by Tanya Agler
Natalie rushed in, out of breath, her sundress swishing all around her, showcasing a pair of blue leather boots. Not Georgie’s style. But on Natalie it worked.
“Have I missed anything important?”
Georgie met Lucie’s gaze, and the two of them burst out laughing.
“The most important lesson we’ve covered so far is whether you would prefer oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip.” Georgie picked up the tray and waved it in front of Natalie’s nose.
“Chocolate chip, of course. Anything is better with chocolate.” Natalie smiled and flounced onto the couch.
“Oh, and of course—why are you here?”
Natalie glanced up, her mouth full of cookie, two crumbs hanging on the side of her mouth. Lucie also chose chocolate chip, and Georgie grabbed her favorite, oatmeal raisin, before sitting in one of the metal chairs.
Natalie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her curly red hair bouncing along. “Mike, for one thing.” She squinted, and a smile came over her. “Georgie, you’re definitely redder now than you were when I walked in. This is so exciting. He hasn’t been involved with anyone...” She nibbled at her cookie, a determined glint in her eye. “Not with anyone seriously since Caitlyn walked out on him. I always had a feeling about you two, even back in high school.”
Georgie shook her head and held her hands high. “This is about automotive maintenance, not me.”
“You weren’t that red when I was ready to leave,” Lucie’s blond ponytail bounced for emphasis.
“Let’s get started.” Wanting off the hot seat, Georgie grabbed her notes from the table and flipped through them, skipping the preliminary joke. “Car care is an important part of everyday life. When we take care of our cars, our cars can take us anywhere our hearts desire.”
“I still say your heart desires my brother.” Natalie reached for another cookie and bit into it for emphasis. “Sorry I’m scarfing these down. Didn’t have time for dinner.”
It was obvious nothing would get done until Georgie cleared the air. Best to get this over with and move on. So this was what women did when they gathered together. Come to think of it, she’d never belonged to a group of girlfriends chatting about boys, exchanging makeup tips and trying on one another’s clothes. This was kind of nice.
“Okay, Mike kissed me.”
A huge grin broke out over Natalie, and even Lucie leaned forward.
Georgie hurried to correct the misconception anything was going on between her and Mike. “Two weeks ago.”
“What?” Natalie and Lucie said in unison.
Georgie frowned. “He hasn’t tried to kiss me again. And I don’t have time for a relationship.” She grasped at straws, hesitant to share the deep reasons with these two. Old habits die hard. “My mother’s been recovering. When I haven’t been with her or Beau, I’ve been here working on the Thunderbird.”
“Hmm.” Natalie reached for a cookie and sat back. “Your voice sounds official, but your eyes say romance and dreams and second chances.”
If anyone had moondust in her blue eyes, it was Natalie Harrison.
“Look, if Mike was interested in me, he’d have said something. He doesn’t beat around the bush.”
“Are you interested in him?” Lucie reached for a chocolate chip cookie, bit into it and moaned with pleasure. Guilt came over her face. “I never get a second cookie at home. If I don’t reach for what I want, I don’t get it. Same thing goes for you. Tell him how you feel. Kiss him, but make sure he’s a good guy first. Don’t rush into anything. I learned that lesson the hard way.”
Natalie nudged Lucie, her grin becoming broader. “I like how you think. By the way, if you don’t remember who I am, name’s Natalie Harrison. I’m Mike’s sister.”
“I’m Lucie—”
“Lucie Decker. You were a year ahead of me in school, and, truthfully,” Natalie said, shrugging and wiping her hands free of crumbs, “everyone in Hollydale knows you.”
Lucie sighed and shook her head, her ivory skin even paler. “The problem is everyone knows what my ex-husband did. Not many people know me. I should go.”
Glaring at Natalie, Georgie rested her hand on Lucie’s arm. “You’re paying a babysitter, and I’ll teach you how to change a tire even if it’s the last thing I do. You’re also helping my mother, and that’s worth a great deal to me.”
“I’m sorry.” Natalie grasped Lucie’s other arm. “I wasn’t trying to run you off. Mike says while I’m one of the smartest people he’s ever met, I also tend to speak first and think after. No filter, I’m afraid. We both speak our minds, though, so we’ll get along fine.” She met Georgie’s gaze. “And speaking of Mike...”
Mike underestimated Natalie. She wasn’t the same pliable teenager who delivered a note without reading it. Instead, she was persistent and tenacious like a bulldog.
“Mike doesn’t like me in any special way. We’ve only just become friends again. That’s enough for the both of us.”
Shaking her head, Natalie resumed her seat. “Mike has a strong sense of duty. To family, to work, to this community. He won’t jeopardize his job, and he feels guilty about Rachel. She’ll have a permanent scar, you know.”
Her own sense of guilt shot through Georgie. “No, I didn’t.” After this, she’d walk Beau, and if they ended up over at the Harrisons’, so be it. She and Mike had much to discuss. “I have a duty to each of you to make sure you both learn the ins and outs about cars over the next month. That way, no one takes advantage of you.” She sent a pointed look Natalie’s way. “And you can feel more in control of your life.”
Control of her life.
A lesson she had best learn herself before she tried teaching it to others. Come to think of it, she was finding herself, too, at least the parts she’d kept hidden for too long. Getting everything out into the open with Mike would be the best place to start.
Control was a two-way street, though. It meant harnessing her feelings rather than jumping into any commitments without considering what was best for her and all involved. Before she could talk to Mike about any chance they might have, she had to speak with her mother and wriggle free of that promise from a while back. Control started with making her own decisions about whom she associated with, and how.
Control that she had every intention of wresting back for herself, and keeping.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE SECOND THAT MIKE settled into his chair, Ginger made herself comfortable on his lap. Laughing, he admired the cat’s forthrightness when someone rang the doorbell. He glanced at his watch and frowned. Rather late on a Monday night for the casual visitor. When he rose, Ginger slipped off his lap and meowed her displeasure at being displaced.
Checking the peephole, he found Georgie waiting outside, tapping her foot. A deep breath escaped his lips. How would he keep her distracted without the Thunderbird nearby and Rachel asleep? He opened the door, taking care not to let Ginger out this late. Beau bounded in first, with Georgie on his heels.
“Hi, Mike. Have a minute?” Georgie sped by him. “Long time no see.”
“Not that long. Come on in.” He stayed behind, waving at air, muttering to no one in particular. If she’d thought it was easy to stay away from her, she was wrong. “Make yourself comfortable. I’m doing well, thanks for asking.”
There weren’t enough deep breaths to contend with the loss of equilibrium whenever he was in Georgie’s presence.
Mike walked into the living room, where Ginger was holding court, staring down a dog several times bigger than her small self. Didn’t matter. A cat to her inner core, Ginger was quite independent, deigning to let others into her world. A little like Georgie. He’d never met such an independent soul, yet Georgie wasn’t imperious. Unlike Ginger, Georgie never wanted to be queen. Instead, she just wanted to be herself.
Ginger rose and arched her back before sn
uggling against the dog’s stomach. With a cute grin lightening her features, Georgie deposited herself on the armchair near his couch. Then she reached into her purse.
“I brought over the latest photos of the Thunderbird. It was totally dismantled. Over the weekend, I started putting everything back together.”
Straight to the point. The arrow zinged him in his heart. If he let himself, he could fall for the beautiful, vibrant woman sitting so near. There were a thousand and one reasons why he shouldn’t, but they all scattered away like the wind when she was nearby.
Still, those reasons existed. The B&E, her independence, his baggage. He bit back that dratted sigh. Best to get his intentions over selling the Thunderbird off his chest. If Georgie left town, that was her decision. Enough keeping his distance already.
Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, though, when he told her he’d be selling the Thunderbird?
It no longer mattered. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. He cleared his throat and sat opposite her. “Georgie.”
She held up her hand. “Business first, then we talk.” She handed him her phone with a grin. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
He gasped as the barest of car skeletons greeted him. “What is it?”
“That was the Thunderbird on Friday. I made faster progress than anticipated.” She shrugged and reached for the phone. “This past weekend, Kitty and my mom decided to have a movie marathon.” She shuddered. “I hate musicals. Whenever I wasn’t with Beau, I dismantled.”
A skeleton had more meat on its bones. His breath came in short spurts. His grandfather’s Thunderbird was literally in thousands of pieces.
She waved her phone under his nose. “You did know this had to be done? In order to do it right, that is.”
Knowing something and seeing it were two different things entirely. The stark reality of his grandfather’s Thunderbird being reduced to a heap of wires and metal like that? He gulped down the emotion that kept him from talking. Even though Miss Brittany would shine soon, the present reality was hard to bear.
He handed her the phone back with a nod. “Reminds me of when Caitlyn left. Even though I sensed she wasn’t happy, it was still a shock.”
He didn’t talk to his family about Caitlyn’s desertion. But he’d never hidden much from Georgie. Talking with her seemed effortless, except when it came to the fate of the Thunderbird.
What if he brought it up and she turned the car, along with its myriad of pieces, over to Foreman’s?
The time with Georgie and Rachel working on the Thunderbird kept him going, what with the increased pressure to run for sheriff and the medical bills mounting from Rachel’s burns.
It was pure selfishness not to tell her. The silence stretched out before she rested her hand over his. “So Caitlyn just up and left you?”
He’d forgotten there was someone who didn’t know about that bittersweet period. He should regret hooking up with Caitlyn the night of his grandfather’s funeral. Yet he couldn’t regret Rachel, his precious little girl.
“You haven’t heard the story, have you?” He fidgeted with the remote. Might as well start with his past and work up to the present. Getting everything off his chest would help him sleep well tonight. Ginger jumped up onto his lap, and he took comfort in petting her, the rhythmic motions calming. “I was twenty-one when Grandpa Ted died. No one I’d ever cared about had died before. I was lucky, I suppose.”
“Lucky? Odd choice of words.”
His chest heaved, and he shook his head. “Not lucky for losing him, but for not experiencing death any sooner.” Although, a previous lifelong separation before that he’d felt but had no control over. His birth mother’s decision to give him up for adoption had ended up being a blessing for him. Parents didn’t come better than the Harrisons.
“What does your grandfather’s death have to do with Rachel’s mother?”
“Something snapped after my grandfather died. I wanted to do something wild, something where I didn’t have to think. I went to Asheville and ended up stinking drunk.”
He glanced up. There was no condemnation in her green gaze.
“Sorry I wasn’t your designated driver that night.”
Lifting the left side of his mouth, he relaxed for the first time in a while. The protective side of Georgie was one of the many things he’d missed over the years.
“But then I wouldn’t have Rachel, so as hard as the decision would be, I’d do it all over again.”
Georgie reached over and squeezed his hand. Ginger jumped off his lap with a yowl.
“Georgie—”
“Mike—”
They laughed, and he pointed to her so she’d go first.
“Now that we know our names...” Georgie’s green eyes twinkled again, and all seemed right with Mike’s world. “What were you about to say?”
“You’re my guest. Ladies first.”
“According to my mother, I’m not a lady.” Georgie gave a bright smile and winked. “But I think I have more fun my way.”
His breath caught as the truth flooded over him. Fun. He’d lost touch with his lighter side. “Why’d you drop by?”
Georgie’s gaze wandered over to Beau, Ginger now nestled at his side. Beau’s snores filled the air. “I assure you it wasn’t for Beau’s nap time. I need to get something off my chest.”
Speaking of holding back, this was as good a time as any to tell her about Donahue and his ongoing suspicions. “Let me go first.”
Her eyes narrowed, meeting his gaze head on. His muscles stiffened, the mellowness seeping away.
“Hold on. Your breath has become shallow.” She squinted at his forehead. “Is that a bead of sweat?”
“Donahue and I found stolen tablets in a dumpster, one you have access to. But—” His voice came out garbled as if a jar of marbles had taken up residence in his cheeks.
He reached out for her, but she brushed away his hand.
Walking over to Beau, she hooked his leash back to his harness. “It was bad enough when you didn’t have the heart to tell me in person you were ditching me the day of prom. I forgave you a long time ago. But thinking I’m a thief? For the record I would never, ever steal from anyone, especially Max. Come on, Beau, we’re out of here.”
Her swift intake of breath came with a quick shake of her head. Shutting him out dug deep to his core.
Beau whined in protest, and Ginger meowed at being displaced again. Georgie strode to the door, and Mike caught up with her. “Georgie, please wait.”
“For what?” She turned, anger radiating out of those expressive green eyes. “For you to accuse me of something I didn’t do? To stay in your house when you believe I’m a common criminal?”
“I know you’re not a criminal. I’ve told Donahue that over and over. Please listen.”
“Daddy?” A small voice caught his attention, and he looked toward the stairs. Rachel rubbed her eyes with her good hand. A smile lightened her sleepy features. “Miss Georgie! Beau!”
Beau gave a joyful bark and bounded toward Rachel before the leash yanked him back. Georgie dropped the leash. Beau closed the distance, sitting at Rachel’s feet, waiting for his due attention. Ginger crept over and wound her body around Mike’s ankles. Bending, he picked the cat up. At least he still had one relationship with a female that he hadn’t messed up. Yet.
“Beau and I were just about to leave, sweetheart.”
“Please stay.” Rachel knelt and hugged Beau, her whole body leaning into the patient animal. “I...”
Mike deposited Ginger on the couch and rushed over. “Are you okay, kiddo? Is your hand hurting?”
He rubbed Rachel’s shoulder, and she snuggled her face into the dog’s fur.
On Rachel’s other side, Georgie knelt and cleared her throat. “Rachel? What’s wrong? Your dad is really concerned. I haven’t seen that face o
n him since he failed two chemistry tests in a row.”
A tiny chuckle set Mike’s heart to beating again.
Rachel focused on Georgie. “Daddy failed tests?”
“Yep,” he answered and took his latest trip down memory lane. “Even worse, I had to tell Grandma and Grandpa. They laid down the law and arranged a tutor for me.”
Georgie laughed, some of that earlier sparkle returning to her green eyes. “I’d forgotten how mad you were about that.”
“Daddy was angry?”
“Hmm, come to think of it, you’re right, Rachel. He wasn’t mad.” Georgie scratched behind Beau’s ears and didn’t meet Mike’s gaze. “He usually stays on an even keel. Even keeps me in check.”
Rachel swiveled around, her fine brown hair mussed, circles under her eyes. “Were you mad at Grandma and Grandpa? You said I should respect them.”
“Of course I always respected them. That wasn’t the problem.”
“Go ahead and tell her, Mike.” A hint of laughter lay under Georgie’s words. “Don’t be shy.”
He arched one eyebrow and huffed. “They hired Aunt Natalie.”
“What’s wrong with Aunt Natalie?” Rachel asked.
“Nothing, but for a high school student to have to accept help from his little sister?”
Mike blinked, remembering his parents sitting him down and telling him in no uncertain terms he had to shape up. It wasn’t the talk that hurt. It was them not trusting him to study and shape up on his own.
Trust. Georgie always accepted him, to the point of protecting him, in fact, back when they were kids in middle school. Now she doubted his belief in her.
That was flat-out wrong. While Georgie had an independent soul, everyone needed someone sometime. With several people in town having silent accusations in their eyes, thinking Georgie stole the comic books, she needed someone to be there for her.
Needed was the wrong word—she deserved someone in her corner. He reached out and covered her hand.
“I believe in you, Georgie.”
Their gazes met, and he stayed stock-still, despite the electricity that almost knocked him into the next county.
