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The pair revving up to an argument turned to face me. Rocky puffed up his chest. “She sure should be lookin’ fine. Gave her a good spit and polish all day yesterday gettin’ ready for the cruise-in.”
Which explained why he was here so early. Eager to show off his baby. “Mighty fine,” I said with a wink over the old man’s shoulder to the woman watching from a few feet away. Her lips parted, and I swore I felt her gasp on my cheek even all the way over here. I slanted my gaze back to the crusty old-timer. “Creed still trying to sweet-talk his way behind the wheel?”
“That man may know his way around an engine, but he’s not taking this old girl.”
“One day he might make you an offer you can’t resist.” I paused, letting my eyes roam over the Bel Air as if considering. “Him or old man Pendleton.”
Rocky shifted further away from my baker and with his index finger sharply pointed, he indicated his beloved car. “J.T. Pendleton will rot in Hell before he gets his squirrelly hands on my girl.”
“Well, now, Rocky, it relieves me to hear you say that.” I shifted my weight forward, hand extended to shake. “I was worried we were gonna have a blow-up around here.”
Rocky accepted my shake, a wrinkle pinching his forehead. “No blow-up.”
“Yeah, old Pendleton likes to keep an eye on his town, and what with all the business the cruise-in brings, he’s bound to be around at some point today.” I tilted my chin back, indicating the silently fuming Rae and telling the man something he already knew. “We have an agreement with the city, you know. No cruise-in parking until an hour before start.”
Rocky’s shoulders stiffened, but before he tore into me, I added, “How about we move on down to the paved side of the caboose?” I waved to the two spots he’d spread over. “Saving this other spot for Henry and his Vette?”
Rocky nodded, tossing an annoyed look over his shoulder.
“How about this,” I said before Rae could get her dander up. “The Panthers Youth Club is helping us out this month. Next month, too.” I kicked my thumb out to indicate Bomber. “How’s about they make sure to save your and Henry’s spot when it gets closer to time?”
Rocky sighed fit to blow out a fifty-candle cake, shifting from foot to foot. “I suppose that’ll be just fine.” He frowned down at Bomber. “Young man, you take note. I want this very same spot tonight.” He pointed to the end of the square opposite the caboose. “Can see everything from here. The hotrods when they get goin’ over there.” He pointed to the street. “The street rod assholes over there. The Mustangs over thataway. And the classics right here.” He bent at the waist to get on a level with Bomber. “Best spot on the square.”
Bomber nodded, his tone properly serious when he replied, “Yes, sir.”
I helped load up his lawn chair and waved as he slowly eased the old Bel Air out of the spot and down the road. Bomber caught my eye as I turned to face my baker and I sent him a thumbs up. He grinned, flashing big teeth and nearly tripping over a stripe of paint on the pavement.
“Thank you.”
Her words, even edged with a hint of lingering sharpness, fell on my ears like the throaty rumble of a performance vehicle. Never been one to walk away from a challenge. “Not a problem, Ms. Kennedy.”
“He did the same thing last month and one of my regular customers - an elderly woman, mind you - had to walk from all the way from the other side of the caboose lot and that’s just not right. Not when he has so much time to get. . .” She let her words drift off as I closed the distance between us.
When I’d ogled her in the bakery, it was her curves and the chin that seemed to always point up that caught my attention. But now, my gaze dragged over every inch of her, taking in the high and mirror-bright pewter silver heels that showcased her long, long legs. That she wore those heels with a pair of dark blue jeans that hugged all the dips and valleys of her curves to perfection and a pale sweater that molded her beautiful full breasts brought a heaviness to my dick I hadn’t felt in a good long while.
“I appreciate you coming over, even if I did have a handle on things.”
I grinned, distracted from her legs and flashes of them wrapped around my waist to take in that haughty little chin she had, once again, pointed skyward. I came closer still, making her tilt her head up even more to keep eye contact with me. But she didn’t step back and I was a big guy. I may not skate around chasing a puck these days, but I’d been born big and the habits of a lifetime kept me in a gym.
“I sure could see that you did, Rae. Old Rocky was seconds away from moving. I just helped him along.”
She rolled her pretty blue eyes and made sure I caught it. Had I zipped back in time to high school? She was such a mix of grumpy, sassy and now this lil’ hint of teenage drama in a woman’s body. I wanted to eat her up.
“Okay, then,” she said. “I’m going back inside to my customers.”
“You sure were unhappy at the meeting last week. I was surprised since it was all about the Christmas festivities planned in the Square here. Who doesn’t like Christmas?”
She turned back, pivoting on her shiny heel like a pro. “Who said I didn’t like Christmas?”
“Well, now, with all the protest you put up for next month’s event, I did assume you weren’t a fan.”
“It’s not Christmas I don’t like. It’s all the people.”
“With J.T. Pendleton involved, there will definitely be a lot of people. We’re putting together the biggest ever event for the cruise-in next month. J.T.’s bringing up some of the players from the Renegades. Hiring a Santa. All kinds of extras. We’re expecting all the clubs around Three Corners to really show out, probably triple or more the number of cars and drivers as usual.”
“Holy crap.”
I grinned. “Yep.”
