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He climbed into the car and was quiet for the first few minutes as the car purred its way down the street. Then he glanced sideways at me. "Thanks, Jax," he said quietly.
I figured he'd had enough advice for one day. "No problem, kid."
About a mile down the road he said, "I thought you'd own some fancy smancy new car."
I grinned, knowing I had exactly that back in the car bay at my condo. This wasn't the most efficient car to drive around town, but I loved it.
"It was my dad's. He'd always wanted one, and when I was a kid, he found this one cheap because it wasn't in the best of shape. On his days off, he'd go out and work on restoring it. He taught me a lot about cars."
And a bunch of other stuff that seemed useless at the time. I'd give anything to stand beside him one more time as he wiped the grease from his hands on an old rag and talked to me. How different my life might have turned out if he hadn't died.
"So, he just gave it to you?"
"No. He died."
His mouth formed an "O."
"My mom couldn't stand the idea of getting rid of it, and when I was old enough, I finished restoring it."
"It's your way of keeping your dad around."
The kid was smart. "Yeah, I guess it is."
At first, the classic car was a way to keep both my hands and my mind busy. I had to read mechanical magazines and do so much research to learn what to do and how to do it. Then as my knowledge and skill set grew, it became more like therapy. In the quiet of the garage, I worked and imagined what I'd say to my dad and what his answer might be. Often, it was more helpful than the days spent with the counselor my mom had taken me to see.
After that, Micah loosened up. The fifteen-minute trip was full of questions. Where do you work? What do you do? How old are you? Why aren't you married? Are you going to ask Grace out? My mom's pretty, you could ask her. Will you teach me how to drive? Do you like football? What's your favorite team?
His constant chatter didn't bother me. It took me back to the days when I'd had to pester people with dozens of questions about rebuilding the very car we were sitting in. The words fell from his lips faster than I could answer, so I was able to pick and choose which ones I answered. I skipped right anything regarding dating.
I pulled up to a house as directed by my GPS. It was a pretty, white two-story house with dark blue shutters. In the front yard, knee-high boxwoods provided a green background to colorful flowers of varying heights. Baskets of ferns were hanged evenly spaced across the porch. Rocking chairs on one end and a swing on one end completed the front.
The only thing missing was my mother, waiting for me in one of those chairs. Sighing, I gave in to the inevitable and shut off the engine.
"Wait here a minute. I'll go get my mom."
"You still live with your mom?" There was no mistaking the incredulity in his voice, along with a hint of disdain.
"No, I don't still live with my mom," I parroted. "I was running an errand for her when I got interrupted by your sorry butt. She hurt her foot while she was out with her sister and needs a ride home."
"Oh. So, this is her sister’s house?"
"No." I shut him inside the car before he could ask more questions.
I'd taken about four steps up the sidewalk when a familiar dark blue SUV pulled into the driveway behind another car I recognized as my aunt's.
No fucking way. My mind raced as it sorted through details: the address my mom gave me belonged to one of Aunt Julie's friends. Anne Hart was Julie's best friend. This house was near Grace's church. Grace has a blue SUV Trailblazer.
Fuck me sideways. This was Anne's house, and it was her daughter who was pulling into the driveway.
I paused as Grace swung her legs out of the car and stood. As she turned to open her back door, her blouse gaped, showing a tease of her breasts and the hint of pink lace that covered them. Fortune smiled on me, and a gust of wind caught the material of her skirt as she reached for something. The light-weight material flew up. She smacked it down quickly, but not fast enough to hide that her lace panties matched her bra.
Most of my blood flowed south to gather in one place as I had a vision of her laid out upon my bed while I peeled that scrap of lace down her long, sexy legs. Every thought I had of staying away from her vanquished. Fucking hell.
I watched as she shut the car door and glimpsed briefly in my general direction, before focusing on me. Then a smile, a genuine one, blossomed on her lips.
"A little early for Friday dinner, aren't you, Mr. Carter?" She walked up the sidewalk until she stood in front of me. "Seriously, Jax. You should seek help for this stalking tendency you have."
Her teasing smirk drew forth a smile of my own. "Hate to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but it's not you I'm here to see."
