by Quinn, Taryn
“Damn right.”
I flicked my phone awake and started a new text message using the number Preston had sent me.
This is Luna. I need your help.
Fuck off.
I huffed out a laugh. Lucky was not going to make this easy on me.
I know I screwed up, but I really need your help. Meet me at Brewed Awakening?
Eat glass.
Okay, this was going to take a little more finesse than I’d thought. I tapped my nail against my lips. I was guessing on this one, but it seemed logical.
As the future godfather of my child, I’m calling in a chip.
Low blow, Blondie. You really messed up my dude.
I know. I was stupid and scared. I want to make it right, but I need your help. I need to show him how much I care in a really big way.
How big are we talking?
Huge. Chick flick moment huge.
A’ight. Meet me in 30.
Thanks, Lucky.
Don’t thank me. Just fix him. He’s all broken and I don’t like it. If you break him again, I’ll end you.
You’re a good friend, Lucky. I’m glad he has you.
Damn right. No more chick flick moments. Save it for the teacher. Cya.
I laughed and dabbed my eyes. I had enough time to take a quick shower, then I was going to get my guy back.
Eighteen
I curled my hands around the mug that was too tiny for my big hands. Even if it seemed like one of my grandma’s thimbles, I couldn’t fault the brew. My boss’s wife owned the main hub in Crescent Cove, Brewed Awakening. And if Macy really liked you, she would create a coffee drink just for you.
I hadn’t quite made it to that level, but I was wearing her down.
“If you break one more of my chairs, I’m making you pay for it.”
See how much she loves me? I hunched my shoulders at Macy’s voice. “I’m a growing boy.”
“HGH doesn’t count, Lucky.”
“Hey, I don’t put any shit like that in my body.” I flexed my biceps. “Just me and the Thor app, baby.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure.”
I fished out my phone. “I swear. That Chris dude has a workout app. I know most chicks download it to watch Thor flex and shit, but I actually do them.” I reached for the hem of my shirt. “Want to see?”
She held up a hand. “I’m good.”
Jodi, the lead barista, perked up. “I’d like to see.”
I stood up.
Macy pointed at me. “No.”
Gingerly, I sat back down. “Next time, beautiful.”
Jodi pinked up and dropped her towel. She popped back up with it in her hands and spun around once, then twice as she tried to figure out where to put herself. I hid a grin behind the lip of my cup. She was cute, but I’d learned my lesson about dating in my favorite establishments. I still couldn’t show my face at The Mason Jar after hooking up with one of the bartenders.
She’d tried to de-ball me twice.
She was hot enough that I’d gone back for a second round, but she was too crazy even for me. I gave some leeway when a girl was super hot. They got a few extra rungs on the psycho scale, but damn if she didn’t go nuclear last time around.
I frowned at my empty mug and was debating going up for another when Luna came through the door. She spotted me and made a beeline for my bar-top table near the windows.
Another one on the stupidly hot scale. Too bad Caleb had shut me out when we’d first met her. Then again, with the curse of the town I might’ve been in the same boat as he was right now. Baby mama drama with a capital B. No, thank you.
“Hey, thanks for seeing me.”
“You look like crap, Blondie.”
“Thanks.”
I twisted my mug on the table. “You wanted to talk, so talk.” As a rule, I wasn’t rude to chicks, but watching my best friend spiral for the last week and change made me less than charitable to her needs.
She tried to climb up on the bar stool, but she was sprite-sized.
I stood and lifted her, plunking her onto the stool.
Her huge blue eyes went wide. “Um, thanks.”
I nodded. “You better be here to tell me you got your head out of your ass.”
She blinked. “Okay, so we’re getting right into it.”
“Look, normally I wouldn’t say shit about what goes on between two people—”
“Since when?”
I shrugged and waved to Jodi for another refill. Too bad Mace didn’t have a liquor license. Maybe I should’ve had Blondie meet me at The Haunt. “Whatever. Caleb’s a fucking wreck, and it’s your fault.”
She looked down at her hands. “I know.”
Usually, she sported a bunch of bling and looked hella cute, but she seemed to be in about the same state as my best dude. A twinge of conscience teased the middle of my shoulder blades. Enough that I gentled my voice. “We all fuck up.”
I knew that more than most.
She looked up at me with watery bluebell eyes. “Yeah. I’m just used to having fun with a guy, and then we go our separate ways after a few weeks. This love stuff is a lot.”
“See, I knew we were the better hookup.”
She laughed. “I don’t want to sound rude, but you’re exactly the sort of guy I usually go for.”
“All good, Blondie. We would’ve had a nice bounce, but we wouldn’t stick. Would have been a helluva ride though.”
“Thanks, I think.”
I raked my fingers through my long hair. “It was a compliment. Okay, so now you got me here. What are you going to do about the sad sack upstairs?”
“I need a big gesture. A Lucky-sized one.”
Jodi came over to the table with a coffee for me and a large to-go cup with a teabag tag fluttering along the side for Luna. “Here you go, guys.” She blushed as our hands touched. I gave her a reassuring smile, and she brightened before letting out a high-pitched laugh. “Right. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Luna took the top off her cup and blew on it. She waited until Jodi walked off then leaned forward. “You’ve got girls waiting in the wings everywhere.”
I shook my head. “Nope. I’m not ruining my coffee.”
She gave me a quizzical look.
“Another time.”
“Right. Okay, so I don’t really want to wait and find a skywriter to tell Caleb I love him. I was thinking something a little more Pretty Woman. But I don’t have access to a limo with a sunroof.”
“Oh, yeah. ‘She saved him right back’, right?”
Luna laughed. “You got the reference.”
I shrugged. “I have a thing for redheads.” I cleared my throat. “Anyway. I know a guy who moonlights as an Uber driver, but no one with a limo.” I tapped my long finger on the edge of the mug. “Not sure a beater Honda Civic will have the same punch.”
“Definitely not.”
I glanced out the window and twisted in my seat as a vintage Ford truck made a turn onto Main Street. It was cherry red with flames along the hood and foot-rails. “Dare.”
“What about Dare?” She frowned. “The car guy?”
I rose. “Yes. They do customs. They gotta have a badass car we can borrow. I mean, the apartments are right upstairs. We don’t even need to take it off the property. It’s the weekend so the street is busy, but I can take care of that.”
I had orange cones in my work truck. I could totally block everything off. Fuck, this was such a moment for my TikTok channel. Romance with all the trimmings. I could see it all in my head.
My views would go through the roof.
“You can?” She slid off her stool. “I’m afraid of that look in your eyes.”
“Nah. We’re just going to do it up really good for my dude.”
“Well.”
“Well?” I scooped up my hair and pulled my elastic around it to get it out of my way.
“Never mind.”
“You correcting my grammar, Blondie?”
> “Caleb must be rubbing off on me.”
“Obviously, since you’ve got a bun in the oven.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Lucky.”
“What? Future badass bun in the oven, girl.” I grabbed her hand and dragged her through the café to the door.
“Lucky, hold up.”
“No time to wait.”
She laughed and her little pixie legs kept up—sort of. I stopped and picked her up and ran with her down the sidewalk to the doorway of Kramer & Burns Custom.
“Lucky, put me down.”
“Sorry. I got excited.” I set her on her feet. “Damn, you smell good. Lucky son of a bitch.”
She lifted her hands to my bearded face. “You’re a good man, Lucky. Thanks.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get sappy. I’m only doing this because he loves you. Like big stupid love.”
She sniffled. “I love him too, I promise.”
“Yeah, well, you better.” I held the door open.
“We’re closed,” a voice said in the back. It was husky and sexy enough to kick me in the chest.
“Your door is open,” I replied.
“Yeah, well, my partner is a dumbass. We’re closed.” The voice came closer, and a fucking Amazonian queen came through the doorway. She was almost as tall as I was, and her flame-red hair was scraped back into a high tail, leaving her gorgeous face unframed.
Hell, she could be bald and still be stunning. But man, red hair. My ultimate weakness. My dick practically did a happy dance.
A slash of something black across her cheek was the only thing that marred the perfection of her face. And the scowl.
My dick got happier. I loved a grouchy fucking woman.
“Hi.” I tugged my hair out of the man-bun I was sporting. I needed every edge I had. “We have an emergency.”
Her dark brow lifted. “A car emergency?” She flicked her gaze over to Luna, then back to me. “Is it in a ditch or something? I can call my partner to go haul you out.”
“No.” I leaned my elbow on the counter. “My friend here needs help.”
“Closed. We can tow your car in, and I’ll deal with it Monday.” She slapped her palm with the red mechanic’s towel. “Best I can do.”
Luna cleared her throat. “We were wondering if we could borrow one of your cars for like ten minutes. The flashier, the better.”
“Excuse me?”
I straightened. “What my friend means is we need to create a moment.” I gave her my most charming, dimpled smile. “For love. You know like Edward and Vi from Pretty Woman pow!”
“Vivian,” Luna said out of the side of her mouth.
“Right, Vivian. Anyway, I saw the cherry truck go by, and I thought maybe you guys had something else here that could make a statement. She needs to grovel.”
“Thanks, Lucky,” Luna muttered as she shoved me aside. “I screwed up with my guy. We’re having a baby, and I really need him to know how much I love him.”
“Not my problem.” The Amazon came around the counter and went to the door. She flipped the sign and held it open for us. “Closed.”
“Oh, come on. You have to have a heart in that truly spectacular chest.”
“Excuse me?” She jammed her heavy motorcycle boot against the bottom of the door to prop it open. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t care. Out. Closed.”
I stepped into her space. She was fucking spectacular. Curves and legs for days and fistable hair. And that scowl. She was a goddamn dream. “C’mon, my friend here wants to make a big statement, and you have the best cars around.”
“Find another sucker. I want to go home and watch the game.”
I frowned. “College football?”
“No, women’s soccer, Thor. You know, a real sport.”
I glanced down at her slash of scarlet lips. I really wouldn’t mind messing up her lipstick. I didn’t usually like the taste of it, but I’d make an exception. “Do you play?”
“I’d kick your ass.” She straightened and crossed her arms over her stunning chest. “Regardless, I’m going home. I’m tired, and it’s been a long day.”
I glanced to the right where I could see into the garage. A purple Cadillac El Dorado had the hood up. “That car. Right there. Statement. It’ll only take ten minutes. Half an hour max. We don’t even need to go anywhere. He lives right here. We just gotta get his attention.”
“Absolutely not. No one drives that but me. That’s my wheels.”
“Yours?” Luna hopped up so she could see from where she stood at the counter. “It’s beautiful. And it’s a convertible.”
“No one drives Lucille but me,” Amazonian girl said and lifted her chin.
“Okay. You drive.”
She dropped her arms to her sides. “What? No. I told you I’m heading out.”
“You know the beginning of the game is lame. You can catch up. And I’ll owe you.”
“I could give a crap.” She tilted her head.
“I can do anything.” I mirrored her folded arms.
“I’m sure you think so.” She jerked her head toward the door. “Out.”
“No, I mean, I can do anything. Not that I wouldn’t like to try what you were thinking,” I waggled my brows, “but I work for Gideon. We literally can do any job.”
“Anything?”
I nodded. “I can build pretty much anything you want. I do a fair bit of plumbing, I demo like a goddamn god. Sheetrock, carpentry…you name it.”
She tapped her finger on her forearm, then she grinned slowly. “You’re gonna pay for this one, Thor.”
I swallowed. I hoped so. “She’s in love with my best friend. It’s worth it.”
She narrowed her gaze at me. “Hmm. Thirty minutes and not a minute longer.”
“Deal.” I held out my hand.
She didn’t move for what felt like an ice age. Then she took it and shook. “Deal.”
Goddamn what that grip would feel like on the more impressive parts of me. I grinned. “Now let’s get these two crazy kids together.”
Luna pushed me aside and threw her arms around the Amazon. “I don’t even know your name, but I appreciate you so much.”
“It’s Tish.” She looked like she was ready to hurl. She grimaced and patted Luna’s shoulder awkwardly. “I already regret this decision.”
Nineteen
I stood on the sidewalk as the huge bay doors of Kramer & Burns Custom opened with a metallic shriek of gears, rollers, and startlingly large chains.
The most badass, feminine convertible I’d ever seen rolled out slowly. Chrome headlights arrowed back to the endless lines of the beast of a car. The top was down and the seats were a crisp glowing white leather. The afternoon rays hit the shimmery lilac finish like a spotlight. There wasn’t a speck of dust or pollen on the windshield, chrome, or paint. In fact, it was probably in better shape now than when it came off the assembly line.
A murmur of voices lifted around me along with the honking of a few car horns and the distant sounds of boats on the water. It was a beautiful, crisp fall day in the Cove. People were out and about enjoying the day.
All too soon, winter would roll off the lake, and we’d all be buttoned up in our houses. But today was truly perfect.
The ideal day to do something crazy.
Heck, I’d been playing the crazy card since summer. Like this was any different. Okay, so the street was more crowded than I’d counted on.
I nibbled on my lower lip. A lot more crowded.
People were coming out of the diner and café to see what was going on. Foot traffic along the storefronts was getting backed up as people craned their necks to see what the commotion was.
Lucky was in the middle of the road, holding up his bear-sized paws to stop traffic while he dropped construction cones in a strategic pattern only he seemed to know. His hair whipped around his head and shoulders like sun-bleached ribbons. He waved people around his make-shift causeway with a booming laugh as he told everyone to hang out
for the show.
It wasn’t a show, dammit. It was my life. And was he making a video?
Goddess, what did I get myself into?
I laid my hand on my belly. “Okay, little one. We’re going to go get Daddy back. I’m sorry in advance about your Uncle Lucky. He’s a bit crazy. But we’re stuck with him now.”
At least I hoped we were.
Tish pulled up, her arm hanging out along the car window. She snapped her fingers at me. “All right, hop in so we can get this over with.”
I thought about being offended for a second then decided today was only about positivity. That and her aura was crackling red. I probably shouldn’t poke the dragon.
I leaped into the backseat. Not bad agility for a newly pregnant woman, if I did say so myself.
“No shoes on the leather.”
I slipped off my ballet shoes and sat up on the top of the seat. We rolled out onto Main Street. Lucky was on top of his truck with a megaphone.
Seriously, this town was so unreal. I had a flashback to another day when the sheriff had proposed to Gina in this same spot.
Would it be tacky to do the same? Even tackier to do the asking?
I gripped the headrests as Tish pushed the gas to get us around the throng of people. I waved with an embarrassed laugh.
“Jesus, what is this, a parade?” Tish muttered.
I stopped doing the pageant wave.
“Ladies and gentlemen, there’s the star of our show,” Lucky said through the megaphone.
Deputy Brady was standing on the sidewalk with his arms crossed and an indulgent smile on his face. The honking had stopped, and people were getting out of their cars.
“Lucky, I need that!”
“What?” he shouted at me through the megaphone.
I stood up on the backseat. “I need the megaphone, you dork!”
