I grinned. “Who’s there?”
“Cock.”
“Cock who?”
“Cock-a-doodle-doo,” she said with a grin.
I snickered. “I like your jokes.”
Scooping up my last bite of chicken, I moaned when the flavors hit my tongue.
She smiled shyly and pointed at my plate with her fork. “You like it? It’s a new recipe and I wasn’t sure it would turn out.”
“This is fantastic.” My reply came out garbled. “If you keep cooking like this, I’ll be coming over every day.”
Her face fell, hurting my feelings once again. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she didn’t like the idea of having me around.
Show her you’re not a dickhead.
“Listen.” Setting my fork down, I gave Mackenna my full attention. “I’m sorry if I’ve been rude. I think I might’ve given you the wrong impression of me. I never meant to make you mad.”
“Really?” she asked dryly. “Because I’m pretty sure you made me mad on purpose.”
Laughing, I shrugged and went with the truth. “Okay, maybe it was on purpose. It’s just ’cause I think you’re pretty and I like it when you talk to me, even if you are scowling.”
“Oh.” She blushed and self-consciously glanced away.
“Oh?” I raised my eyebrows at her shy response. “Don’t you think you’re pretty?”
Tracing a design on the rooster-covered tablecloth, she lifted a shoulder. “Sure, I guess. Sometimes.”
“Not sometimes,” I said. “All the time. You’re fucking gorgeous, Mack.”
I watched the pink on her cheeks deepen until it matched the color of her lips, and it made me want to kiss the fuck out of her.
Yeah, I definitely wanted more than friendship.
Now I just needed to figure out how to get her to want that, too.
CHAPTER 11
MACKENNA
This wasn’t a date. I knew that.
But it sure felt like one.
The conversation had been pleasant. Enjoyable. I was quickly realizing Jimmy wasn’t anything like the asshole I’d pegged him for. And he liked ice cream sandwiches, so he had that going for him.
I was in serious danger of actually liking the guy.
There were so many reasons why that was a bad idea so, obviously, avoidance was the best option. Reaching across the small table, I brought my hand up to Jimmy’s forehead.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked, keeping my tone playful. “You’re being way too nice.”
His green eyes burned into mine as he gently grabbed my hand. When his thumb brushed over my palm, I felt it all the way to my core, causing a steady thrum between my thighs.
“I feel great,” he replied huskily. “And I am nice. I just haven’t shown you, and I’m sorry about that.”
Snatching my arm back, I picked up the empty plates and brought them over to the sink while I tried to regulate my breathing. “I accept your apology. Thanks.”
I could still feel my skin buzzing over the places he’d touched me. Needing a distraction, I turned on the faucet and started scrubbing at the dishes.
“Mackenna,” Jimmy said quietly behind me, and I jumped a little at how close he was.
Something about hearing him say my full name didn’t feel right. In the short amount of time I’d known him, I had gotten used to being called by the nickname he’d given me.
“You can call me Mack,” I told him without turning my head.
“Is that right?” I could hear the smile in his voice.
It made me smile, too.
My smile faded away when his hands came up to rest on my shoulders. He started rubbing the tense muscles, like touching me was the most natural thing in the world.
I knew I should tell him to stop, but I couldn’t find the words. It just felt too good.
So instead, I said, “Playing guitar and being hunched over a laptop isn’t great for my neck, so this is…really…nice.”
He hummed in agreement. The low rumble in the back of his throat was one of the sexiest sounds I’d ever heard.
I held in a moan as his thumbs worked a knot at the base of my neck. His fingers danced along my spine before his nails scraped against my scalp.
That time I did moan a little.
The plate I had been cleaning slipped from my grasp and landed in the sink with a splash.
“You know,” I started, sounding a little breathless. “If this is what happens when I feed you, maybe I’ll make you dinner more often.”
“I like the sound of that.” Jimmy’s hands left my hair and slid down my neck.
Gently guiding my shoulders, he turned me around so we were facing each other. Our heads were so close I could see all the different flecks of green in his irises, and those mesmerizing orbs darted from my eyes, to my nose, to my mouth.
My lips tingled with anticipation when I wondered if he was going to kiss me, and I was shocked by how much I wanted that.
He stared for a few seconds, then his attention was drawn up to my forehead. He ran his fingertip over the half-inch scar by my hairline.
“How’d you get this?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.
And just like that, it was like a cold bucket of ice water got dumped on the moment we were having.
It was an innocent question—he was just curious. There was no way for him to know the nerve he’d hit by asking about the gruesome history behind that scar.
But that didn’t matter.
Moment ruined.
I stepped away. “It’s getting sort of late. You should get home.”
With a wounded expression, he stepped back. Sighing, he ran a hand through his thick hair and those messy strands fell right back to the place they were before. My fingers itched to brush them off his forehead, so I linked my hands behind my back.
“Thanks for dinner.” Moving toward the door Jimmy gave me a sad smile, and I found myself torn between wanting him to leave and begging him to stay.
This time as I watched him walk away, I was certain I’d scared him off for good.
CHAPTER 12
MACKENNA
The squirrels of Tolson were fearless, vicious creatures. They had no regard for personal safety, and their lack of respect for garbage cans on trash day was appalling.
A few of the guilty rodents scurried up a tree as I got out of my car and surveyed my yard. Water bottles, leftover food, and paper plates littered the lawn. I let out a mortified squeak when I saw a few tampons among the wreckage.
Quickly grabbing a new bag from inside, I picked up everything as fast as I could while hoping none of the neighbors got an eyeful of my personal items.
This morning I’d made a trip to Walmart to get some ingredients for a new Crockpot creation I wanted to try.
I might’ve Googled recipes last night after Jimmy left.
Of course, it was pure coincidence that the beef stew I wanted to make happened to be on a site called ‘The Way to a Man’s Heart’. It had absolutely nothing to do with me hoping Jimmy would smell it and find his way back over to my house. Nope. Not at all. Pure coincidence.
After cleaning up the trash and placing it at the curb, I got my groceries from the backseat of my car. I was walking up the driveway when I noticed my mailbox door was slightly ajar. The mail usually arrived later in the day, but I decided to check anyway.
A lone envelope sat inside. No stamp. No return address. Frowning with confusion, I ripped it open to find a folded-up piece of paper.
When my eyes scanned over the typed-out letters, the blood drained from my face and the bags slipped from my fingers. A can of cream of celery soup dropped onto my big toe, but I barely felt the pain. My knees almost gave out and I had to steady myself on the mailbox as I reread the note.
With one sentence, the sanctuary I’d built for myself came crashing down.
CHAPTER 13
JIMMY
“What do you want first? The good news or the bad news?” Hank asked, stepping up to the counter.
I frowned. Bad news? Not exactly what I wanted to hear.
“Always the good news first,” I told him.
“Well, your A/C wasn’t hard to fix. Spark plug issue. And we threw in a free oil change.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I was about due for that.”
He nodded. “Now for the bad news. Your alternator was shot and had to be replaced. Fortunately, Travis was able to pick up the parts when he was passing through Champaign yesterday, but they weren’t cheap.”
Fuck. “How much is the total?”
“Two thousand dollars.”
Shocked, I choked on air and started coughing. The whole damn car wasn’t even worth that much.
Wild laughter erupted from Hank.
“I’m just kidding!” Bending over, he clutched his middle as he laughed some more. “That’s what I call ‘the shock and awe.’”
“The what?” I gasped through another cough.
“The real total is $360. Still not cheap, but doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?”
Relieved, and still trying to recover from the ‘shock’ part, I grinned as Hank gave me a couple firm pats on the back. He was right—$360 was a lot better than $2,000.
Still, that was $360 more than I had. Now I just needed to figure out how to pay for it.
If I was the old me, I would’ve tried to set up a fight to earn some quick cash. Sometimes I could make $500 in one night. But that wasn’t an option now.
Inwardly groaning, I tried to mentally calculate how much further that would put me in the hole. Since my credit card was maxed-out, my only choice was to ask my dad for money. Just one more thing added to the list of all the ways I inconvenienced my parents.
“Okay,” I said, grabbing my phone. “I’ll need a few minutes to make a call.”
“Take your time,” he replied, lowering his head to sift through some paperwork.
Behind him there was a ‘Help Wanted’ sign dangling on a rusty nail. It was crooked, faded, and had obviously been collecting dust for a while.
“You hiring?” I pointed at the sign.
He glanced over his shoulder like he’d forgotten it was there.
“We are,” he confirmed. “You looking for a job?”
I scratched at my jaw as I considered it.
“Well, I hadn’t planned on it since I didn’t think there was much work in this town. Plus, I’m only here for a couple months.” I looked down at my phone. Dad’s number was pulled up and my thumb hovered over the call button. “But I’m gonna need a way to pay for the work you’ve done.”
Looking thoughtful, Hank nodded slowly. “I might be willing to take on a temporary worker. Colton’s got a fiancée and their little girl to look after. Travis is getting married next month. With the transport company, we’re doing a lot of juggling around here. My boys got a lot going on this summer, so having an extra pair of hands might be a good idea.”
“Listen, I want to be honest with you,” I started, wanting to lay it all out there. “I don’t have a ton of work experience, and I bombed pretty hard at school. I don’t know a lot about mechanics, but I’d be willing to try. So, I’m interested if you’re willing to take a chance on me.”
Hank’s face softened. “I’ve never even stepped foot on some fancy college campus, so you’re already a step ahead of me.”
“Jimmy!” a voice bellowed from somewhere in the garage, and I turned to see Hank’s son walking toward me in his grease-stained coveralls. I thought my dad and I looked alike, but that was nothing compared to the striking resemblance between the father and son standing side by side. Same height, same broad-shouldered build, same buzzed haircut.
“Colton, right?” I greeted as I shook his hand.
“That’s right. I was the one wearing the crazy Rudolf sweater at Beverly’s last year.”
My recollections of Christmas were a little hazy from all the whiskey I’d confiscated from Grandma’s liquor cabinet, but I remembered a few crazy sweaters that day.
“Good to see you again,” I told him with a smile.
“Dude, I found a nut sac in your glove compartment yesterday.” He laughed. “Gotta say, that’s a first for me on the job, and I’ve been doing this a long time.”
I snickered. “Mackenna made me put those in there. Guess she didn’t like the way they looked on my bumper.”
“Oh shit, your girlfriend literally made you put your balls away?” Grinning, he slapped me on the shoulder. “That’s classic. And Mackenna Connelly is a ball-buster for sure. Heard she moved back to the area recently.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I told him, wishing it wasn’t the truth. “She’s my grandma’s neighbor.”
“She’s a cool girl.” Backing away, Colton wiped his hands off on a dirty rag. “I gotta get back to it, but maybe I’ll see you around?”
“Well, that’s likely,” Hank interjected. “Because I just hired him.”
My head whipped toward him, and a big smile spread over my face.
“Awesome,” Colton said. “It’s about time we got more help around here. Old man runs this place with an iron fist.”
Hank guffawed before playfully putting his son in a headlock. Laughing, Colton broke free and threw the greasy rag at Hank’s face. It was obvious that they had a great relationship, and it made me hope I hadn’t messed things up too bad with my own dad.
Hank tossed me my keys. “No payment today. Can you be here tomorrow morning around 9:00?”
“You’re gonna let me take my car without paying?” I asked, confused.
“Yep. I trust you,” he said before turning to walk away, then called over his shoulder, “See you tomorrow!”
That feeling of hope exploded inside me again, because this was another chance to prove that I wasn’t a complete screw-up.
When I got home, Grandma was on the phone—her landline telephone—and she looked distressed as she hung up. I closed the front door behind me, and she slumped down onto her couch with a huff.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, sitting next to her.
“That was the mayor of Tolson. He said I can’t have my house this color.” Pouting, she threw her hands up. “Apparently, there are village codes or something. Fuck the codes!”
I frowned. “What does he want you to do? Change it?”
“Yes. He said some of the townspeople even offered to chip in to pay for it.” Wringing her hands, she sighed. “Is it really that bad?”
Barking out a laugh, I hugged her to me and decided to be honest. “Yeah, Grandma. It really is that bad. But, hey, guess what?”
“What?”
“I got a job at Hank’s Auto Shop,” I said, pulling back.
Her face lit up. “Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“You don’t mind?” I asked. “It’ll mean I’m not here as much. I won’t take it if you don’t want me to.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I think that’s great. I do have a life, you know. Plus, those boys will keep you in line.”
I grinned. “I have a feeling you’re right about that. I start tomorrow morning.”
“Can you do something for me today?”
“Anything,” I replied.
“Go to Home Depot and pick out a new color? Something boring.” She made a face.
I drew her in for one more hug. “I’ll pick the best color they have.”
“I guess this means you and Mackenna will be back at it then,” she said with a shrug.
Excitement caused my heart to speed up. This new development could bode well for me, because I’d have at least two more days with the moody
girl next door.
One trip to Home Depot later, I parked my station wagon on the street in front of Grandma’s house and enjoyed the A/C for a couple minutes, marveling at how it worked better than ever before.
I hoped I fit in at Hank’s, and not just because I needed the money. I’d had a job before, but this was the first time I was excited about it. Two summers in high school, I’d had the mind-numbing experience of being a grocery bagger. It was easy, but I didn’t enjoy it.
Working at an auto shop was different. Challenging.
Being a mechanic wasn’t something I’d ever considered before, but I liked the thought of fixing things and getting my hands dirty.
Speaking of fixing things and getting my hands dirty, I glanced at the green monstrosity in Grandma’s yard. Hauling the new gallons of paint into the garage, I set them next to the brushes and rollers.
The color I picked was still green, but a lot lighter. Sage, Mackenna had called it.
Then I strolled to my neighbor’s house and knocked on the front door to tell her the news. There was no noise coming from inside, but I knew she was home because her car was in the driveway.
I waited a minute, then knocked again. Maybe she was taking a nap, and I held onto the hope that she’d answer the door in her PJs again.
“Mack,” I called. “I know you’re home.”
More silence.
“I can hear you knitting in there,” I teased. “Open up. Maaaack. Mack, Mack, mo Mack, banana fana fo—”
The door swung open and my amusement immediately died. Mackenna’s eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. She’d been crying.
“Hey,” I said softly. “I didn’t mean it. I can’t really hear you knitting.”
“What do you want, Jimmy?” She hiccupped before her chin wobbled and fresh tears filled her eyes.
Suddenly I had the overpowering urge to hold her, to comfort her somehow. Was she upset because of something I did? If so, I was going to feel like absolute shit.
“I promise not to tease you if you let me in,” I told her. “Please?”
Dropout (The Good Guys Book 3) Page 9