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“Hey. Thanks for getting this done so quickly,” I say. What I really mean: thank you for giving me my freedom back.

“Oh, it was no big deal. Starter’s easy,” Mick says. “Cash or credit?”

“Debit,” I reply, unzipping my wristlet to retrieve my card. I’m sure my dad sent me way more than I need for this repair, and I’ll send him back the difference later.

Mick hands me a receipt and clears his throat. “I haven’t pulled your car out of the bay. You can come through here.” Mick nods toward the door to the shop.

“Oh, okay.” I follow him out to the shop where a couple of cars are lifted and smile when my eyes land on my car. It’s only been a couple of days since I met him. I rush over to my familiar set of wheels, and it looks exactly as I left it. I lift my eyes and notice a white convertible in the farthest bay. “Is that Enzo’s?” I ask before I can think. I didn’t notice it the other day, but I was also distracted and wouldn’t have recognized the car until my research this morning.

Mick looks in the same direction. “Oh…yeah.”

I gesture toward the convertible. “Can I…?”

“Sure.”

I stride over to it. The paint doesn’t look as old as the car must be, and the metal trim looks new as well. The photos online don’t do this justice. It’s much sportier in person, and I notice the soft top folded behind the seats. I was right that Enzo would look ridiculous in this car.

I laugh to myself. “Isn’t he too tall for this?”

“You’d think,” Mick replies shortly, keeping his focus on a clipboard. I glance back at the car. The windows are down, and I lean over the driver’s side door to check out the interior. I breathe in, hoping to pick up his cologne, but all I can smell is automotive fumes. I study the driver’s seat like Enzo might appear and drive it home, and my eyes shift to the steering wheel where the leather is worn in a couple of spots. “It’s a lemon. Which is good for me, I guess,” he adds.

I sense Mick behind me, so I straighten up and turn around. My cheeks ignite. I shouldn’t be alone with a stranger like this. Mick’s not the calm safety Enzo was, either. But now I’m left wondering if I was just fixated on Enzo the other day, and that eased my nerves.

“What do you mean?”

“Just that it’s going to be in the shop more than the road. He’s trying to force something that’s not meant to be…” he trails off. Goosebumps run up my forearms.

I should get out of here.

“Do you have Enzo’s number?” I ask before I lose the nerve.

His expression tightens, and he takes a step back. “Yeah, but I can’t give out customer information.”

That’s annoyingly fair of him…

“Well, you have mine, so if Enzo comes around, can you give it to him?” I meet his eyes. “You have my permission,” I add with a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

Mick frowns. “I’m not dumb, Tilly. A guy like him gets a lot of female attention. But the thing is if you’re looking for just fun this summer, that’s not him.” His eyes dart away from me. “He’s traditional.”

I furrow my brows at him. “So? What do you mean?”

“He wants a barefoot-and-pregnant-in-the-kitchen type, and you don’t seem like that. And something about him has been off. He’s not the same guy I grew up with.”

I’m not about to be gaslit by this guy who’s probably jealous of Enzo. He’s a business owner, sure, but not to the same degree of Enzo. I saw that winery and knew it must be quite an operation to run.

“If you see him, give him my number,” I repeat.

“I’ll do that, Tilly.” Mick clears his throat. “At the risk of Enzo killing me, do you want to grab a drink sometime?”

Absolutely not, but…what?

My eyes flash to his. “Why would Enzo kill you?”

“Because, um,” Mick pauses and exhales a breath. “Look, he’s a scary dude. He came by yesterday to check out his car, and he mentioned you.” Enzo mentioned me? Brief, pure giddiness spreads through me. “Well, mentioned your car.” Oh. The giddiness stops as if a switch has flipped. “But anyway, I said something about wanting to get to know you, and he threatened me.” I try not to make a face.

He’s just protective.

And that thought shouldn’t make me wet, but damn, it does. I bite my lip and shift my eyes to the side.