Kevin knocked the last drop of oil into the reservoir and straightened up. “Congratulations, man. You’re really doing it, huh? Off the field for good?”
“Truth is, I was never really in the game.” Ben smiled ruefully and raked a hand through his hair. “Could have fooled you, huh?”
“Not really. I pegged you for a one-woman man from the start. Every time you got drunk, it was all ‘Julie, Julie, Julie.’” He stepped down from the ladder and clapped Ben on the back. “I’m happy for you, man. May it work out better than it did for me. Hell, it pretty much has to.”
He made a face, remembering all the times he’d ranted to Ben about his emotional and financial battles with Sylvie.
“How is all that going? I guess you wouldn’t be here with Holly if it hadn’t worked out.”
“Well, I have custody, but I’m not sure I would say it worked out.” He wiped his hands on a rag he kept tucked in his back pocket. “Sylvie’s remarried. Travels a lot. She’s living the dream…her dream, anyway. Occasionally she flies Holly to join her for a spa weekend or something. They went skiing over Christmas break.”
“So it’s working out pretty well, the single-dad gig?” Ben watched him with steady gray eyes. That was always the great thing about Ben Knight; you could talk to him about things other than sports and workouts. If not for Ben, the battles with Sylvie would have been even more hellish. And even now, the urge to spill his guts took over under Ben’s sympathetic gaze.
Because the truth was, he lost sleep over whether he was doing right by Holly.
“I hope so. I didn’t set out to be a single dad. You remember when I left the Air Force, it was so I could be around more. That’s why I got into mechanic work. I figured Sylvie and I would work out a good arrangement for Holly, but I never wanted to take her away from her mom. But then Sylvie met this rich dude who doesn’t like kids. Holly hated him, and she hated being dragged all over the world. She gets airsick in planes, go figure.”
He broke off and hauled in a long breath, amazed that he’d let all that information just come flying out.
“So here we are, doing okay so far. Fingers crossed.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, then managed to produce a smile for Ben. “Jesus, I hope that didn’t put a damper on your big engagement plans.”
“Nah. It would take something a lot worse to do that. I’m really glad you’re here, man. And not just because the planes need you. Sounds like Holly needs a break from all the drama.”
“She’s a teenager, there’s always drama. Now she’s worried about making new friends. It’s always something.”
A sound caught his attention. He looked over Ben’s shoulder and saw that Cassie had stepped into the hangar. He had no idea how long she’d been there, but from the curious look on her face, there was a good chance she’d overheard his little confession.
She came toward them, dressed in a simple vee-neck t-shirt and skin-tight jeans. Lithe and sexy, in the midst of fastening her strawberry-blond hair into a clip, she made his mouth water. “Hey boys,” she called casually.
Oh good, maybe she hadn’t witnessed him spilling his guts.
“Hey, Cass.” Ben turned to go. “Take care of the new guy, okay? He’s like a lost little lamb around here.”
He disappeared out the door, leaving Cassie and Kevin alone. He gave her a tentative smile, then tossed the empty bottle of motor oil in the trash bin in the corner. “How’s business?” he asked her.
She finished with her hair and grabbed a set of coveralls off the workbench. “Rockin’.” She grinned. “I haven’t even had to advertise. Here’s a hot tip, by the way. If you want to spread the word about anything important, stop in at the bookstore and ask for Mrs. Murphy. She’s the glue that holds this town together.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
She stepped into her coveralls and zipped them up.
He gave a quick check—yup, still hot, even in coveralls. Actually, maybe even hotter. Was that weird?
“So, Kevin. I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation with Ben. You have a daughter?”
He winced and slung his wipe rag over his shoulder. Just his luck, getting caught complaining about his ex. No one wanted to hear that sort of thing. “Yes, Holly. She just turned fifteen.”
“Middle school? High school?”
“First year of high school. And boy, did she throw a fit about changing schools at the end of the year. I tried to put off my start date, but this beast here didn’t make that possible.” He patted the Cessna affectionately. “Don’t worry, I made it up to her.”
“Hmm, fifteen. Driving lessons? iPod?”
“None of the above. I got her a lifetime pass to the observatory. She’s a bit of a science geek. Gets it from me.” He smiled proudly. “I would have studied rocket science if I hadn’t joined the Air Force. And if I hadn’t partied a little too much in high school.”
“Hm.” Her blue eyes flickered across him. “She sounds like a cool kid. I hope she likes it here.”
Something in her voice made him frown. “Why wouldn’t she? What’s not to like? This town is practically a charm factory. Everyone seems friendly.”
She cocked her head at him as she strapped on a headlamp. “Where are you from?”
“I’m from Georgia. Atlanta, specifically.”
“So, a big city. Have you ever lived in a small town?”
“Not really, although a military base is pretty much a small town in and of itself.”
“Well, I can’t speak for bases, but I’m very familiar with small towns. At least this one. And all I can say is that whatever your ideas are about small-town life, they’re probably not completely accurate.” With that cryptic comment, she turned on her headlamp and marched over to the Nissan Sentra in her corner of the hangar.
He followed.
“You can’t just drop a comment like that with no explanation,” he complained. “Are you trying to warn me about something?”
“Nothing specific. Just that Jupiter Point is like everywhere else. Just because it’s pretty and quiet and everyone knows each other, doesn’t mean we don’t have all the same problems that other places do.” She lowered herself onto the creeper and prepared to slide under the car.
“Like what problems?”
“I can sum them all up in one word. People.” She pushed herself headfirst under the Sentra. All he saw of her now were her legs, bent at the knees and encased in coveralls.
And yup, she was still cute.
“Well, crap,” he grumbled. “We should have moved to the moon the way I originally wanted to.”
A smothered laugh sounded from under the Sentra. “It’s not too late, is it?”
“Ouch. Should I take that personally?”
“Just thinking of you and your daughter,” she said in a virtuous tone.
“Okay, now you’ve got me worried. Is there something I should know about this town? Ben said it was quiet, good schools, low crime rate, good stargazing, kind of a tourist getaway spot. Mountains not far away, a beach. Good ice cream parlor. Four-screen movie theater. An excellent auto repair shop.”
She laughed again, the sound echoing in the undercarriage of the Nissan. “Nice one.” She pushed the creeper out from under the car and sat up to sort through her box of mechanics’ tools. “I’m not trying to be cryptic. I had some bad experiences in high school, that’s all. But that was me, and it doesn’t mean anything for your daughter. I’m sure she’ll love it here. Most people do.”
He stared down at her, shading his eyes from the beam of the headlamp. “What experiences?”
She shrugged and grabbed a wrench, then lay back down. “Sorry, we just met, I’m not about to reveal my embarrassing past. Okay, going back in.” She disappeared back under the car.
“You heard about mine. At least the parts I was telling Ben about. Fair’s fair, you might as well balance things out.”
Cassie’s knees knocked together as she wrenched at something in the undercarriage. �
��I’m busy.”
“What about later? I’ll buy you lunch.”
He heard the metallic bang of tool against car, then her impatient response. “Didn’t we talk about this already? No socializing?”
“I’m not talking about socializing. I’m talking about me doing my best for my daughter.” Some of the teasing lightness left his voice, because the only thing in his life he took one hundred percent seriously was his responsibility to Holly.
She must have realized he was serious, because her next answer came in a much softer tone. “Look, you have no need to worry. My problems were my fault. No one else’s. And since Holly isn’t me, she should be fine.”
Well, apparently that was all the information he was going to get from her. He wondered if it had to do with the woman from Barstow’s. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me. About four steps to your right. And Holly says I’m a pretty good listener for a man, so there’s that too.”
He turned away—and nearly collided with a man who had just walked in.
“Sorry about that, dude. Can I help you?”
The guy wore a windbreaker and needed a haircut, and had the look of someone permanently stoned. “Looking for Cassie Knight.”
Kevin knocked on the Sentra. “You got a customer, Cassie.”
“Take his information, would you?” she called. “I’m in the middle of—” She broke off, swearing.
Kevin smiled at the stranger. “Apparently I’m her receptionist. Can I take a message?”
“Tell her Travis Drake stopped by. I could use a tune up, if you know what I mean.”
Kevin’s hackles went up. He despised that kind of wink-wink way some men talked about women. He’d hated it before he became the single parent of a teenage daughter. Now it was one of his top pet peeves. “If you mean a tune up for your automotive vehicle, yes, I know what you mean,” he said curtly. “I’ll let her know.”
He was in the midst of ushering him toward the exit when he heard the scrape of the creeper’s wheels on the concrete floor.
“Wait,” Cassie called. “Did you say Travis Drake?”
Cassie sat up so fast her head grazed the edge of the Sentra. Rubbing the bruised spot, she tore off her headlamp and stared up at the two men. If you had to guess which one had inspired an epic crush, it would not be the one leering at her as if she were a Christmas present in coveralls.
Travis Drake had grown up…shifty. Or maybe sleazy would be a better word. He looked like the kind of guy who would try to sell you a bad used car and then hit on you.
And this was the man she’d pined over?
“Hiya Travis. How’ve you been?”
Kevin looked between them, scratching his head. She had the craziest urge to explain to him that he used to be so cute in high school.
“Good, babe. Good. I heard you were back. Thought I’d stop by and talk about old times. You’re looking good. Real good.”
Oh geez. Travis Drake was icky. She hated the way he was looking her up and down, as if trying to see through her coveralls. It reminded her of the way he used to pressure her to give him a blow job. Travis Drake was a…well, the best word might be creeper.
“Yup. Here I am.” She tried to get up from the other creeper—the one currently under her ass—but it rolled on the concrete. Kevin put out a hand and helped her to her feet. His warm grip grounded her, and she found that she didn’t want to let go once she was standing. Her hand tightened around his.
Maybe Kevin wouldn’t mind playing boyfriend one more time. He shot her a quick glance but didn’t take his hand away.
“What’s wrong with your car?” she asked Travis.
“Something’s wrong with the, uh, horn. I think it needs lubrication.”
“The horn?” She stared at him in disgust. “Is that some kind of pervy joke, like your car is horny?”
He snickered uncomfortably. “No.” His mouth twisted into a smirk. “Maybe.”
“What are you, twelve? Forget it, Travis. I don’t really want to relive old times, so unless you have a real problem with your car, you should probably go.”
“Geez, Cass, you oughta be grateful. How many people are going to bring their car to a chick?”
“Just the smart ones,” snapped Kevin. “Guess that rules you out.”
Cassie’s jaw dropped. She was used to standing up for herself in a man’s world. She’d grown up with nothing but brothers, after all. But it sure felt good to have some support for a change.
“Who the hell are you?” Travis was glaring at Kevin and puffing up his chest like some kind of rooster claiming territory.
“I work here. So unless you’re a customer, vendor, passenger or invited guest, the door’s over there.”
“I know where the door is. I came in through it,” Travis grumbled.
Had he always been this boneheaded? Cassie wished she could kick her teenage self in the shins for being so clueless in her choice of crushes.
He looked as if he wanted to say more—probably something nasty—but a glance at Kevin made him back down. “Guess I’ll take my business somewhere else. Sucks for you. Good luck getting your little shop of estrogen off the ground.”
As he pushed the door open, she called after him, “Good luck with that defective horn.”
Next to her, Kevin snorted. “Did he really say ‘little shop of estrogen?’”
“Believe me, I’ve heard worse.” She realized they were still holding hands and pulled hers away. To hide her face—because she was more affected by the encounter than she wanted him to see—she turned away to fiddle with her headlamp.
“Is that another old friend of yours?”
“Apparently they’re everywhere. Thanks for the support. I had it handled, of course.” She gave him a little punch on the shoulder, figuring that was a neutral kind of “friend” gesture that might make up for the hand-holding. Unfortunately, her knuckles met hard muscle that made her imagination go wild.
“Any time. I guess one of these days I’ll get tired of pretending to be your boy toy, but so far it’s not happening.”
“Boy toy? Is that what you are? I was thinking bouncer.”
“I can multitask.” He flashed her a teasing smile that just about melted her panties.
She sat back onto the creeper and retreated under the Nissan. Maybe she’d made a mistake turning Travis away. What if he decided to badmouth her around town and torpedo her business? Could he do that?
Seeing Travis next to Kevin was like looking at a garden gnome next to a Michelangelo. There was just no comparison, especially when you factored in Travis’s leering smirk. Had he really come here expecting her to fall all over him? To sneak away and make out with him somewhere?
She’d never enjoyed it very much anyway. He was all teeth and slobber.
Kevin wouldn’t be. She’d swear to that. Even their almost-kiss had been more enjoyable than any intimate moment she’d ever shared with Travis. Also, in the short time she’d known him, Kevin had been more straight up, more honest, more respectful and generally more of a good guy.
And strangest of all, he’d now met the two people most responsible for her high school humiliation. Not only met them, but rescued her from them. She owed him her thanks—or something.
“Hey. You out there, new guy in town. How about I take you and your daughter on a little insider tour of Jupiter Point?”
After a surprised silence, during which she bit her lip and wondered if she’d stepped across some kind of line, he answered. “That would be great. We accept. Well, I accept, and I’ll make sure to drag her along, because that’s what it takes these days.”
“I like her already.”
7
Cassie picked up Kevin and his daughter at their loft near the harbor. The scent of ocean mixed with fish guts and diesel followed her up the stairs. She’d always loved that smell; to her it meant adventure.
The door swung open before she could even knock. A slim girl with a sheet of black hair tuck
ed into a haphazard ponytail looked at her warily. She wore a red top that said, “It’s Okay, Pluto, I’m Not a Planet Either.”
“Are you Cassie?” she asked.
“Yes, and you must be Holly. It’s nice to meet you.” She put out her hand, but Holly ignored it.
“Before you come in, you should know this isn’t going anywhere. I feel it’s only fair to inform you of that ahead of time.” She spoke with a rapid-fire smart-girl cadence.
Cassie frowned, confused. “We have to go somewhere if you want to see the town.”
“Not us. You and my dad. Not going anywhere. So if you’re thinking of this tour as a way to get in good with him,” she looked over her shoulder and lowered her voice, “you’re wasting your time. Just wanted you to know that.”
Cassie had to laugh. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll cancel the home-cooked meal I was planning for you guys. And those cookies I stayed up all night baking, well, I guess I’ll eat them myself while sobbing my eyes out and watching reruns of The 100.”
Holly stared at her, her mouth falling open. “I love The 100.”
“Kickass show, right?”
“Come in. Dad’s almost ready.” She opened the door wider and Cassie stepped inside. The space was both warm and cavernous, with touches of brick and hardwood. It surprised her a bit—Kevin gave the impression of being a guy’s guy, while this apartment spoke of someone sophisticated. Sunlight streamed through big picture windows that overlooked the harbor. A telescope was set on a tripod, aimed toward the sky.
“Do I need to watch out for other ways you scare off visitors? Water balloons, trip wires, minor explosives?”
The girl’s eyes widened in admiration. “That is an awesome idea. But no. I find a verbal warning is usually enough to get the point across.”
“What point?” Kevin strolled in, drying his hands on a towel.
He smiled at her, that dimple flashing, as if just for her. Her heart stuttered at his sheer yumminess. He wore black jeans and a black t-shirt that clung to his muscles. He wasn’t especially tall, like Will, or outrageously ripped, like Tobias, but he was utterly, completely at home in his own body. The confidence with which he moved told her that. It also sparked a few fantasies about the things he could probably do with that body.
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