Roadside Assistance

by Marie Harte

  “Whatever.” Sam sneered. “Dick.”

  “What did I say about the swearing? Jackass.”

  Cyn looked from Foley to Sam, awash in their camaraderie and wanting to wade deeper. “So, Sam, you’re a mechanic too?”

  He just looked at her.

  “Tap once for yes, twice for no.”

  “Smart-ass.” He sighed. “Yeah, I’m a mechanic. So?”

  “He’s not one for small talk, is he?” she asked Foley, who chuckled and shook his head. She turned back to Sam. “What do you do for fun?”

  His suddenly lecherous expression told her she didn’t want to know.

  “Never mind. So this dinner invite. It’s okay with your friends?” she said to Foley.

  “Sure. Johnny’s all about impressing us with his incredible girlfriend. None of us can understand why Lara puts up with him. So tonight is more a curiosity about them than about us.”

  “Don’t forget the free meal,” Sam added.

  “That too.” Foley made a sad face at her, then focused once more on the road. “None of us can cook.”

  “By none of you, you mean…”

  “Sam, me, Johnny, and Lou. Though I think Lou’s been lying about that. Once I went by his house and smelled something amazing.”

  “He said it was his mom. I asked.” Sam shrugged. “But knowing Lou, probably lying. Dude is supergood at everything. It’s annoying.”

  “Yeah. Try not to make eye contact with him,” Foley teased. Or at least, she thought he teased.

  “Is he the one who called me a witch? Or was that one of you guys?”

  “That was Lou,” Sam said quickly.

  “Hmm.”

  They listened to classic rock as Foley capably drove them through the cleared roads. The temperature had heated enough to melt the stubborn ice from the pavement.

  “How’s your car?” Foley asked.

  “Okay. Matt changed the battery, and he said that’s all it was.”

  “Your brother’s a mechanic?” Sam asked.

  “He likes to think he is.”

  Foley frowned at the road. “Why didn’t you bring it to me?”

  “That’s like a gazelle walking into the lion’s den. No thanks.”

  He shook his head. “I am so maligned.”

  “Big word, Foley,” Sam taunted. “No need to impress her, dude. You already bang—”

  “Shut up,” Foley interrupted before Cyn could.

  She turned to glare at Sam. “You always this big an asshole? Or should I feel special?”

  He blinked at her, then turned to glance out the window. But she swore she saw his lips curl.

  Facing front again, she saw Foley giving her a look. “Something you wanted to say?”

  He smiled. Then he laughed. “I like your style, baby.”

  “Oh, he knows my name.” She huffed. “Big boy, please.”

  He cracked up as they pulled in front of an older house in a nice neighborhood. The place could use some paint, but the outside looked tidy enough. An SUV and a glossy black truck sat in the driveway.

  As they left the car, the front door opened, and she recognized one of the guys from Webster’s waving them in.

  “Hurry. Lara just took cookies out of the oven.”

  Sam darted around her and Foley and tore into the house.

  “Lara’s known for her cookies,” Foley explained. “And like I said, we really can’t cook.”

  Good to know. “So I could make you microwave popcorn, and I’d be a goddess?”

  He tugged her closer and planted a kiss that made her weak at the knees. “Nah. We know all about microwaveable crap. Now if you swallowed me whole while I came down your throat, then I’d worship on my knees.”

  “Foley. Shush.”

  He laughed and put an arm around her shoulder, then drew her inside with him.

  Enveloped immediately by good smells, she let Foley take her coat. He tossed it and his over the couch and dragged her into the kitchen, where three large men stood around a slender brunette fussing over the stove.

  “Get out. I mean it! The cookies are for dessert. Jeez. It’s like being attacked by piranhas.”

  Cyn laughed, and everyone turned around to stare at her.

  Foley introduced her. “Guys, this is Cyn. You remember, the hard-ass that bitched me out about Dale and those cars?”

  She elbowed him and was rewarded with a grunt. “Nice, Foley. I’m Cyn Nichols. I run Nichols Caffé with my brother and sister-in-law. It’s the shop a few doors down from Webster’s.”

  Foley frowned but had yet to take his arm from around her shoulders. “This is the gang. Lou, Johnny, Sam you know, and Lara.”

  Everyone said hello, and Cyn couldn’t help comparing the rough-looking men, seeing similarities despite their obvious differences. “What do they feed you guys at that garage? Or is weightlifting a requirement?”

  Johnny, the leanest of the guys—which wasn’t saying much—preened and flexed. “Yeah, she said it. And she meant it. She thinks I’m huge. See, Lara? Women still love me.”

  Lara shook her head. “One of these days that fat head won’t fit through the door.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Hi, Cyn. I’m Lara, Johnny’s fiancée. Well, as soon as he gets the stones to ask me.”

  The guys made fun of him while Johnny turned red. “That’s a damn lie! I already asked you. She’s making me wait.”

  “That’s right.” Lara beamed. “I’m currently going through nursing school and working at Ray’s on the side. No time for a man.”

  “I hear you.” Cyn accepted the beer Lara offered.

  “Really? So what am I?” Foley looked wounded. Then ruined it by grinning.

  “A pity date. Meh. It’s Christmas.”

  Johnny grinned. “Oh, I like her.”

  Lou whistled. “Damn, son. That’s harsh.” He held out his hand to Cyn. “We met briefly before. I’m Lou Cortez. Single and eager to please.” He wiggled his brows.

  “I’ll bet you are.”

  Handsome, like the others, rough, and a definite ladies’ man. He was Latino with a slight accent that made him that much sexier.

  Lou grinned and kissed the back of her hand, and then Foley was there, shoving Lou back. “Okay, Casanova. Give it a rest.”

  Johnny and Lara shared an amused glance before Johnny said, “I’m Johnny, but you know that. I’m the pretty one at the garage.” She could well believe that. Strikingly handsome, tall, and with a killer grin, he’d all too easily charm the panties off a girl. “I’m the one who gets things done while the badass bros and Romeo play around.”

  “Badass bros?”

  To her delight, Foley flushed. “Stupid nickname.”

  Sam opened the fridge and buried his head in it. “Yeah, stupid.”

  “I like it.” She gave Foley a wide grin. “Badass bros.” She laughed. “Big badass bros sounds even better.”

  “Be nice,” Foley growled. “Ignore her. She’s hot for me, but she’s fighting it.”

  “Yeah, we can tell,” Sam deadpanned. He gave her a look she couldn’t read, but then Lara distracted her by calling her over.

  “Guys, get lost. Go compare whose is bigger or something. I want to talk to Cyn.”

  “No need to compare,” Johnny said. “We all know I’m—”

  “Pitiful, yeah, you are. Pitifully small,” Sam cut in. “No, wait. That’s what Sue said about Foley, right?”

  Everyone grew silent.

  Cyn turned around with a smirk. “Really? Then Sue didn’t know what she was doing. I don’t call him my big boy for nothing.”

  The guys slapped Foley on the back, teasing the “big boy.” Foley smiled at her and mouthed, “I’m going to get you for that.” Then he shoved Sam out of the kitchen into the
living room, and the others followed.

  Sectioned off as it was, Cyn and Lara had the kitchen and dining area to themselves.

  “Nice save,” Lara said with a sincere smile. She had long, dark brown hair, deep brown eyes, and an athletic figure Cyn envied. Boobs and tone, slender all over but where it counted.

  Cyn sighed. “Thanks.” She paused. “So Sue?”

  “A mistake. She works with me at the bar.”

  “Oh, wait. Ray’s.” Relief filled her. “I know about her.”

  Lara blinked. “You do?”

  “Foley mentioned it on our first disaster of a date.”

  “Oh, this I have to hear.”

  “To make a long story short, he complimented me for cleaning my plate and led me to believe he had a fetish for big girls.”

  Lara laughed, long and hard. “Awesome. That’s about right. Foley sticking his foot in his mouth for sure.”

  “You’ve known him long?”

  “Ever since I’ve been working at Ray’s. A good four, almost five years now. The guys come in a lot. It’s a rough place, but most of the people are decent and hardworking, even if they look like prison escapees,” she said drily.

  “So a lot like the guys, just not as big or sexy.”

  Lara grinned. “Exactly.” She eyeballed Cyn. “So you’re the one who jumped Foley’s case. I heard about you.”

  Cyn flushed. “I was having an off day.”

  “Hey, don’t apologize for it. I’m sure if you were annoyed, the guys deserved it.”

  “According to Foley, someone named Dale was to blame. But it wasn’t Foley’s fault I was in a bad mood. I’d just come from dealing with one of my ex–business partners, who thinks women aren’t capable of thought. Or math. Or business, apparently.” But at least her lawyer had taken care of that shareholder nonsense for her.

  “Ah.”

  “Yeah. So he’d aggravated me, then I had to go deal with the sexy male mechanics I hear so much about. My sister-in-law has vowed never to move from our current location, because she lives for when Webster’s guys come in for coffee.”

  “Oh, I’ve met her. Nina, right?”

  “Yes, and before you ask, she’s happily married to my brother. She just likes to look.”

  “Hell, we all do.” Lara crooked her finger, and when Cyn leaned closer, she said, “So that crack about ‘big boy.’ Interesting.”

  Cyn smiled.

  “My Johnny’s a keeper, but I have to watch myself with compliments, or he really will find it hard to fit through the door. Has an ego the size of Texas.”

  “Don’t they all?” Cyn laughed, and Lara joined her. In Lara, Cyn thought she’d found a new friend she could really grow to like. “Now tell me, are the rumors about your cookies true?”

  “Taste one and see.” Lara offered her one.

  Cyn accepted the warm treat and had a fleeting thought of her mother cautioning her to forego anything that might add to her waistline. She took a big bite instead.

  Chapter 9

  Foley didn’t know what had come over his friend. “What the hell, Sam?”

  “Yeah, dude. Dick move mentioning Sue.” Lou crossed his arms over his chest. “Never bring up an ex-flame, and not around a new woman.”

  “No wonder you’re single.” Johnny shook his head.

  “Sorry, okay?” Sam kept his voice down. “I was joking, not thinking.”

  Foley sighed. Sam did look miserable. “No biggie. Just don’t bring up anybody else.”

  “Laundry list of them, is there, Foley?” Lou chuckled. “A lot of unhappy women missing their big boy?”

  Foley flushed.

  Johnny’s wide grin boded trouble. “Maybe we could make shirts for the garage. Webster’s Big Boys. Swing a big dick, save a mighty dollar. Something like that.”

  Lou rubbed his chin. “Hmm. Clever. I’ll mention it to Del.”

  “You guys are assholes, you know that?” Foley blew out a breath, pleased to see Sam relaxing again.

  Cyn had held her own. Not intimidated by his friends or mention of an ex. He hoped to hell she remembered he’d mentioned Sue before. Then she’d know for sure he wanted nothing to do with the woman.

  “So you and Cyn. It’s serious?” Johnny asked. “I mean, you never bring your sex friends to dinner.”

  “Not that we’ve been invited to that many,” Sam argued. “You get a woman who can cook, and this is what? The third time we’ve been invited? That’s so lame, dickbag.”

  Johnny shared a glance with Lou. “Is he somehow missing the fact that I actually invited him tonight? Because I’m thinking he is.”

  “Seems like,” Lou agreed.

  Foley thought they’d forgotten Johnny’s question until Sam poked him in the shoulder. “Well?”

  “Well what?”

  Sam ignored Foley’s glare. “Are you guys serious?”

  They’d had this same discussion earlier. Not cool of Sam to bring up something personal in front of the guys. Foley gave him a warning look, but Sam ignored it. “She and I are new, okay? I thought I’d bring her around, spend some time with her. It’s no big deal.”

  Johnny and Lou glanced at each other again.

  “What?” Foley snapped.

  Sam had to add, “I get the attraction. I mean, she’s got really nice tits.”

  “Sam.”

  The guys grinned.

  “Sorry. Breasts.”

  Foley pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we please talk about something else?”

  “You guys got plans for Christmas?” Johnny asked. “Lara and I are spending it with her family. Dad’s got a new girlfriend, so we’ll split time with him and his lady on Christmas Eve.” He paused to look at Sam. “And no cracks about poles or—”

  “Cracks?” Sam said.

  Foley tried not to laugh. Johnny’s father ran a successful strip club, and most of his girlfriends had been strippers, hence references to poles and ass cracks.

  Lou coughed to hide laughter. “Right. Well, I’m spending the holiday with my mom, aunts, cousins, and sisters.”

  “All girls, right? You have how many of them?”

  Lou sighed. “Too many to count. Maybe fifteen?”

  Foley cringed. “Damn. I can barely handle my mom. She and Sam and me are hanging at her place, I guess.” Sam nodded to confirm. “And her new boyfriend’s too.”

  Lou raised a brow. “Yeah? How you liking him?”

  “We’ll see. I’m meeting him for the first time on Christmas.” Which made him wonder if dentist guy would be bringing his daughter and her family with him. Hell, he hoped not. Bad enough he’d have to watch his mom flirt with some guy Foley hadn’t okayed yet. Too bad he and Sam hadn’t had the time to swing by his office. Now he’d have to make up his mind over the guy during the holidays.

  “What about Cyn?” Johnny asked. “Going to spend time with her?”

  Sam crossed his arms. “Yeah, are you?”

  Even for Foley, that seemed to be rushing things. Holidays were for family, not new girlfriends. So why did the thought of giving the relationship some space worry him?

  He forced himself to look unconcerned. “We might go out, but I’m sure she’ll spend the holiday with her family. I mean, we just started—”

  “Hooking up?” Sam interrupted.

  “—dating recently.” What the hell had crawled up Sam’s ass? “You don’t like her?”

  Everyone watched Sam. Though his buddy gave no signs of anxiety, Foley could tell Sam was bothered.

  “Nah. She’s okay. Just wondered where you were going with this one.”

  “This one? It’s not like I have a fucking scorecard with names and stats,” Foley snapped.

  “Touchy.” Sam shook his head.

  Realizing he was getting bent out of sh
ape over some harmless teasing, Foley relented. “Maybe I am. Woman freaking rocked my world. I don’t want things to end yet.” He slapped Sam in the back of the head.

  “Hey.”

  “So watch your damn mouth.”

  “Good advice,” Lou said. “Words to live by.”

  Johnny nodded. “The Bible according to Foley.”

  Sam, getting into the spirit of fuck with Foley night, added, “Wisdom indeed, young grasshopper.”

  “You know what? Fuck all of you.”

  They looked over his shoulder, and he just knew Cyn was standing there.

  “So, ah, it’s time for dinner,” she said. “Lara suggests you wash up first. And, Foley, you might want to eat some of that soap. Someone’s got a dirty mouth.” She snickered. “Lara, guess what Foley said?”

  * * *

  The meal went off without a hitch. Sam watched as Cyn charmed the friggin’ guys and Lara. Lara, who had a head on her shoulders, a kind heart, and could see past bullshit, liked Cyn.

  Hell, Sam did too. She’d been funny but not a glory hound, sitting back to listen until asked a question. She gave her opinion and didn’t back down, even when Lou started putting the verbal screws to her about the idea of a flat tax, which had bored the piss out of him.

  Even better—or worse, depending upon his viewpoint, which continued to shift during dinner—she kept looking at Foley like she wanted to know more about him. She smiled and studied him when she didn’t think anyone was looking. That told Sam more about her than he wanted to know.

  He didn’t want to like her. Now he didn’t know what to do about her. Especially since she’d been so damn pleasant and funny throughout the meal. He kept waiting for her to act like she was better than everyone, which she clearly was. She had an education and money, came from a nice family—according to what he knew about the coffee shop people—and had an air of competence anyone could see.

  And she liked Foley. Fuck. She even had good taste.

  “Sam?”

  He glanced up, only to see Cyn staring at him. “What?”