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He stilled. No one had asked him that question as far as he could remember. Out of his brothers, he was the only one who’d taken a shine to the work his father did. None of them wanted anything to do with being a mechanic. Adam glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and then he turned back to the task at hand. “Actually, no. I kinda fought it for a long time.”
“Really.”
He nodded. “But that was probably because my brothers did too. None of them wanted to be a mechanic. They thought they were better than that sort of work. I guess I sorta believed them.”
“Did any of them become mechanics?”
He chuckled. “Nope. They all got jobs doing other stuff.”
“But not you.”
Adam shook his head. “It wasn’t for lack of trying. When I left town to go to school, I wanted to do something—anything else. But the funny thing was that I realized I was actually really good at it. I could sense what was wrong with the cars that I worked on. First, I was just helping my friends with their own beat-up cars in college, then I turned it into a gig I did on the weekends. In the end, I realized I should just accept that this was what God had in store for me.”
She hovered so close he could hear her soft breathing. He didn’t dare look at her. He had no idea how she’d react. Here was this woman who was raised in the Callahan family, and she probably had the strongest family values of anyone this side of the Colorado River. It could go either way.
What if she looked down on him for not wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps? On the other hand, she could judge him for coming back like the prodigal son he was. There was no telling what she was thinking, especially with how quiet she was being in that very moment.
“Sometimes I wonder if I should do what some of my sisters have done.”
His hands stilled, no longer conditioning the saddle. “What do you mean?”
“You know, Like Constance, Dianna, and Grace.”
Adam faced her. “You realize that the only one I know is Grace, right?”
She rolled her eyes. “My oldest sisters are the ones taking care of the ranch the way my father will need them to when he decides to retire. The rest of us have to figure out if we’re going to hang around to help out or if we’re going to go our own way. Grace is helping out at that Equine Therapy Center. She’s my younger sister, and she’s already found what she wants. And I’m…” She shrugged. “I’m just stuck. It’s kinda embarrassing, you know?”
“You’re helpingme.”
She gave him an irritated look. “We’re trading services. That’s not me helping anyone.”
“Well, you’re really good at it if that’s any consolation. You’ve got a knack for explaining things that other people don’t. What if you taught people how to ride?”
Faye’s features blanked. Was that a good thing? Or had he offended her? He couldn’t tell.
“Seriously. I’ve had a total of two lessons from you and—” he started but she interrupted.
“Right. The first one, you were bucked from your horse. And the second, you had to double-up to ride through the rain. I wouldn’t say you’ve had a very good track record. Or rather, I’ve not had a very good track record.”
She made a good point, but that wasn’t what he was dwelling on. Sure, he’d learned a lot from these two lessons. But more than that, he’d actually enjoyed himself, and that had everything to do with a certain someone who stood beside him.
Adam turned to face her fully. “I get that you’re not feeling very confident right now but believe me when I tell you that I wouldn’t mind paying for the kind of expertise I know you offer.”
Faye rolled her lips together before pulling them into a small smile. “Thanks, Adam.”
“Don’t mention it.” Adam wasn’t the type of person to give compliments. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to tell the truth. Faye was obviously knowledgeable when it came to horsemanship. She knew how to put things in simple terms to aid in the learning process. And she was humble enough to brush off something she didn’t believe to be true.
He stepped back to admire his work. “How about that?”
She moved in closer and her shoulder brushed against his. Faye smelled like the rain outside and a faint floral scent. There were other notes of something he couldn’t place, but he found that the combination of all of it was nothing like he’d ever experienced before. He was usually in a garage with the smell of oil and other chemicals they used for the vehicles they worked on.
Faye was a breath of fresh air—literally. It took all his self-control not to lean in and breathe deeply. She turned her chin over her shoulder and smiled at him. “This looks great. I’m impressed.”
Adam smiled, lifting his shoulders. “I told you. I have a lot of experience with detailing leather seats in the cars I work on. This was nothing.”
She rolled her eyes. “Glad to see your experience hasn’t given you a big head.” Faye spun on her heel and brushed past him again. Each time her body made contact with his, a strange sensation occurred. It was enough to draw his attention and make him do a double take. His gut twisted in an unsettling way and he couldn’t drag his focus from her as she headed off toward the door.
He charged after her. “Are we done then? Does this mean we can go get that coffee to warm up?”
