The attraction was so strong I wanted to just scoop her up into my arms and not let go. But I held back. It was probably best if we just started with the job. She’d just gotten back into town and having a solid job would help her settle in and make this really her home. I didn’t want to try anything else too soon and make it seem like her employment depended at all on a personal relationship with me. As long as Kelly was close, I could be patient.
“You do?” she asked.
“If you want the job, it’s yours. Your resume is the most impressive one I’ve seen in a while. And I know if you’re in the garage, Quentin has already vetted your references. I have no problems trusting you with my bike.”
I smiled at her, hoping she believed me and that she understood just how much that meant to me. My bike was not only my most prized possession, it was the key to my profession. Trusting her with taking care of it meant I was trusting her to help me maintain my success, but also to keep me safe. It was something I didn’t take lightly. The main reason I liked to spend most of my time in the garage was because I was very particular about how my bike was handled and liked to do as much of it myself as I could.
As I searched her face, I tried to figure out what she was thinking and if she would need more convincing. I would do anything I could to encourage her to take the job. Finally, Kelly nodded.
“This is a professional arrangement. We can be coworkers and friends, right?” she asked.
I nodded. It wasn’t exactly all I wanted from her, but I was willing to start there. After some time of letting her settle in and us getting used to each other again, I would see if I could swing her around to my way of thinking.
“Absolutely, we can. This is a great place to work, and I don’t just say that because my older brother owns it,” I said.
She shook her head and let out a short laugh. “I still can’t believe I didn’t put it together. When I first saw Quentin, I thought I recognized him. He looked familiar in kind of a distant way, but I couldn’t place him. I figured he must just have been somebody I’d seen when I was out somewhere or maybe it was because I saw his avatar on the emails he sent me. Now I realize it was because I saw him across the bar when you pointed him out.”
“He doesn’t appear to have recognized you either,” I pointed out. “To be honest, he might not have even realized I’m a woman much less that you and I know each other. I’ve had plenty of interviews or jobs when people see ‘Kelly’ and still think I’m a man.” She laughed again. “It’s quite the surprise for them when I show up.”
“I’m sure it is,” I agreed. “Hopefully, these guys didn’t give you any trouble about it. I’ve never known either of them to have any problem with women mechanics—my mother would destroy both of them if she caught wind of it. But they are known to tease and poke fun.”
“No,” Kelly said, shaking her head. “They were both perfectly polite and really friendly.”
“Good. And they obviously like you since you made it all the way to me.”
We stared at one another for a minute before Kelly cleared her throat. “Well, I should probably get back there before Gus and Quentin think I kidnapped you. That probably wouldn’t bode well for my future with the company. Hopefully, I’ll talk to you soon.”
She waved as she headed out of my office to make her way back to the garage. I wanted to say something about her calling me but reminded myself I had to change my thoughts about her. It couldn’t be about us reconnecting on that level anymore. As much as I wanted to talk to her about everything and spend time just with her, I had to be patient and start with helping her land the job. Then we’d see from there.
When she was gone, I went around to the chair behind my desk and dropped down into it. I sunk down into the cushions and hung my head down into my hands. My body had the heavy, tingling feeling of a sudden spike of adrenaline leaving it, and I needed a minute to gather my thoughts. Finally, I felt okay enough to take out my phone and text Colby. He was going to get a laugh out of the whole situation.
8
Kelly
“No, seriously, I almost didn’t go,” I whispered. ‘I was so nervous.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Kira said through the phone. “You are an incredible mechanic. Anybody would be lucky to have you on their team.”
“You have to say things like that. You’re my sister,” I teased.
I was lying on my bed propped up on all the pillows I could gather to support me and keep my arm in position. Bent at an extreme angle beside me, it cradled Willa in the crook as she slept. I looked down at my little girl and couldn’t help but smile. She was the one thing in my life that always had that effect on me. Even the most difficult days of motherhood, in the midst of colic or teething or sleepless nights, there wasn’t a single one that when I didn’t look at my daughter and think she was the greatest thing to have ever happened to me. She was the joy of my life and the light in the deepest darkness. Even if right now she was quite possibly cutting off all the circulation to my fingers.
“Those five extra minutes gave me a lot of wisdom,” Kira said.
I laughed as I tried to carefully adjust my position so I didn’t wake the baby up but could try to get some of the feeling back in my arm. I was having a difficult time accepting she wasn’t a tiny baby anymore. At two years old, I still considered Willa my baby, but there was such a difference between the soft newborn I could cradle to me with one hand and the walking, talking person she was now. Her little personality was so distinct, and she was more incredible every day. But I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times when I longed for those early weeks. They were challenging and emotional, but some of the most beautiful days of my life.
“Well, maybe you could have used some of that wisdom to warn me to do enough research when I’m going in for an interview,” I said, keeping my voice low.
Willa had been dealing with insomnia in the last few weeks being in a new place, having difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. I wanted to preserve every minute of good rest she could possibly get.
“What do you mean?” Kira asked.
“The company I went to do the interview for is called Freeman Racing,” I told her.
“I know. You told me that.”
“Right. And when I got there, I met with the owner, Quentin Freeman, and his father, the former owner, Gus,” I told her.
“And… you’re upset because you didn’t do the research that would have you know their names before you got there?” she asked, trying to figure out where I was going with the story.
“Nope. I knew Quentin’s name because he’s the one who got in touch with me to offer the interview. They were both really nice and they showed me around the complex, which is beautiful and has the most incredible garages I’ve ever seen,” I told her.
“I’m not really understanding where you would need my wisdom in any of this. It sounds like everything went really well,” she said.
“Well, fortunately for you, this is where everything kind of becomes a shitshow. As they were showing me around, Quentin casually mentioned I would be working with their very successful rider who also happens to be his younger brother, Darren Freeman,” I told her.
The silence coming over the line told me she was processing what I just said.
“Darren Freeman?” she confirmed. “As in… Darren, Darren Freeman?”
“That would be the one,” I said. “We were standing there in the garage, and he walked right in.”
“In the whole city, you chose to apply for a job at the company owned by the brother of your one-night stand,” she said, starting to laugh. “And you didn’t know.”
“Thank you for your support,” I said, which only made her laugh harder.
I wanted to be angry with her for laughing at me, but I couldn’t even manage to be annoyed. Hearing her laugh made me realize how funny the situation actually was, and a laugh started bubbling up from me as well.
“Only you would do something like th
at. You go there trying to start a new life and have been doing your best to avoid the man, then you manage to funnel yourself right to him,” she continued. “I think you officially ran out the clock on your secret. You have to tell him now.”
I groaned, the humor gone.
“It’s not time yet. I’m still figuring things out.”
We talked for a few minutes longer, then ended the call. I tossed my phone to the side and carefully eased Willa off my arm and onto the pillow beside me. There was a touch-and-go moment when I thought the jostling might have jarred her awake, but she settled back down, and I let out a sigh of relief. Leaning slowly, I got my laptop and pulled it into my lap. As my daughter slept peacefully beside me, I went back to work on my actual job. A few months into my pregnancy I realized I wasn’t going to be able to keep up with working in a garage. Being a mechanic often means squeezing into tight spaces and throwing an increasingly large belly into the mix would only have complicated things. I needed to find something else I could do in the last weeks before she was born.
What I landed on was editing and proofreading mechanic manuals. It wasn’t as fulfilling or exciting as actually working on vehicles, but it at least used my skills and knowledge, and after Willa was born it allowed me to stay at home with her. The job had been a godsend. I didn’t want to leave her to go back to work, but I had to have something that would support us. The work on the manuals was enough to get us by, especially when we were living with Kira. It gave me a decent income, and I planned on continuing with it even after I started a hands-on position again. Being able to tuck money away gave me a greater sense of confidence and security. I wanted to know if anything happened or there was an emergency, I’d still be able to take care of Willa.
And despite the mess my interview turned out to be, there was a chance I might have that position soon enough.
Darren walking into the garage sent the entire interview into a tailspin. When I walked out of his office, I thought I would go back to the garage and find Quentin and Gus still there. We’d pick back up where we left off, and I’d be able to show off some of my mechanic skills to secure my position with the company. Instead, I walked out and found both men leaning against the outside wall of the office building. I was only able to give them an awkward, tense smile. There wasn’t really a lot to say in that particular moment.
“I take it you and Darren already know each other,” Quentin said.
I couldn’t really tell what the emotion was behind the words. It could have been accusatory. It could have been amused. It could have been simply curious. I really didn’t know because my brain was so full of my own twisted thoughts and emotions, I wasn’t able to accurately interpret anyone else’s. My only option was just to answer the best I could and see what happened next.
“Yes. He and I met a while back in a completely unrelated situation. I didn’t know he was the rider here,” I clarified.
They nodded and exchanged glances, then looked back at me.
“We’ll call you,” Quentin finally said. “Thank you for coming out here today.”
The words weren’t mean or aggressive, but they hit me like a punch in the gut. That wasn’t the kind of sentiment I wanted to hear at the end of an interview. Those were the words someone said when they wanted to end an interview early or shut down an applicant who they already knew wasn’t a fit for the position. I did my best not to let on any kind of negative reaction, smiled, and left. Since then, I’d been thinking about the interview and the possibility of getting the position. I might have been overanalyzing what they said. Maybe they ended the interview quickly so they could go talk to Darren about me. That could be a good thing, but I didn’t know if his word was enough to actually get me hired, so I wasn’t holding my breath.
I’d already made a lot of progress in the book I’d been working on and quickly got into a good rhythm. At this pace, I could actually get to bed at a good time and hopefully catch a few hours before Willa woke up. I was halfway done with the work I wanted to do for the evening when my phone rang. The sharp sound instantly woke Willa up, and she burst into tears. I reached for my phone, soothing her and rubbing her back to calm her back into sleep.
“Hello?” I said.
Willa started to settle down, and I let out a breath of relief.
“Kelly?” a voice I didn’t recognize asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Hi. I’m sorry it’s so late in the day. I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to call you. I hope that’s all right.”
“It’s fine. Who is this?” I asked.
“Oh. I’m sorry, again. This is Minette Freeman, but you can call me Minnie. I handle the intake around here, and I wanted to give you a call to talk about your new position.”
“My new position?” I asked, wanting to make sure I actually heard what I thought I did.
“Yes. Quentin and my husband told me all about you and the interview they had with you yesterday. They were both impressed by your resume and are looking forward to you joining the team. That’s why I wanted to give you a call today rather than waiting until tomorrow just in case you might have other companies considering you. We wanted to snatch you up off the market before there was a chance any of our competitors might get you,” Minnie said.
“Oh, no,” I said, perhaps a bit too quickly. I took a breath to calm myself and slow my voice. “No. I’m free and clear and happy to be a part of Freeman Racing.”
“Great,” Minnie said happily. “Then let’s talk about some details.”
I listened almost breathlessly as Minnie talked about when I’d get started and the salary I’d be earning. She made it clear there was plenty of room to move up and earn more the longer I worked on the team. When the conversation ended, I stared down at my phone, still in shock. It was exactly what I wanted and hoped for, but I couldn’t believe it actually happened. Finally, I leaned down to kiss Willa’s soft, warm baby head.
“We’re finally getting there, sweet pea,” I whispered.
9
Darren
I didn’t hear anything else from Quentin or my father about the interview for the rest of the day. I didn’t know what was going to happen after Kelly left my office. She said she was going back to the garage to continue the interview with my brother and father, but part of me expected that to not actually happen. I was fully awaiting both of them bursting into my office and demanding to know what was going on as soon as she walked out. After my phone call with Colby, I sat behind my desk and waited for them. But they never showed up. By the time I cautiously made my way to the garage, none of the three were there. The emptiness was somewhat ominous.
What did they say to her when she got back? Were they even there, or did they leave, letting her figure out for herself the interview was over and she could go? I wished, not for the first time, I had her phone number so I could reach out to her and find out what was going on. I could have asked Quentin for her contact information. He’d obviously been in touch with her to arrange for the interview, so he would have her email address if not her phone number. But I couldn’t ask him for that. I needed the time to think through everything and figure out exactly how I felt and what I was going to do.
I knew the intense attraction was real. It was a magnetism I’d never felt, an attachment that consumed me when I was in the same room with her. I wanted her something fierce. We never had the chance to try anything real, to see if there was any sort of way for us to be more than just a night of incredible sex. Now that she was back, I knew I wanted to explore that potential, but didn’t know if it was the right time or even how to start. I needed time.
Fortunately, I had it. My dad and Quentin steered clear of me for the next couple of days. I worked on my bike and took laps around the practice track, going into my office to eat rather than going to the field in the middle of the complex or the break room like I usually did. I knew eventually they would approach me, but it ended up being Quentin’s wife, Merry, who broke the silence. S
he showed up in my office late one afternoon while I was going over some orders I’d made for parts and peered in at me.
“Got a minute?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said.
She came into the room and dropped down into the chair across the desk from me. One hand came to rest on her swollen belly, and she rubbed it affectionately.
“He’s active today,” she told me.
“He just wants to get out of there so he can be a part of race season,” I said.
Merry looked down at her belly and pointed at it firmly.
“Don’t you dare,” she said. “You still have some cooking to do.”
I laughed and she grinned at me. The entire family was excited about Quentin’s first child coming. He and Merry had had a tumultuous relationship in the beginning to say the least, but anybody who looked at them knew they were nothing short of perfect for each other. Now that they were married and preparing for the birth of their son, he was happier and more himself than he ever had been.
“Everything okay?” I asked. “Did you come by for some pictures?”
The social media manager for the company, Merry handled all the platforms along with marketing and planning publicity events. She’d done an incredible job building our fan base and increasing our popularity. It meant a lot of pictures, which wasn’t my favorite thing, but I’d do it for the company. But she shook her head.
“No,” she told me. “I came because you and your brother are driving me up a wall. Neither of you want to rock the boat with the other one, which I don’t get at all. So, I’m going to do it for you. They hired Kelly.” She threw up her hands like I’d just walked into a surprise party. “There we go. It’s over now. Figure out how you feel about it and then come out to the field. We’re having dinner.”
It seemed like she was planning on a dramatic exit, envisioning herself popping up out of the chair and whisking out of the room. But her belly got the best of her, and she struggled for a second to find her center of balance.
The Freeman Brothers: A Secret Baby Romance Collection Page 26
