Servicing Rafferty

by Janie Mason

  Barbara squeezed Rafe’s arm further between her breasts and feigned a shiver of fear. Heidi rolled her eyes heavenward and mentally counted to ten.

  “Well,” Rafe said, “Holly might have exaggerated the danger of the situation. Attila didn’t end up being as mean as his reputation made him out to be.”

  “Oh, she told me you’d do this. Try and downplay the danger and your involvement. Don’t even waste your breath. I’ve always thought you were a man who would do anything to protect the people he loved.”

  The smile Heidi had pasted on her face since the woman arrived began to twitch. If Barbara pressed herself against Rafe any harder he’d tip over. But, judging from the idiotic grin on his face, the jerk seemed to be enjoying the bodily contact.

  “Well, I’m so relieved Holly straightened everything out with you.” Rafe glanced Heidi’s way, giving her a you-started-this grin, then looked back down at Barbara. “Of course, I’m going to have to ask you to keep the manhunt our little secret. I wouldn’t want the story surfacing and the sheriff’s department tracing it back to me. That could jeopardize my security clearance.”

  Behind Barbara’s back, Heidi’s jaw dropped in surprise. She never would have expected Rafe to embellish an already far-fetched story. In all the years she’d known Rafe, spontaneity and recklessness had been as foreign to him as lion taming. Yet here he was, waist-deep in hogwash, with a grin on his face. She snapped her mouth closed and tried to summon an expression of amusement.

  “Holly,” Rafe began.

  The other name was really grating on Heidi’s nerves.

  “Think you can hold down the fort for me? Since Barbara has been so understanding, I think I should to try and make it up to her by taking her out to lunch.” He gave Heidi a smile, which she equated to a big raspberry, then turned his attention back to Barbara. “That is, if you’re free?”

  “It just so happens, I am.” A Cheshire cat smile spread across Barbara’s face.

  Heidi had to remind herself she and Gigi wanted Rafe to go out with Barbara. But for someone who three days ago was denying any personal interest in the Black Widow, he wasn’t supposed to look so darned pleased about the prospect.

  “Great. Just give me a minute to wash up and we’ll go.”

  Heidi noticed Barbara glance her way.

  “I’ll just wait for you in your office,” the woman said. “You don’t mind if I use your phone, do you?”

  I can’t believe it. She doesn’t even want to stand out here and speak to me now that she thinks she has Rafe. Or maybe she’s plotting something. Maybe clearing her schedule for a little bedroom dessert with Rafe.

  “Barbara probably needs to let Tony Junior’s sitter know she’s going out for lunch.” The words tumbled out of Heidi’s mouth before she had a chance to consider them.

  “Actually, Tony Junior left yesterday to spend a week in Cleveland with his nana.” Barbara looked down her nose at Heidi, then slid her gaze to Rafe. “I’m at your disposal for six whole days.” She drew out the last three words in an unmistakable invitation.

  Hoping to see some hint of revulsion in Rafe’s expression, Heidi was disappointed when his smile suggested quite the opposite.

  “Well, I’ll just keep that in mind,” he replied. And with a grin that made Heidi clench her teeth behind her lips, Rafe headed to the men’s room.

  —

  “He’s been gone almost two hours, Gigi.” Heidi sat up straighter in Rafe’s desk chair and peeked through the windows to make sure there weren’t any customers in the garage. “I don’t know if this was such a good idea.”

  “Don’t sweat it. They probably drove over to Newtown for lunch. I can see Barbara suggesting someplace where she could show him off to some of the rich women from her health spa. It’s twenty minutes each way.”

  Heidi wished she still had as much confidence in their plan as her friend did.

  “But you should have seen her outfit, Gigi.”

  “I don’t have to see it to know it was short, tight and low-cut. Remember, she shops at the same places I do. But you don’t need to worry about that. Has Rafe ever looked at me that way?”

  “No, I guess not,” Heidi answered with a sigh.

  “See, there’s your proof. He wants a woman who saves it for him and him alone. Someone like you.”

  “Well…”

  “My boss is headed this way, so I’ve got to go. Don’t worry. Rafe isn’t seriously interested in Barbara Murillo.”

  A knock on the glass panel of the door brought Heidi around in her chair. A nice-looking guy in his mid-twenties smiled at her through the window.

  “I’ve got a customer anyway. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up the phone.

  “Can I help you?” Heidi asked, stepping out of the office. She caught herself trying to brush the wrinkles out of the front of her coveralls and shoved her hands deep into the pockets.

  “I hope so. My car’s been running a bit rough. George Gilman said this was the best place in Greenville to bring it for service.” He crossed his arms and leaned his hip against the fender of the minivan in Rafe’s bay. The man had a warm smile that he wasn’t afraid to use.

  “Oh, you must be the new neighbor George mentioned. He was in first thing this morning.” Heidi offered her hand in greeting. He took it and returned her firm grip.

  “That’s me. My name’s Sean Fitzgerald, and you must be Heidi. George sang your praises, along with the owner’s.”

  Wanting to keep her mind off Rafe and what he might be doing with Barbara, Heidi concentrated on the Gilmans.

  “George and Esther are such a nice couple. You’re lucky to have them for neighbors.” Sean’s genuine smile made it easy for Heidi to return one of her own.

  “Yeah, they’re great. Kind of like having my grandparents next door.”

  “Didn’t George tell me you were a teacher in Newtown?” she asked.

  “Yes, high school history.” Sean straightened and casually hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his chinos. “I’m also the head football coach for the Lions.”

  That explained the man’s build. He was lean and muscular. The kind of coach who actively participated in team training. Not that she was interested. Maybe she should get the conversation back to his automobile so he wouldn’t interpret her small talk as anything more than kindness.

  Heidi looked over Sean’s shoulder but couldn’t see a car parked outside the open bay. He must have pulled it off to a spot the side.

  “Well, why don’t you pull your car into the other bay, Sean, and I’ll take a look at it.”

  “Be glad to.” He turned and half-jogged out the door and out of sight.

  As Heidi moved to her open bay, she heard an engine roar to life. A rough rumble, but with some serious guts behind it. After another moment, a black, 1963, split-window Corvette glided into the garage. Heidi was mesmerized by the classic automobile.

  “Sweet ’Vette,” she said, as he shifted it into neutral and set the brake. Heidi stood next to the driver’s door and lightly ran the pad of her finger along the edge. The car was pristine, like it had just rolled off the assembly line. And if there was ever an automobile that could be considered sexy, this was it. Heidi couldn’t believe this car had been in town for close to a month and they hadn’t heard about it at the garage.

  “Thanks,” he said, “I think so, too.”

  Heidi continued to admire the car.

  “Should I shut it off?” he asked, breaking her out of her trance.

  Heidi gave him a slow nod. “Oh, yeah.” As Sean got out of the car, she rubbed her hands together.

  “Don’t tell my boss this, but I’m going to feel like I should pay you for the opportunity to work on this car.”

  “Well, you take special care of her, and we’ll see what you and I can work out.”

  —

  Rafe checked his watch for what seemed like the thousandth time. He hoped being away from the garage for three hours would have Heidi convinced that
he and Barbara had mended all fences. The truth of the matter was he’d dropped Barbara off over an hour ago and had been pacing around his house waiting for more time to pass. Staying away had been nerve-wracking, but it was necessary to create the illusion.

  The idea had come to him toward the tail end of Heidi’s cock and bull story. What a doozy it had been, too. He’d had a helluva time keeping a straight face in front of Barbara. Rafe had known the Widow Murillo’s sights were set on him, but either the woman was desperate enough to overlook a blatant lie, or her Wonderbra was limiting the oxygen supply to her brain.

  Along with maintaining a convincing poker face, it had been damn-near impossible to read Heidi’s Barbie-doll expression. The twinkle in her eyes seemed to reflect amusement one moment and then anger the next. She’d been so cool all morning; was she still furious with him? As Rafe drove back to the garage, he almost hoped so. He’d rather she be angry than hurt.

  Rafe got out of his truck, wondering whether Heidi would still greet him with this morning’s casual indifference. If they’d gotten busy at the garage, she would have called him on his cell phone, right? Wait, he forgot. He hadn’t replaced the stupid thing yet.

  Relieved that cars weren’t piled up in the lot, he approached the open service bay doors. Rafe heard Heidi’s laughter, joined by that of a man. Rounding the corner, he spotted Heidi standing alongside a blond-haired man and a Corvette the likes of which Rafferty’s Auto Repair had never seen.

  His arrival had gone unnoticed and Rafe couldn’t help but feel Heidi seemed unconcerned about whether he ever returned. Was the sudden pang in his chest a cut to his heart or his ego?

  Rafe took another look at the man who appeared to be quite successful in entertaining his ace mechanic. The guy was clean-cut and probably about twenty-five. Closer to Heidi’s age, Rafe thought. The idea of a younger man vying for her affections, which was what Rafe knew would be in Heidi’s best interest, irked him all the same.

  Rafe noted the fellow’s muscular build. About five-eleven, maybe one hundred and eighty pounds. Seemed to smile an awful lot, though. But that was Heidi’s doing, he reasoned. Hell, Rafe caught himself grinning like an idiot whenever she was around. She just had that effect on people.

  “Oh, there you are, Rafe,” Heidi said. “There’s someone here I’d like you to meet.” The man faced Rafe and stepped forward, extending his right hand.

  “Sean Fitzgerald.”

  “Sean is the new neighbor George was telling us about.” Heidi’s eyes were dancing with excitement.

  Rafe swallowed a feral growl and met the man’s gaze.

  “Nice to meet you, Sean. Joe Rafferty, but everyone calls me Rafe.” He returned Sean’s shake, surprised at his own primal urge to squeeze and maim; his desire to make the guy wither down onto his knees.

  “I think I’m going to have to get after George for not mentioning Sean’s car this morning.” Heidi gleamed at Sean, and Rafe felt something akin to a knife slicing through his flesh.

  “It is a beauty,” he managed to agree.

  Rafe turned his attention to the car, fighting to maintain conversation while his emotions battled away inside. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “Nothing now. Heidi found the problem immediately,” Sean said.

  “It was just a cracked vacuum hose. No big deal,” she said, her gaze sweeping the length of the car. “But it was an awesome experience getting under her hood.” Heidi whipped a clean polishing rag out of her back pocket and attacked an area on the edge of the hood.

  “Well, I’m glad Heidi was able to take care of it for you.” Rafe hoped the comment sounded more sincere than he felt saying it. He was at odds with himself. As a businessman, he was pleased to have a happy customer. However, as a man, Rafe wanted to kill Sean Fitzgerald for putting that sparkle in Heidi’s eyes.

  Their conversation was cut short by Patty Olsen returning to pick up her minivan. Rafe told Sean good-bye and directed his customer, infant-carrier and squalling toddler in tow, to the office. Recording Patty’s payment, Rafe noticed Sean’s invoice on the desk. Heidi had already concluded their business. Rafe wondered just how long Sean had been hanging around and was ashamed to admit the sense of relief he felt when the refined roar of the Corvette started up and then slowly faded away.

  Heidi was busy rotating a set of tires on another car as Patty pulled away. Then their new tire delivery arrived, followed by a customer dropping off his car for early morning service the next day. By the time Rafe was free to talk, Heidi had headed home.

  A sense of emptiness swelled within him and after a moment Rafe realized why. This was the first time in seven years Heidi had taken off without saying good-bye.

  Chapter Six

  Heidi teetered on the three-rung stepladder, rummaging through the things on the high shelf inside her closet. Boy, was it time to purge. Gray sweatpants with a missing drawstring flew over her shoulder onto the bed to be discarded. A misshapen ball cap found a temporary home on her head. Two missing socks, a well-loved but forgotten stuffed elephant, a leopard-print-covered diary, and three shoebox lids were added to a growing pile on the floor in order for her to continue the search.

  “There you are.” Heidi grasped the tube and descended before trying to roll the rubber band off the paper cylinder. Her efforts were expedited when with one touch, the parched band snapped, returning to the shadowy depths of her closet. Heidi unrolled the poster, the glossy paper crackling as it flattened. Sinking to the floor by the bed, she smiled at the poster.

  “How many hours did I fantasize about you?” She stared at the image: a red, 1963, split-window Corvette against a backdrop of lapis blue. “Thousands?”

  Seeing Sean’s Corvette had sent her back to her teens. She’d dreamed of owning a car like his in the way that most teenage girls dreamed of dating rock stars. The image had hung across from her bed for years; watching teenage heartthrob posters come and go.

  After drawn-out seconds full of memories, Heidi rolled it up, secured it with an old hair scrunchie off the floor and set it behind her on the bed. She’d give the poster to George to pass on to Sean. The car had been a great dream, but the practical side of Heidi’s personality now knew that’s all it would ever be.

  She spotted the long-forgotten diary at her feet. Picking it up, Heidi flicked open the latch and fluttered through the gold-edged pages until she paused at one with a folded corner. She flattened the page and read.

  February 17th—Snowed like crazy today. The good part is, Rafe gave me a ride home. The bad part is, I think he might have noticed the bottom of my boot flapping. At first I was really embarrassed, but then he told me this joke about a preacher and a rabbi on a golf course that was so funny I laughed all the way home. I like to close my eyes and pretend he kissed me good-bye. I bet he’s the best kisser in the world. I saw him frenching Dawn Hammond once. I thought I’d die. I wish he’d kiss me that way.

  P.S. I’m glad Dawn moved away, even though she was kind of nice to me.

  Heidi shut the journal and then her eyes, letting her head sag back on the edge of the mattress. She couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t loved Rafe. For a short time like a father or a brother, then as a mad teenage crush. But over the years of working together and coming to know him, infatuation had transformed into a sense of wholeness.

  We belong together.

  A tear seeped out from under her eyelid, pooling, waiting for gravity to betray her will.

  “No,” she insisted with a whisper, swiping the bead away. “I’m not going to sit here and cry. So what if he had fun with Barbara at lunch today. That doesn’t mean anything else happened.” At least she assumed he’d had a good time. He’d been gone so long there hadn’t been time to find out anything once he got back to the garage.

  “Have faith in Rafe. Have faith in yourself. Have faith in the plan.” Heidi whispered the mantra Gigi had drilled into her the night before.

  “The man’s head over heels in love with you. He just doesn
’t want to admit it, even to himself,” Gigi had insisted.

  Heidi’s mind returned, as it had thousands of times in the past two days, to Friday night. When they had made love, not only had she given him all of herself, but she would have sworn he’d reciprocated. How could they connect that way and he not understand the depth of his feelings?

  Then niggling doubt made Heidi remember what he’d said afterwards. Making love to her had been a mistake.

  Jealousy, anger, sadness, love, frustration… All of the emotions inside her tangled and clawed, each wanting to gain dominance over the others. And just as Heidi felt on the very brink of erupting, Attila tiptoed onto her lap. He nuzzled against her chest and then curled into a feather-light ball on her lap. A warm sense of peace spread crept down her extremities, like sinking into a warm tub of water.

  “Thanks, I needed that,” she said, scratching his tiny jaw. And with that mindless finger stroke and Attila’s purr, came a welcome respite of dual contentment.

  —

  “Where’s Rafe?” Larry Mills asked Heidi.

  A very good question, she thought.

  “He had to run out for a bit,” she told the loyal customer. “But he made sure your car was ready before he left.” She wisely left off the part about Barbara Murillo showing up for another lunch date in a halter dress that practically screamed, “Do me, baby”. Rumors might soon be circulating about Rafe and the Black Widow, but Heidi wasn’t going to be the one to initiate them.

  She took care of Larry and within minutes was back at work repairing the punctured tire on the pickup in her bay. That job completed, Heidi parked the truck out in the lot and clipped the keys to the clipboard holding the corresponding paperwork. With no one else waiting and the only other car in for service still waiting for a part, she began putting away some of the supplies that had been delivered earlier that morning.

  “Must be nice, taking these extended lunches,” she grumbled as she stacked oil filters on the shelf. “And why even offer to bring me back a sandwich if you’re not coming back for hours?” The stale package of peanut butter crackers she’d found in the desk drawer was starting to sound good. “It’s lucky we’re not busy.”