I frowned. “I just told you. It’s Wentworth Mitchell.”
He gave me a wary look as he leaned forward, resting his arms on the security desk. “Wentworth Mitchell only has one son, and he’s attending college at Stanford.”
He was confused. He had to be. I’d seen the birth certificate with Wentworth’s name on it. Maybe I should have brought it, but I didn’t think I would have to. “I promise I’m his son. Just call him and tell him I’m here.”
He hesitated and moved some items around on his desk. “Mr. Mitchell is a very busy man. I can’t just call him because some kid wants to play a joke—”
“I’m not joking,” I said louder. My skin felt hot, and I clenched my fist, worried this trip was a waste of time. I’d skipped school and used all my savings to buy a bus ticket. Mom would be angry, but I had to talk to my father.
“Look, kid, give me your father’s name, and I’ll give him a call. Otherwise, skedaddle and go back to school.”
I straightened to my full height and looked him in the eye. “My father will fire you if he finds out you didn’t even tell him I’m here.”
That got his attention. “Well, let’s just see what he says then.” He picked up his phone and dialed a number. “Hi, Irene. I have a kid here who says he’s Mr. Mitchell’s son. Says his name is Dex. Can you patch me through to Mr. Mitchell?”
I heard a woman’s voice on the other end of the line, but I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“Yeah, didn’t think so.” He chuckled. “Kids these days…they try to get away with murder. You have a good day.” He disconnected and looked at me like I was a pesky little bug he was about to squash if I hung around any longer. “Just as I thought.” He laughed. “Mr. Mitchell doesn’t have another son.” He waved his hand in my direction. “Get out of here.”
Chapter 10
Tizzy
The next day I rode to work with Grandpa in his white truck. I was a little jittery with this being my first job and all, but I figured Grandpa wouldn’t be too hard on me. Dex drove on his own, stating he had errands he had to do later on. The previous evening, we’d all sat around the fire pit, and I’d done my best not to think about him or even look his way. That had been pointless since we ended up talking after everyone left.
I laid in bed that night trying to think of all the reasons I shouldn’t like him, but in the end, I only thought of the qualities that intrigued me. His rebel image that made me think of old James Dean movies, his confidence, the way he didn’t care what anyone thought of him. Strangely enough, despite the image, he wasn’t actually rebellious. He loved the Lord, he was loyal to Grandpa, and he was protective of me. It felt nice to have him looking out for me even if it was done as a favor for someone else.
“You okay?” Grandpa asked. “You’ve been pretty quiet the last fifteen minutes. Nervous about your first day?”
“A little.”
“Don’t worry. Delia will show you the ropes. She’ll be thrilled to have a female coworker around.”
“I hope so.”
“She will. Trust me.”
When we finally got there, Grandpa gave me a tour of Bailey Mechanics and introduced me to one or two workers who weren’t in the club. Moose, Jester, Cass, and Dex were all there, and they waved as we walked by.
“And this is the office where you will work,” Grandpa said, “and my office is right next door.”
He led me to a woman who looked to be somewhere in her fifties with brown hair that fell just past her ears. She smiled at me brightly and held out her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, Tirzah. Aren’t you the cutest little thing?”
I shook her hand. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say.”
She inhaled a breath and opened her mouth wide in a half-smile, half-gape. “And polite too. Carl, you must be beside yourself with joy right now.”
Grandpa leaned back on his heels and smiled proudly. “Yep. She’s the best thing that’s happened to me in years.”
I nudged him with my elbow, feeling a little self-conscious. “You’re sweet. Now, please put me to work. What would you like me to do today?”
Grandpa smiled and glanced at Delia. “I’ll leave her in your capable hands.”
After he left, Delia rubbed her palms together and squealed. “This is so exciting. I have my very own assistant, and it’s another woman. I never thought this day would come.”
“Is it hard working with a bunch of men?”
“Oh, it’s okay. They’re all respectful and Carl gets on them if they slack off on their hygiene, but you know how it is. There’s nothing like having female folk nearby to talk to about stuff.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been feeling that way myself lately. I’ve never been around so many men in my whole life.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come to your welcome luncheon. My husband, Sam, and I wanted to make it, but we had a prior engagement planned.”
“That’s okay. I was a little overwhelmed trying to remember everyone’s name, anyway.”
“Your grandpa and I go way back,” she said, winking. “He’s a good guy, and I can tell he’s happy to have you here.”
“How far back do you go?”
“Sam and I knew Carl in high school.”
“I’m attempting to picture Grandpa as a teenager.”
She chuckled. “Guess it’s hard for you to think of us old folks that way.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know.” She laughed. “It feels like a lifetime ago.” She glanced around the office. “Now, before I start going down memory lane, let me show you everything that needs to be done.”
***
We worked for several hours after that, and Delia was a great instructor. She showed me how to run the fax machine and also how to scan documents.
I’d just completed sorting the files and the stack of paperwork on her desk when she said, “Where have you been all my life? You’re so good at organizing.”
“I enjoy it. It’s fun to put things where they’re supposed to go.”
“Why don’t you take a break and afterward you can scan old paperwork for our archives. That would be a great help.”
“Oh, I don’t need to. I’m able to continue working.”
“We all receive a fifteen-minute break before lunch. Go ahead—use the restroom and get some fresh air. I’ll take mine when you come back.”
“Okay.”
After going to the restroom, I walked out front and immediately regretted that decision. Dex was standing there with the women I’d seen him talking to at church. What were they doing here?
“Please, we really want you to come.” The taller of the two had her hand clasped around his forearm and she was pouting.
He wore blue coveralls over a short-sleeved gray t-shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and revealed thick, sculpted arms. There were streaks of dirt or oil on his forearms but that didn’t seem to matter to this woman because she tightened her grip.
“Sorry, Lily, I have a lot going on this week.” He shifted his large frame and ran a hand along his trim beard.
Lily happened to look my way, and she stiffened. “Is that…” She lowered her voice. “You avoided us all weekend. Why?”
They all looked at me and I sensed everyone’s discomfort, including my own. I didn’t know what to say, but I felt bad. Dex probably spent a lot of time with them and my coming to town had messed up his plans.
“You should go,” I said, inserting myself into their conversation. “Grandpa and I are fine on our own.”
Dex ran a hand over the back of his head and shrugged. “Yeah, maybe I will. I’ll give you a call, Lily, and let you know later.”
His nonchalance felt like a sucker punch in the gut. If I’d thought he had any interest in me at all, his indifference cleared that right up. Not that I actually believed he was interested but…maybe I had a little. Apparently, I was hindering his social life, preventing him from doing anything fun.
He probably preferred spending time with them and resented being stuck in that guest house.
“By the way,” Dex said, looking at me, “this is Lily and Alicia. They both go to Town Center Community.”
Alicia smiled at me but it was strained. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” I said.
Lily gave me a little wave. “We stopped by to ask Dex to watch a movie with us. We’re getting a group together, and we really want him there. I’m sure he appreciates you letting him off the hook. Anyway, we’d better get going.”
She’d said the last part with a little venom, or maybe that was just in my head. It didn’t escape my notice that she didn’t invite me to join them, and neither did Dex. That was fine. I never watched movies unless they were G rated or old movie classics because my church frowned on anyone who went to the theatre.
Lily and Alicia continued to talk in lower tones as if they didn’t want me to hear what they were saying. A sick feeling washed through me and that horrible jealousy came back. It was unwarranted of course—Dex could talk to whoever he wanted and it should have no impact on me. I turned around and went back to the office, the reality of the situation finally hitting me. Dex was off limits, but it didn’t matter because he wasn’t interested, anyway. This push and pull between us had all been in my head, and that was…pathetic.
I had only seen what I wanted to see—his protectiveness. But there was nothing more to it. All the uninterested vibes he’d just sent out alerted me to the fact that I’d been acting like a silly little girl. It felt like someone had thrown a bucket of water over me, and I was soaked with the kind of disappointment that didn’t easily fade away. A feeling of loneliness flooded over me, and I did everything I could to pull out of it, but it wasn’t easy.
By noon, I was beyond frustrated. How had my life gotten this complicated? Mom and Dad had never allowed me to socialize with guy friends, and my lack of experience was hitting me hard.
Cass stuck his head in our office and smiled wide at me. “Hey, you want to go out to lunch?”
He leaned against the doorframe, looking as handsome as ever, but my heart didn’t stir or perk up in the least. I started to decline his offer, but then I stopped myself. Why shouldn’t I have a guy friend? Cass was friendly and fun to be around, and he actually wanted to spend time with me. “Sure. Why not?” I picked up my purse and glanced back at Delia. “Would you like to join us?”
“No, dear, you go ahead. I brought a sandwich.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
Cass led me through the shop with his hand on my lower back, and as we passed Dex, I felt like I got back some of my dignity. He wasn’t the only one who had friends and things to do.
A couple seconds later, Dex jogged up behind us. “Hey, wait a second. Where are you two going?”
Cass dropped his hand from my back. “We’re heading to lunch.”
A muscle in Dex’s jaw pulsed. “Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll join you.”
“Uh, sorry, bro, but we didn’t invite you this time.” Cass flashed a friendly smile, but there was a hint of challenge there as well.
Dex looked at me, and my first inclination was to smooth things over and insist he join us, but something told me to remain silent. I needed to get past these feelings for him or whatever issues I was having. Inviting him to come would only perpetuate the problem.
“Tank asked me to watch out for you,” Dex said. “I’m coming.”
“I thought you brought a lunch,” Cass said tersely.
“Plans change.”
Great. Now I was in the way of his lunch plans as well. “That’s not necessary. I’m safe with Cass, and we won’t be long.”
Dex turned his attention back to Cass. “You’re good at a lot of things, bro.” His voice was silky smooth with just the slightest edge. “Schmoozing women is one of them, but if you get in a tight situation, you don’t have much combat experience. How are you going to protect her?”
Cass’s brows lowered, and he looked downright offended. “You don’t know everything about my past. Don’t assume I can’t—”
“I’m not assuming. I know.”
Cass looked at me. “Tirzah, do you want Dex to join us?”
They both looked at me, waiting for my response. I hesitated for a moment because I wasn’t sure how I should answer. What did I want to choose? Safety…or dignity.
I went with dignity. “Maybe next time, Dex. Today, it’s just Cass and me.”
Cass smiled from ear-to-ear as he put his hand on my shoulder, nudging me forward. “Catch you later.”
I sensed Dex’s eyes on us as we walked away, but I didn’t look back.
Chapter 11
Dex
“What’s wrong with you, man?” Moose asked. “You haven’t been yourself today.”
It was the end of our shift, and Moose and I were walking to our bikes. Everyone else had gone home, and we were the last ones to close up.
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
He snickered and glanced down at the ground but didn’t say anything.
I lifted an eyebrow. “Care to share what’s so amusing?”
“You. You’re amusing.” He crossed his arms and looked at me with a gleeful smile.
“Nice to know my bad mood is funny to you.”
“Ah…see! I knew you were a little off today. What’s going on?”
I shrugged. “Cass gets under my skin sometimes. He thinks women can’t say no to him or something.”
“This is about Cass?” A corner of his mouth edged up. “What do you care what he does or doesn’t do around women?”
I shook my head and glanced away. “I don’t.”
“Apparently, you do because you’re standing here like one of the kids on the playground stole your milk. What gives?”
I blew out a breath and tried to decide if I wanted to get into it right now. Moose was a good guy, and I never had to worry about him being nosy, but, still, I didn’t like having my feelings exposed. Even so, I needed someone to talk to, and I couldn’t go to Tank with this since it involved his granddaughter. “He took Tizzy to lunch.”
“And that’s a problem because?”
“Because Tank asked me to watch out for her. Not him.”
“Cass is a capable guy, and it’s just one hour. What’s this really about?”
“I don’t know. Forget about it.” I made a move in the direction of my bike but Moose put a hand up. “Hold on a minute, Rev.” He studied me for a long moment and then broke out into a grin. “You’re sweet on Tirzah, aren’t you? I should have seen it coming.”
He wasn’t wrong but admitting that was out of the question. “What? No. You’re completely off.” I didn’t sound very convincing even to myself.
He laughed again and pulled at his thick beard. “You like the boss’s granddaughter. Ha. That’s hilarious.”
I reared back, eyes narrowing. “What? You think I’m not good enough?”
“Never said that. I’m just surprised, that’s all. A week ago, you announced to all of us that you weren’t ready to settle down. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve got the green-eyed-monster on your shoulders.”
“You calling me jealous?”
He watched me for a moment as if trying to figure out something. “Why aren’t you ready to settle down, Rev? You’re a healthy young man, you have a good job and a nice condo. You could easily have a family if you wanted one.”
“Well, I don’t.” The muscles in my shoulders tightened, and I swallowed, knowing pride kept me from revealing my secrets.
“Don’t tell me someone broke your heart, and you can’t trust again.”
“Naw, man. It’s nothing like that. I’m just not ready.”
He chuckled softly and shook his head. “You’re a hard one to figure out. You understand we’re family, right? Nothing you say will make me think less of you.”
I nodded. “The club… You’re all my family. I trust you guys.”
“But not e
nough to open up.” He gave me a scrutinizing look. “Don’t forget, I was with you and Tank when that limo pulled up last week. You never clued me in on that. There’s a lot I don’t know about you.”
“Yeah.” I slid my hands in my pockets and turned my head so he wouldn’t see the lingering sadness on my face. “But you know me—who I am. What I’m about. That’s all that’s relevant.”
“I know you’re a man of integrity.” He stepped closer, his eyes zeroing in on me. “If things got bad, you’d be the first to step up and help any one of us, Cass included. There’s a past you ain’t shared, but I’m not pushin’ you. I’ll always be here if you need to talk.”
“Thanks, Moose. I appreciate it.” I kicked a pebble with my foot and glanced at my bike. “I should go.”
He looked disappointed, but he stepped aside.
“Give Vera my best.”
I didn’t want to think about my father or any of that stuff from my past. I especially didn’t want to admit that I was my parents’ dirty little secret, and what that made me… I swallowed and grit my teeth.
We both hopped on our bikes and Moose caught my eye. “You are good enough for Tizzy—in case you aren’t in a frame of mind to understand that.”
I nodded slightly and put my helmet on, waving as I exited the parking lot. That was a conversation for another day.
***
I went through a drive-through to pick up food before making my way back to Tank’s guesthouse. The small home was comfortable, but it didn’t have a kitchen, and I didn’t feel up to eating dinner with them. Tizzy was the last person I wanted to see since she’d basically snubbed me when I said I was coming to lunch with her and Cass. I kept getting mixed signals from her. A few times I’d caught her watching me and I knew…I just knew there was more than curiosity there. But other times, she seemed closed-off, like she’d put up a wall to keep me out.
It didn’t take a brainiac to figure out we were mismatched. I could have asked a hundred people what they thought, and they would all say the same thing. Tizzy and I didn’t fit. End of story.
Blind Date with a Billionaire Biker (Blind Date Disasters Book 3) Page 10