The urge to see her was too much to resist.
Moving stealthily, I peeked over the window sill. Facing slightly away, Mackenna was sitting in an armchair with a laptop in front of her on the coffee table. The guitar sat in her lap and her fingers played over the strings effortlessly.
Although I still wanted to apologize, I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt her. I promised myself one more minute—just one—then I would leave.
That minute went by. And another.
I couldn’t stop watching. Couldn’t stop listening.
She began a new song. This one was completely unfamiliar to me, but it was the best yet. The lyrics were about being lost and life not turning out the way we expected. I could definitely relate to that.
Suddenly, as if she sensed my presence, her head turned toward the window.
I darted to the side.
She didn’t stop singing, so I had to assume she didn’t see me. Hoping I hadn’t been caught, I flattened myself against the side of the house and inched back toward Grandma’s, leaving the heavenly sound behind.
CHAPTER 8
JIMMY
Two days. With the both of us working, it only took two days to paint the house.
I should’ve been proud of that.
Instead, I found myself brooding over the fact that I didn’t have a reason to see Mackenna today.
Yesterday had been worse than the day before. She barely spoke three words to me, and seemed to go out of her way to work on separate areas. She’d been more covered, too, wearing a baggy pink T-shirt and old jeans. I wasn’t sure if it was to ward off a sunburn or if she was trying to hide her body from me.
Leaving out the part about how I spied on her while she was singing, I’d told her I was sorry for how I acted, hoping we could make amends. She’d simply told me it was fine, and that was that.
When we were done, she stuck around to help clean up, then went inside the house to hang out with that damn parrot. While I was in the kitchen looking for something to eat, I could hear her cooing and making kissy sounds in the other room.
It made my dick so fucking hard I thought about putting the apron back on just to hide the giant bulge in my pants.
After the visit, she left without even saying goodbye to me, and my boner deflated along with my ego.
This morning, I was woken up before 5:00 by Sweet Pea’s racket, just like every other morning since I’d been here. He was starting to get on my last nerve. Fortunately, he usually stopped around 7:00 and I was able to get back to sleep.
Glancing over at the clock, I saw it was mid-morning, but made no move to get out of bed. I didn’t have shit to do today and planned to spend it lazing around.
That is, until my dad called.
“Jimmy,” he greeted. “I heard you finished painting already. Heard it looks great.”
A grin tugged at my lips when I thought about the awful color. “Well, Grandma’s house will be the talk of the town for a while, that’s for sure.”
“I also heard you had a helper… a lady-friend.”
I huffed. “I’m pretty sure Mackenna hates me, so ‘friend’ isn’t the right word. But, yeah, she helped. She was great. I couldn’t have done it without her.”
“Uh-huh,” Dad said, reading me like a book because I rarely rambled. “Why don’t you just ask her out?”
“I already told you.” Rubbing a hand over my face, I sighed. “She hates me.”
“Well, how about something to cheer you up?”
“Sure.”
“I know it’s only been a few days, but we’re impressed with you—the way you agreed to this and how hard you’ve been working.” He paused. “We want you to sign up for your fall classes.”
That had me bolting upright. “Seriously?”
“Now, we’re not paying for them yet,” he went on. “You still have to prove you can stay out of trouble. But it might be a good idea for you to get registered before they fill up.”
“Thanks,” I breathed out, feeling good at his words of praise. “I brought my laptop, but Grandma doesn’t have internet. I guess I’ll have to find somewhere with Wi-Fi.”
Dad snorted. “Maybe you can try to get Grandma up to speed with technology while you’re there.”
“I highly doubt she’ll go for it,” I said with a smile. “I’ll try to find an internet café or something in the next town over. Daywood might have a coffee shop.”
“Alright. I’ll let you get on that. Just wanted to tell you that you’re doing a good job.”
“That means a lot, Dad. Thanks.”
After we hung up, I pulled on some jeans and a black T-shirt with cut-off sleeves. It was early enough in the day that the heat hadn’t gotten too bad yet. If I left now, I had a good chance of not sweating my ass off on the way into town.
In the kitchen, I grabbed a Twinkie for breakfast and found a new note on the fridge.
Jimmy,
I’m shacking up at Ernie’s for the night. Be nice to Sweet Pea and give him a peanut. There’s a bag in the pantry.
P.S. Don’t you dare tease me about doing the walk of shame in the morning.
-Grandma
My face screwed up at my grandma’s bluntness, and I picked up a nearby pen.
TMI, Grandma. I don’t need to know about any of that... and Tweety Poo can kiss my ass.
-Jimmy
Grinning, I left the note where it was, and grabbed my laptop and charging cord. Before I could get out the door I turned back, picked up a handful of peanuts, and dumped them into the bird’s food dish.
“I still think you’re an asshole,” I told him, and he squawked something that repeated my sentiment. “At least we can agree on something.”
When I got out to my car I turned the key in the ignition, only to be met with silence. I tried again but nothing happened.
Just a quiet click.
Fucking great.
I’d have to take the car into the auto shop sooner than I thought. Blowing out a breath, I sat back and tried to think of what to do next. The morning sun rose higher in the sky, peeking over the tall trees in Grandma’s yard.
Wincing at the bright light, I slid on my sunglasses. My eyes trailed over to my neighbor’s house and I smiled.
Maybe I’d have a reason to see Mackenna after all.
*
I knocked on the dark blue door and heard movement from inside the house. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I stood back and waited for Mackenna to open up, wondering what level of distain she’d have for me today.
The door swung open, but it wasn’t her face that caught my attention.
She was wearing pajamas. Not just any pajamas. A fucking onesie. A zebra-striped onesie, long-john style.
I shouldn’t have found it sexy—there was nothing sexy about it—but fuck.
Surprisingly, it turned me on. Big time. I felt my cock thicken, pressing uncomfortably against the zipper of my jeans.
And when she jutted her hip out and her hand landed on the curve there, my fists clenched inside my pockets.
Little black buttons ran all the way down the length of the ridiculous outfit and I wanted nothing more than to pop them open, one by one. With my teeth. Her feet were bare, displaying those dark purple toenails.
“Good morning,” I managed, my voice gruff.
“You just can’t stay away, huh?” she responded dryly, leaning against the doorframe.
Baby, you have no idea.
“I need a favor,” I said, and she raised an eyebrow. “Two favors, actually.”
“Okay…” She impatiently tapped her foot.
“I need help getting my car to the shop. It won’t start.”
Her lips twitched and the left side of her mouth curved up slightly. “What’s wrong with the saggin’ wagon?”
/> “The saggin’ wagon?” I repeated, confused.
“The saggy testicles on your bumper,” she explained with a wave of her hand. Her nose scrunched up, adorable and sexy at the same time. “That’s disgusting, by the way.”
Laughing, I rubbed at the stubble on my jaw. “I forgot all about that. Some friends at school put it on there as a joke…” I trailed off at her stony expression. “But I guess you don’t find it very funny.”
She sighed. “I’ll make you a deal. Remove the bumper balls, and I’ll help you.”
I grinned. “You got it, Mack.”
CHAPTER 9
MACKENNA
For the past couple days, I’d accurately portrayed the personality of a stale piece of bread.
My intention was to come across so bland and boring that Jimmy would find me completely uninteresting and decide to leave me alone.
Instead, my efforts only seemed to spur him on.
He seemed to enjoy getting a rise out of me and, as much as it pissed me off, sometimes it got my heart racing—and not in a bad way.
Since ignoring him wasn’t working I’d have to try a different strategy, because I wasn’t sure if I could handle two months of his hotness showing up on my doorstep.
Maybe if I was super talkative, he’d become annoyed with me.
I could do talkative. I could be annoying. Having a younger sister ensured that I was refined in the art of getting on someone’s nerves.
I wasn’t used to having visitors, so I’d been surprised when I heard a knock at my door this morning. I didn’t expect to see Jimmy standing there, looking positively lickable.
And although the sunglasses hid his eyes, I could feel his gaze on my body. It was then that I realized I was still in my PJs. The very PJs I wouldn’t be caught dead in. I made him wait on the porch while I changed into rose-print leggings and a red T-shirt.
Living up to his promise, Jimmy promptly removed the bumper balls, which were currently hanging out in the glove compartment.
Now I was sitting in the driver’s seat with the car in neutral as we slowly made the three-block journey to Hank’s Auto Shop. It was my job to steer while Jimmy pushed it from behind.
I had no idea why I agreed to this, but I regretted it already.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, I admired the way his muscular arms were on full display, those tattoos on his left arm standing out more with the sheen of sweat on his skin.
At least he was wearing a shirt today. A small mercy for my out-of-control hormones.
As we made it to the sparse business district of Tolson, we passed the small post office on the right and two taverns on the left. And that was basically all there was to see. A couple hundred more yards down the road, and we’d be leaving town.
We neared the shop, and I turned the wheel to park the car in the gravel lot. In addition to auto repair, Hank’s also offered a moving service with their transport company, but the semi-truck that normally sat at the side of the building was gone. Bright sunlight reflected off the white concrete exterior, making my head pound.
Squinting my eyes, I brought my hand up to shield against the glare. Before I knew what was happening, Jimmy was leaning through the driver’s side window, placing his sunglasses on my face.
“What are you doing?” I asked, surprised by the gesture.
He shrugged. “Looked like you needed them.”
Thankful, I pushed them up on my nose. “But what about you?”
“Nah, I’m okay,” he said, then his lips curled up in a slow, naughty smirk. “With your reclusive tendencies, I was afraid your retinas couldn’t handle the light.”
I didn’t bother to retort with the fact that I’d spent many hours outside with him and never went up in flames.
Because today wasn’t a day for playing games.
Today was the day I would finally get Jimmy off my back.
Instead of narrowing my eyes like I wanted to, I shot him an overly-sweet smile, and the look of confusion on his face was worth the energy it took to restrain myself.
As we stepped through the open garage door at the front, Hank Evans came out from behind a small counter. Although I’d never met him, I had seen him around. His shop had been a constant presence in this town for over a decade.
He was a good-looking man for being in his mid-forties but, just like me, he was somewhat of a hermit. People in Tolson didn’t know much about Hank other than the fact that he was a widower who ran a good business and didn’t get out much.
“Jimmy, right?” He extended his arm and the guys shook hands.
“That’s right,” Jimmy replied. “I met you last Christmas at my grandma’s house.”
Hank patted his stomach. “I’m still thinking about her food. I hope she doesn’t mind me showing up at her door again this year.”
Jimmy laughed. “I’m sure she’d love it.”
The older man peered over at the station wagon. “Did you push that thing all the way here?”
“It was only a few blocks.” Jimmy shrugged. “The A/C stopped working a while ago, which I can live with, but it wouldn’t start this morning.”
Hank circled the car and rubbed a hand over his short hair. I had no idea how he wasn’t overheating in the gray coveralls, but he didn’t seem fazed by the weather. “Your tires seem to be in good shape. You two did a good job getting it here.” His gray eyes cut to me, and he smiled. “And you’re the partner in crime?”
My lips tilted up as I shook my head. “No crimes here. I’m Beverly’s neighbor.”
“What’s your name?”
“Mackenna,” I said, hoping he didn’t recognize me.
“Didn’t you go to school with my boys?”
Reluctantly, I nodded. “They were a year ahead of me.”
I’d never had any classes with Colton Evans or Travis Hawkins, but everyone knew they were like brothers even though they weren’t related. They had already graduated when ‘the incident’ happened, but I was sure they’d heard about it since they stayed local to work at the shop.
Thankfully, Hank didn’t bring it up. “Well, I’m glad to see you’re back. Tolson needs more young folks.” He turned to Jimmy. “I’ll take a look at your car today. We’re not too busy, so I should be able to get it fixed. Why don’t you come back tomorrow morning?”
“Sounds like a plan.” He handed the keys to Hank. “I just have to get something out of the back seat, and we’ll be out of your hair.”
After grabbing his laptop, Jimmy and I started the walk back. As we passed Buck’s Tavern, I remembered my mission to bug the crap out of him, and it made me a little giddy to turn the tables.
Putting a skip in my step, I injected a cringe-worthy level of cheerfulness into my voice. “What’s your favorite color?”
A little stunned by my peppy tone, he looked over at me like I’d just slapped him. “Uh, black,” he replied, pointing to his shirt. “What’s yours?”
“Purple. If you could listen to only one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
Eyebrows furrowing, he seemed confused by my randomness but answered me anyway. “That’s a difficult one. I guess ‘Dream On’ by Aerosmith.”
“Not a bad choice,” I told him. “I would pick ‘Barbie Girl’.”
“Really?” he asked skeptically. “That’s an…interesting selection.”
Pressing my lips together, I suppressed a laugh. Messing with Jimmy was as much fun as I thought it would be.
“We can listen to it when we get back to my house,” I suggested brightly. “That is, unless you have other things to do…”
“Nope, I’m free all day. That reminds me about the second favor,” he said with a smile. “I need to use your Wi-Fi.”
“What’s wrong with yours?”
“Grandma doesn’t have internet.�
�
“Seriously? Talk about living in the Dark Ages.”
He chuckled. “Tell me about it. She still has a landline telephone.”
“Landlines are practically ancient.” I snickered and pointed at his wrist. “And speaking of ancient, you still wear a watch?”
Holding up his hand, he tapped the round face a couple times. “It doesn’t work anymore, unless it’s 5:00. Then it’s right twice a day.”
“It’s 5:00 somewhere, right?” I forced an obnoxious giggle.
Jimmy gave me an odd look, but started belting the chorus of ‘It’s Five O’clock Somewhere.’ His singing was so loud, he frightened a cat that had been lounging on the front stoop of the house we passed. The orange tabby jumped at least three feet in the air, then took off into some bushes.
That time I laughed for real. “You got a thing for Jimmy Buffet? That’s the second time I’ve caught you rocking one of his songs since I met you.”
“Yeah, he’s got some good ones.” He smirked. “And at least I’m wearing clothes this time.”
I felt a blush creep up from my chest to my cheeks at the reminder of the way his ass looked in those briefs the first time I saw him.
“So why do you wear a broken watch?” Grabbing his wrist, I tried to ignore that electric zing in my fingers when I touched his skin.
“It was my grandpa’s. He gave it to me right before he passed away. Even though it stopped working a few years ago, I still like to wear it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, feeling like a giant asshole. “That’s a pretty good reason.”
Jimmy shrugged. “I’m glad you asked.”
Our eyes locked, and I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I hadn’t let go of his arm yet. My eyes traveled up his skin, taking in the intricate floral design and bright colors of the tattoos.
Then I realized we were pretty much standing in the middle of Main Street, holding hands. I released the grasp I had on his arm.
“Hey, wanna hear a joke?”
He smiled. “Sure.”
“What do you tell a cat when it asks you what time it is?”
“I don’t know, what?”
“Right meeeoow,” I answered, drawing out the cat sound.
Dropout (The Good Guys Book 3) Page 7