challenge. “You think because I’m a woman I can’t handle this massive machine?”

Ugh. I’d just dug myself a grave I didn’t know how to get out of. “No. Not that you can’t handle it, but that you wouldn’t want to drive it. I figured women care more about their cars than men. This looks like something my buddy Aaron would drive. Hell, the interior matches his beard.”

“I met him last night!” she said, and I was grateful she let go of the subject so quickly. “Nice guy.”

“Yeah. He is. We’ve been buddies for years.”

“That’s what Jo said. You all grew up together?”