by Tanya Agler
Seconds passed before she stepped away. “You’re right. Teamwork has its advantages.”
He grinned. “Yep.”
She bent down and grabbed the wrench. Thrusting it at him, she returned his smile. “Work first. Then fun.”
“Aye aye, skipper.” He gave a mock salute, his chest thrust out. “Lead the way.”
They settled into a comfortable rhythm, car therapy good for his morale. The sound of his smartphone buzzing brought his head up. With the burglars caught, he hadn’t anticipated any work calls tonight. Must be his parents or Rachel. He hurried over to his jacket, where he’d left his phone. The screen was blank.
“It’s my phone, not yours.” Georgie waved hers in front of him. “We must have the same alert sound.”
Her hand flew over her mouth, and her eyes widened.
“Is it your mother? Is she okay?” Considering how Beverly Bennett felt about him, he’d have to find some way to convince Georgie’s mother he wasn’t half-bad. Georgie remained still. Chills shimmered through every inch of his body. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and performed a jig. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s right.”
A perfect summary of his world, as well.
“Care to share the good news?”
With a sigh, she reached for his hand and didn’t let go until they settled on the couch in the reception area, the bright LED lights hurting his eyes. His stomach clenched tighter with every passing second. “Georgie?”
“You caught the burglars, right?”
“Yeah. They’re juveniles, so I can’t speak about the case, though.”
Releasing her, he rubbed his forehead, where a slight pressure was building. If he thought people were pushing him to run for sheriff before the arrest, that was nothing compared to now. The arrest had hurt so many, in more ways than one. Donahue was on a leave of absence. Some were calling for his resignation, while others defended him.
The truth stared him in the face, though. If Donahue resigned, no one else was as qualified for the position as he was. The deadline for declaring for the election was next Tuesday.
“So I’m in the clear.”
“Of course. I never doubted you.” He shrugged and lifted the left side of his mouth. “Maybe I did in the beginning. For all of five minutes.”
As much as he’d wanted to hide himself from her, there was something about her that let him lower his guard, let her see the real him hidden in the depths.
“What’s this all about?”
“Before I came back, I applied for a job on a pit crew. Actually, the job’s as good as mine. The text is from the team manager giving me a heads-up in case I wanted to look for a place to live.”
“Where?”
“Charlotte.”
“What? Georgie?” He jumped up, and for once he didn’t care about staying calm. For years he’d thought if he was the dutiful son, the Harrisons wouldn’t get rid of him. For months he thought marrying Caitlyn would help them bond over time, a shared link with Rachel. No more. “You never said anything about moving.”
“Now you’re the one making assumptions.”
Assumptions? Sounded like a done deal to him.
“How long have you known about this?” He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d raised his voice. Blood rushed through his veins. For the third time in his life, the carpet was being yanked out from under him. Looking at Georgie’s calm expression, there wasn’t a thing he could do about this time, either.
“Since my mother’s stent operation.”
Stunned, he fell into the armchair. Not once had she told him. Not once had she even given a hint about it. Just like Caitlyn.
How could she be so calm? Didn’t he mean anything to her? Georgie was always fire to his ice. Now that the positions were reversed...
“Sort of ironic. The first time I find something worth fighting for, worth reaching for the stars, I crash to the ground.” He hadn’t had any say when his biological mother gave him up for adoption. Then again, that decision had changed his life for the better.
When push came to shove, Caitlyn’s actions also helped him.
He couldn’t see how Georgie’s decision would make his life better. Not with her three hours away.
Reason restored his vision. This wasn’t about making his life better. This was about her dreams. Growing up, she’d idolized her father, gone in a blink of an eye before she was even born. If Mike truly cared for Georgie, he’d have to let her go.
His heart broke.
He didn’t just care for her. He loved Georgie Bennett.
“I’ve been going back and forth. I thought saying no would be so easy.” Her voice was thick with emotion, which he understood. “Actually, I didn’t think I’d get the job. Female pit crew members aren’t a dime a dozen. When I came to Hollydale, this was my dream.”
He couldn’t stand in her way.
“You’ll be great.” He found his legs, no longer rubbery, and stood. “I should check on Rachel. I don’t like her out of my sight for too long. Not since the burns.”
He walked to the door and reached for the handle.
“Mike, dreams change...”
“You’ll be terrific. They’re lucky to have you.”
Wanting one more kiss, he paused for a second. Georgie was so caring, so generous, so everything he’d always wanted but never felt like he deserved. Sunshine, lemon pie and dreams. Could Georgie have everything she deserved if she stayed in Hollydale?
He wouldn’t hold her back.
He walked away.
* * *
“RACHEL’S ASLEEP. LET’S give her five more minutes and sit on the front porch together.” His dad grabbed a mason jar of tea and headed outside.
Mike sighed and followed. Best to get this over with. Two beatdowns in one night? Still nothing compared to the four he’d received on prom night from Mom, Dad and the twins all those years ago.
The front door creaked behind him, and Mike made a note to bring over some WD-40 for repairs.
“I haven’t fixed it because I like knowing when your mother comes home from her errands.”
How did his father read his mind like that?
“I didn’t say a word.”
“Didn’t have to. It was all over your face.” Carl pointed to the rocking chair next to him. “Your mother and I like sitting out here in the evenings, sipping tea and watching the sunset. Might not sound exciting, but it’s home.”
If Georgie were sitting next to him, Mike couldn’t imagine anything better. Not much chance of that if she lived in Charlotte.
“What’s bothering you, son?”
Mike searched the horizon for a quick and easy answer. The night sky stared back, twinkling stars reminding him of the enormity of the universe. His problems seemed small in comparison. Still, his father cared, and that made all the difference.
“Georgie’s leaving.”
“Saw Beverly and Kitty at Holly Days Diner. Beverly didn’t mention that. Asked about you. Even called you Mike. Strangest part of all? She said she was going to talk to Georgie about getting a pet.” Dad chuckled, shook his head and sipped his tea. “Beverly misses Beau, it seems.”
Mike blinked. Beverly Bennett had changed? Would wonders never cease?
Then again, he thought Georgie had changed. He thought she had settled down and would be staying for good. Mike clenched the armrest of the chair, his knuckles turning white. “Not surprising Georgie didn’t tell Beverly.”
Once independent, always independent.
“Did Georgie say how much longer she’ll stay? What exactly did she say?”
Mike struggled to remember her exact words. “She’s going to be offered her dream job.”
His father drew in a deep breath, a sound Mike knew only too well. Growing up, Mike learned to
listen whenever he heard that sigh. His father gave the best advice. Mike leaned forward.
“Did she say she’s been offered the job or did she say she’s accepted it?”
“What’s the difference?” Mike leaned back and rocked, the motion and his father’s taking the time to listen most reassuring. “You know Georgie. Once she sets her heart on something, it gets done.”
“Same as you.” Dad placed the mason jar on the cement and kept time with Mike’s pace. “But you’re jumping to conclusions. If she hasn’t packed her bags and left, she’s wavering. Maybe she’s realizing she has other dreams, that something better might be out there. It might even be right here in Hollydale.”
Mike started. He stopped rocking. “It sounds like you learned that from experience.”
Dad huffed out a breath and rose from the rocker. He tilted his head toward the street. “I think better on the move.” He opened the door a crack. “Diane, I’m talking Mike for a walk. We’ll be right back.”
That was his father through and through. Always one to do something or get his hands dirty rather than stay still. Mike let him lead the way.
Halfway down the block, Dad shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t often talk about the past. Can’t change it.”
“But you can learn from it.” Mike surprised even himself with that as he kept up with his father’s long strides.
“Your mother had four miscarriages before we decided to adopt.” His father stared straight ahead, not meeting Mike’s gaze. “We both grieved, but your mother...”
Mike understood why Dad couldn’t say anything else, his love for Diane a shining example for him, Becks and Natalie. “Why haven’t you talked about them?”
“Your mom has told Becks and Natalie in the recent past, but we didn’t want you feeling you were an afterthought, like we didn’t want you. But the time is right to tell you about this now. Your mother and I changed our dream about biological children and consulted an adoption agency. Twice we got a phone call that a young woman chose us. Twice we got a phone call that the mother decided to keep her baby.”
Shaking his head, Mike reeled at the revelation. “You should have mentioned this before now.”
“When? When you were a kid? When you were a teenager? After Caitlyn left you?” Carl shrugged and sighed. “You’re right. We should have talked about it. The fact we are now means something.”
“How could you keep going?”
Dad stopped and stared at him. “I didn’t want to. I wanted to take your mother to Europe and give up on parenthood. After six lost chances, I was spent. I wanted us to look to our future together, without children.”
Mike blinked at the thought of Diane Harrison never being a mother. How different his life would have been. And Becks and Natalie? They wouldn’t even be here.
“Mom’s not the type to give up.”
“You’ve got that right.” Dad laughed and grinned. “Somehow she found out I consulted a travel agent. I had a great trip to Spain all planned out when the adoption agency called. Your mother convinced me to try one more time. Best thing that ever happened to me. We’re both proud of the man you’ve become.”
“I’ve done some pretty stupid things in my life.”
“They’re called mistakes. We all make them. I thought traveling the world would replace my dream of having children. I even gave your mother an ultimatum. She had one week to change my mind or we’d take that trip.”
Hmm. Georgie hadn’t accepted the offer. One week. If he could persuade her to give him one week...
Her decision had to be hers alone, though. “Georgie’s pretty stubborn.”
“Like you aren’t?”
Wait. Dad’s right. Mike nodded. “Just a little.” He exhaled. “What if Georgie’s my dream, but I’m not hers?”
“I saw the way she looked at you tonight.” Dad turned and walked in the direction of the house. “Besides, if she didn’t want to stay, she’d have accepted the job outright.”
“You only saw us together for two minutes.”
Dad shrugged and picked up his pace. “That’s all it takes. It’s time for you to stop dwelling on the past and move forward.”
“My mistakes...”
“We always make mistakes. You’ll make more in the future. It’s easier when someone’s at your side. Duty without love?” Dad picked up the pace. “It’s worthless.”
Dad walked inside. Mike fell onto the rocking chair. Duty without love. Had he been running on cruise control so much since Caitlyn left he focused on duty more than love? Sure, he loved Rachel, but he’d been so concerned about being both parents it was easy to get caught up in the day to day and miss the big picture. He loved his job, but he performed his duties as a way of eking out a living rather than seeing the people he served and loving why he wore the uniform every day.
He glanced at the house and thanked his lucky stars. There weren’t many role models that came better than Carl Harrison. How easy it would have been for Mom to go to Spain. His mother, however, didn’t take anything lying down.
Neither would Georgie.
If she wanted that job, she’d have already been packed, one foot out the door.
One week. He had to convince her to give him that long to show her why love was the best reason to stay in Hollydale.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
GEORGIE TIGHTENED THE last bolt on the passenger door and then jumped up, wrench in hand. She’d imagined big, but nothing prepared her for the reality in front of her. Miss Brittany in her prime again, restored and proud.
She ran her hand over the Thunderbird’s turquoise frame, gleaming to perfection. For some reason a vision of the Thunderbird delivering her and Mike to the hoedown on Friday night had popped into her head. Ever since, she’d worked overtime, and then some, to make this happen. With a whole lot of help from Travis and Heidi, that was. It was all worth it. Miss Brittany would be beautiful gliding down the open road.
She sighed. Now she wasn’t sure if Mike was still taking her to the hoedown. Not after last night.
The lights flickered overhead, and Georgie turned toward the door.
Heidi waved, her other hand on the switch. “You have a visitor, but I kept him in the reception area so you could show him the progress yourself.”
“Mike’s here?” Georgie’s heart soared, sending away the tiredness seeping into her bones.
She paused. What if Mike jumped to the conclusion she only put her heart and soul into this in order to start her new job with a clean slate? Not that the job was hers. Not yet. Not officially. Everything was on hold until Cullinan cleared his choice with the racer.
Why she hadn’t pulled out of the running still confounded her. Every time she tightened a bolt or performed an emissions test, she’d told herself she’d text Cullinan next chance she got. Something had always held her back. Her simple and stupid pride.
She wanted to be someone’s number one choice.
Then another, more chilling thought came to mind. What if Mike had come to collect the Thunderbird?
Best find out why he was here. Pushing all her assumptions aside, she rushed toward Heidi, wrench still in hand. Huffing, she returned to the workbench and stored the tool before hurrying into the reception area. Sure enough, Mike was there, and he’d never looked better, his uniform molding to his shoulders, tapering to a flat waist. It had taken her some time, at first, to reconcile this new Mike with the Mike of her youth. Duty suited him well.
Even if that duty was leading him to the conclusion he had to sell the Thunderbird.
“I should have listened to all you had to say. One of these days, maybe even starting today, I’ll get that right.” He ran over. “You should know right off the bat—I’ve done some serious thinking over the past twenty-four hours.”
Her eyes widened. Seriousness lurked in his brown depths.
Those stiff shoulders told a story unto themselves. No way. He wasn’t going to ditch her before another dance. Even though the dance wasn’t scheduled until Friday night and it was only Thursday, her stomach roiled. She clenched her fists at her side.
“No matter what happened yesterday, you’re not getting off the hook this time.” She unclenched one fist and poked him in the chest. “You mean too much to me to ditch me. I mean too much to me to keep quiet.”
Mike closed the distance. “Georgie, I came to apologize.” He paused, brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back. “I want to take you to the dance as much as you want me to. Even more.”
She willed herself to concentrate on anything except how he made her knees so weak she was afraid they’d buckle right here.
“Oh.” A wisp of hair fell across her forehead.
Before she could push it back into place, he beat her to it, his long fingers brushing away the wayward strand. Their gazes locked as if nothing else in the world existed.
Memories flooded back. His comforting her after a group of girls laughed at her greased-stained fingernails. His laughing with her about cotillion. His casual arm around her shoulders after she bombed a history test. If they’d gone to prom, they’d have laughed and shared a few jokes. Then what? They’d have gone home and continued on with their friendship. She’d have left Hollydale anyway, left while he stayed behind.
“I came here for this.”
Before she could move or say anything else, he kissed her, strong and emphatic, as if he had something to prove. He didn’t have to prove anything to her. His true character came through. His love for his daughter, his love for the town, his love of duty. It was so Mike.
Enough thinking, Georgie. She let the kiss enthrall her, and the world fell away. There was her and Mike, nothing else. Stubble tickled her cheek while sandalwood tickled her nose.
He broke away and shot her a smile as calm as an idling engine. “I have to warn you. I play dirty.”