by Jody Holford
Jonathan swallowed another mouthful of soup and glanced at her plate. “It is. But your brother is different from your father. He wants the gamble because he isn’t interested in slowly and steadily acquiring more buildings. He wants to tie his name to ours and reap the rewards.”
Mia leaned back in her chair. The words would have been arrogant coming from someone she didn’t know. But Jonathan’s family name had power and one thing about Michael that had never changed was no matter how much he was given, he always wanted more.
Francois arrived with their meals. He took their bowls, accurately reading the tension settling around the table. He didn’t ask Mia if she was finished with hers. When he left, Jonathan’s expression softened.
“I’m not doing this to upset you.”
“I know. It’s not personal. It’s business,” she said, straightening her spine.
Jonathan flinched. “Yes. It is.”
“Please remember that when I make sure this deal does not come to fruition. I’ve been waiting since I was a little girl for Kendrick Place, and Michael’s selfish whims are not going to stop me.”
His eyes closed briefly and he shook his head. When he looked at her again, he smiled. “All’s fair, right?”
She nodded. Yes it was. Which meant she might have to hedge some bets of her own just to be sure she walked away victorious.
Chapter Six
Davis Repairs wasn’t a huge shop. Brady’s dad had started it back in the sixties with one bay and over time, expanded it to four. Brady hoped to add a fifth with a small side store that offered premium, customized accessory options. The sun warmed the back of his neck, which helped take the chill out of the air. Surveying the building as it stood, listening to the zip of air compressors and loud headbanging music coming from the far bay, Brady tried to picture it in his mind.
It would be expensive to add another bay, and although business was doing well enough, he didn’t want to leave them short for regular maintenance. His crew included four mechanics, a receptionist who doubled in stock and parts, and he had a kid who helped on weekends with washing and vacuuming vehicles. Most days, every bay was full. If one less was available, it’d be less profit.
“You been staring at the building for a while. You okay, boss?” Danny, his full-time, number one mechanic asked. Danny sidled up and faced the same way as Brady. They stood shoulder to shoulder looking at the huge white-painted brick front of the building. The office was to the right, small but completely functional. If Brady wandered down the lot, he’d be able to see Jenny working on the computer or answering calls.
It was a pretty sweet setup. “I’m good. Thinking of adding that expansion.”
“No shit?”
“Nope,” Brady said, smiling.
His other full-time mechanic was pulling a Toyota 4Runner into bay two. It was scheduled for brakes and a tune-up. Bay one was where Danny had been blasting his tunes and replacing a water pump in a Chevy Silverado. What would it be like to slide an Alfa Romeo into his imaginary bay five and deck it out with custom wheels or special tinting?
Time to start making it happen. He’d been saving his money and had a hefty chunk. He could borrow the rest. He had enough stability between the business and the length of time at his residence to get approved. Plus, while renovations were going on, he lived just down the street so even if he was off that day, he was close enough to check in. The location of Kendrick Place had been a huge factor for Brady when he moved in. Like kismet or fate, he was meant to be there. And you’re meant to expand, grow, and reach for more.
“Boss?” Jenny had her head poked out the front door of the reception area. “Ace called. He’s bringing in a fender bender. He’s ten minutes out.”
“Okay. Thanks. Any coffee on?” Brady called back, smiling at her.
“What do you think?” she asked, shaking her head.
“That I’m lucky to have you,” he called as she retreated. And he was. He had time to grab a cup before he took a look at what Ace was bringing in.
“I’m almost done with the Chevy. You want me to take the tow?” Danny asked.
“Nah. I’ve got an oil change coming in at two. You take that.”
“Sounds good.”
As Danny walked away, Brady took one more second to imagine what could be. His dad had always wanted Jared to follow in his footsteps. Instead, Brady’s older brother had gone to law school and distanced himself from his family and especially the idea of being a lowly mechanic. I’ll pay people to work on my car, was what Jared would say to Dad. Brady had huddled in the background, learning everything he could and taking every chance there was to get his hands on tools.
When he went into the reception area, Jenny was behind the desk, on the phone. The black-and-white-tiled floor shone despite the heavy traffic the waiting area saw.
“Absolutely. We can drive you where you need to go and pick you up after,” Jenny told a customer. She smiled at Brady and pointed to the coffeemaker in the corner of the room.
His own office was around the side of the V-shaped desk area Jenny had set up. Comfortable chairs with soft gray backings sat along the window and one wall, making another V. A small dark end table sat between the two lines of chairs, magazines organized neatly on top. Brady grabbed his cup off his desk and came back out to fill it. As he poured the steamy liquid, he looked toward the door when the tinkling bells signaled a customer. Brady’s eyes widened and the sound of coffee splashing on the floor made him jump and look down.
Son of a—he’d missed the cup when Mia Kendrick stepped foot in Davis Repairs. What the hell was she doing here?
“Are you okay, boss?” Jenny asked, coming around her desk. “Hi there. We’ll be right with you.”
Multitasking, Jenny gave Mia a bright smile while grabbing a roll of paper towels and tossing some on the spill. Brady stood there like an idiot without the ability to move or speak. His fingers were locked on the handle of his cup. Mia still hadn’t said a word, but he could feel her eyes on him and it made his body burn hotter than the coffee. With embarrassment. Only embarrassment.
Jenny looked up and he pulled himself out of his stupor when she asked, “Are you all right?”
Setting his not-full mug down, he crouched to sop up the mess he’d made. “Fine. I’m fine. Sorry. Here, I’ll do it. Not your mess.”
She eyed him a second longer then stood and wiped her hands on a fresh paper towel. Tossing it into the garbage near his office, and getting it right in, she turned and went to greet Mia.
“Hi there. Welcome to Davis Repairs. What can we do for you?”
Brady glanced up, still trying to remember how his tongue worked. He soaked up the rest of the mess and brought the towels to the trash.
“I was rear-ended and the tow truck driver brought me here,” she said, her voice smooth and steady, despite her words.
Brady twisted around, wiping his hands on his coveralls, and crossed the room in a few quick steps. He stopped just short of touching her and looked her up and down.
“You’re the one who got rear-ended?”
Mia looked up and though her eyes were clear, he thought her lip quivered just a bit. Then dismissed the idea. “I’m sure I’m not the only one, but in this instance, yes.”
He wasn’t sure if she was mocking him or making a joke. “Are you okay?”
She moved her chin up and down in one curt nod. “Fine.”
Bull. No one was fine after getting plowed into by a ton of steel.
“I didn’t realize this was where the driver would take me,” Mia said, almost defiantly.
“Ace and I have a deal going. We help each other out,” Brady explained.
“How convenient,” she said. She glanced around and he had to fight the urge to look down. There was nothing wrong with his place. He did good, honest work every day. He had satisfied customers and lots of repeat clients.
“This is very nice. Bigger than I’d thought,” she said.
His chin snapped
up and he met her gaze. She’d thought about it? “Thanks. I’m happy with it. Do you want to sit down? Or have some coffee? I’ll go take a look at your car and talk to Ace.”
He moved to put his hand on her shoulder, but thought better of it. Best not to touch any part of her. Mia pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Actually, I’d really appreciate it if you could call me a cab. The security company is doing the installation today and I promised Wyatt I’d be back in time. The accident has put me behind.”
Brady chuckled as he remembered the security guy was a friend of Wyatt’s—or maybe acquaintance was a better word as his detective neighbor wasn’t easy to get chummy with.
“Accidents tend to be really inconvenient for all parties involved,” Brady said.
“Do you even do this type of repair work?”
On high-end-expensive-as-hell vehicles? Nope. But he was ready to change that. Sometimes a guy had to chase his fate and sometimes it walked right into his shop in sky-high heels and a sexy-as-sin power suit.
Mia was frowning at him, little lines gathering between her eyes. He ran a hand through his short cropped hair and sighed.
“I can and will do whatever you need for your car. Unless you’d rather I had it towed somewhere else? Let me take a look at the damage and I’ll give you my opinion on what it needs.”
“All right. Do you mind if I call for a cab and just leave it?”
“Can you give me ten minutes? I’ll take you home,” he said. Maybe he was being overprotective, but Mia was stubborn. She wouldn’t necessarily tell him if she was hurt and he didn’t feel right sending her home in the back of a cab. He didn’t want to question why he’d feel overprotective of this particular woman. You’d do the same for Shay or Gabby. From what Brady had seen so far, Mia didn’t have a whole lot of people watching out for her.
“That’s unnecessary. Don’t you have work to do? Such as my car?”
Her hoity-toity tone made him smirk. “Perks of being the boss are I can run an errand or two. Relax a second, Mia, and I’ll take you home. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
He didn’t give her the chance to refuse. Walking out of the shop, he saw Ace pulling his winch back in after lowering Mia’s Lexus. Brady walked around the back end, lips pursed. Not too bad.
“Lucky it wasn’t something bigger that hit her,” Ace said, walking to Brady. They shook hands. A little older than Brady, Ace had been running a tow business for years and had the same kickback deal with Pop before he’d died. Ace brought tows to his shop, Brady recommended Ace for towing and gave him a small percentage of any of the vehicle repairs he brought Brady’s way.
“What did hit her?”
The taillights were smashed and the middle of the bumper inverted slightly. Her silver paint was mucked up with royal blue scratches.
“Civic. Brand new. Kid driver,” Ace said. He’d grabbed his clipboard and was writing up the invoice. “She inside? I’ll square up with her and get going. You good?”
“I am. You?”
Ace shrugged. He was a big guy, dark hair that hung a little too shaggy. They’d gone for beers a few times, but didn’t really run in the same circles. “Can’t complain. We should grab a beer sometime soon.”
“Sure. Sounds good. Listen, why don’t you add this one to my tab?”
Ace looked up from the clipboard, brows arched. “Trying to score with the fancy woman, Davis?”
The back of his neck warmed. As if he had a chance—or even wanted one, at that.
“Nah. She’s a frie—she’s my landlord. Least I can do.” That’s what he told himself, but deep down, he wondered if it was more. She’d made it clearer than shining lights she didn’t want him to save her. But surely even princesses needed a hand now and then. He smiled at the thought. Miss Independent would say differently. When she wasn’t pretending the accident hadn’t shaken her.
“Wow. That’s your landlord? We should switch apartments. Mine’s an old guy who hates wearing pants. Fortunately, he favors boxers over tighty-whities.”
Brady laughed and signed the sheet Ace put in front of him. “No thanks. I’m good where I am.”
Ace shook his head, a wide smile taking over his face. “I’ll say.”
He walked to the driver’s side and lifted a hand to say good-bye. Brady tapped the truck, stuck the invoice in his pocket, and walked back to get Mia.
Coming toward the entrance, he noted Jenny staring at Mia with wide, fascinated eyes. She attended college, but worked her classes around being at the shop full time.
“You’ve traveled to so many places,” Jenny said.
Mia smiled and nodded, but Brady saw how tight her fingers clutched the strap of her purse. “Yes, but it’s always nice to come home.”
“Only people who’ve traveled say that,” Jenny said, laughing and leaning forward on her desk.
Mia’s laugh was quiet and sedate. “You might be right.” She turned when the door opened and met Brady’s stare.
“Jenny, I’m going to take Mia home. Should be back in a half hour or so. Have Danny move her car into my bay, okay?”
His receptionist’s eyes widened even more. “Oh, yeah. Sure. Okay.”
Shaking his head, he laughed and looked at Mia. “I’ll grab my keys. They’re on my desk.”
He hadn’t expected her to follow him the few steps to his office. The click-clack of her heels on the linoleum kept him on alert. Being around her, in general, kept him on alert.
“You’re very successful,” she said quietly.
Brady rounded his desk and pulled open the top drawer, He grabbed his keys and a pack of gum. Looking at her, he shut the drawer. “I don’t know about very, but I’m working on it. I’m going to add another bay. I want to do some detailing work.”
She nodded, but he’d bet she didn’t know exactly what he meant. “You really don’t have to drive me home.”
“It’s a good test. Let’s see if we can be in close quarters for ten minutes without sniping at each other.”
One side of her lips tipped up. “I’m not myself right now so it could actually happen.”
Brady gestured for her to go first through his office door. “Did you just make a joke?”
She huffed out a breath that sounded almost like a laugh. “Maybe I hit my head after all.”
This time Brady chuckled. “I should take advantage of your mood and drive the long way home.”
Her dark eyes met his, an unfamiliar sparkle making them seem brighter. “Probably shouldn’t push it.”
The almost teasing tone shocked Brady speechless and sent a snap of fire through his blood.
Before he could think not to, Brady made an admission he hadn’t planned to share. “You confuse me.”
He waved to Jenny who was on the phone again and followed Mia out the door.
He couldn’t read her tone when she replied, “Seems fair.”
Walking side by side around the building toward his car, Brady held out the fruit-flavored gum he was hooked on. “Want a piece?”
She frowned and pursed her lips like he’d asked her to have a quickie. “Um…okay.”
“It’s just gum,” he said, handing her a stick and unlocking his car.
He held the door open for her and waited while she removed the wrapper then popped the gum in her mouth. Unable to look away, he stood there watching her chew, stupidly pleased when she smiled.
“That’s good,” she said, then she handed him her wrapper and slid in the car.
Brady sighed and shut the door. Her words from the other night rang loud in his head. He was currently her mechanic and her chauffeur.
He slid behind the wheel of his Mustang and started her up, the purr of her engine soothing him. Mia sat stiffly beside him and had he not been watching her, he wouldn’t have seen the slight wince when she turned her head.
“Ready?” she asked.
“You hurt your neck?”
“I’m fine,” she said, sighing and faci
ng the front.
“You should take a warm shower when you get home,” he said, backing out of the parking space.
“Thank you for the advice,” she replied.
“Uh-oh. That sounded snide. We’re not even out of the lot,” he said.
Giving her a sideways glance, he saw her lips tilt up. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk.”
Brady turned the radio on and pulled into the midday traffic, surprised they actually agreed on something.
They were almost back to the apartment when Mia gave a small gasp.
“What?” Brady asked, ready to hit the brakes.
“I didn’t pay the tow truck driver,” she said, opening her purse and pulling out her phone.
From the corner of his eye he could see her thumbs flying over the screen. The most expedient, but probably not the smartest, way to stop her was to reach out and put his hand over hers. She turned her neck at the touch, just as he stopped at a red light. He caught her wince of pain, but said nothing.
“I paid him. Don’t worry about it for now,” he said, his fingers tingling at the points of contact. Her fingers were cold and he wanted to wrap them in his own. No. No, you don’t want that. You want to turn up the heat and tell her to stick her hands near the vents.
“Why would you do that? I do not need someone taking care of my business,” she said.
Brady removed his hand and stared straight ahead, grateful the light turned green. No. He definitely didn’t want to warm her up. It would take too much energy.
“It was just a courtesy, Mia. Don’t get your back up. I’ll add the cost to your bill. You were a bit frazzled. I didn’t want you to have to deal with anything else.”
Brady pressed the button to turn the heated seat on for her. There. She’d be plenty warm now.
“A courtesy? So you’d have done that for any customer?”
Why did she sound so shocked? Because she wouldn’t do the same. “A repeat customer or someone I trusted? Hell, yeah. Maybe you think you know everything, but both of our businesses rely on client interaction. Doing someone a solid now and again improves rapport and makes them want to come back. Or stay.”