Under The Hood

by Juanita Kees

  The next morning, her brother’s words replayed in her mind as TJ loosened the bolts on Sheila’s cylinder head cover and removed it. She eyed it critically, hoping the damage wasn’t too severe. Parts were hard to come by, and she didn’t have the cash to do modifications. Outside, she heard the lawnmower and was pleased Tiny was sticking to his word. Over in the rear of the shop, Marty cleaned parts in the machine and whistled tunelessly. This was the longest they’d stayed out of trouble. She hoped it would last. Meanwhile, what Rob had said on the phone was rolling around in her head like a loose screw in a toolbox. She’d been starting to trust Scott Devin, although she wasn’t happy about the spark between them. As long as they kept to their own side of the rules, it shouldn’t be a problem. TJ sighed as she started to strip the head and place the parts into a box for Marty to clean next.

  “Morning, TJ.”

  She stiffened at the sound of Scott’s voice. Slowly, she wiped her hands on the rag that lay on top of the radiator before turning to greet him.

  “Morning, Scott.”

  “How’s Sheila doing?”

  “We’re taking the head off to send to engineering now. Thanks for bringing Tiny in.”

  He shrugged. “No problem. I was coming in any way. Need a hand with that?” He waved a hand towards the engine.

  “I thought you had an audit to prepare for?”

  “I do. I need a distraction.”

  TJ shook her head. “It’s going to get a little crowded under the bonnet when Tiny and Marty get stuck in. But thanks for the offer.”

  She ducked her head back into the engine bay and carried on removing parts. When after a couple of minutes more, he still hadn’t moved, she asked, “Something else on your mind?”

  “Yes, now that you mention it. My dog arrives tomorrow.”

  “That’s nice.” Maybe if she ignored him he’d go away.

  “What time can I drop him off at your place?”

  “Never. He’s staying at your mum’s place. I don’t need a dog.” A cylinder head bolt clanged against nuts and washers as she tossed it into the cardboard box on the floor.

  “I think you do.”

  “No, I don’t. Marty’s no trouble.” She wished he would go away. His rich, velvet voice was making her hands sweat.

  “But he could be when Tiny moves in.”

  Her hands stilled on the spanner. Was he kicking Tiny out already? “Tiny’s staying with you, not me, and even then I don’t need a dog.”

  “You will when I move in.”

  The spanner in TJ’s hand slipped, clattered down the side of the engine and out onto the workshop floor. Cautiously, she straightened and stepped away from Sheila only to back into him where he stood behind her. His hands touched her elbows to steady her. She ignored the shiver his touch sent up her arms and bowed to the flash of anger instead. Pulling away from him, she squatted to retrieve the spanner from under the car.

  “I don’t remember inviting you to stay.”

  “You didn’t. But if you have a moment to talk about it, I can explain.”

  She straightened to face him. His blue eyes glittered with laughter, and something else she didn’t want to explore too deeply—especially considering his eyes had clearly been on her rear as she’d reached under the car.

  “The answer will be the same. No.”

  “That’s because you haven’t heard my plan.”

  Did he have to be so damned sure of himself? “I’m not sure I want to hear it.”

  He pulled a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket and waved it under her nose. “You might, if you knew what this is.”

  TJ couldn’t resist a smile. “Okay, I’ll bite. What is it?”

  “I’ll tell you over dinner.”

  “Don’t push your luck. What is it?” She wiped her hands on the rag she pulled from her back pocket.

  “This is the council approval for the removal of the asbestos cladding from your property … and the name of the contractor who’ll remove it.”

  She took the paper from him and unfolded it carefully. Legal jargon jumped off the white page. She disregarded it as her eyes fell on the approved stamp across the middle of the document. Her heart bumped loudly in her chest and her fingers shook a little.

  “How?” she whispered.

  “I had a little chat with the mayor last week about the program and how it can work in the council’s favour if it was supported by the community. He was impressed by our commitment to extend the program beyond the apprenticeship opportunity.”

  “So how come he wasn’t impressed when I told him the same thing?”

  “It’s all in the delivery.”

  His smile was wide with victory and her heart missed a beat at its beauty. He really needs to smile more often, she thought.

  “Dare I ask? No, wait.” She held a hand up as the grin grew wider. “Maybe it’s best that I don’t know. There’s one small problem.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I can’t afford the contractor.” She held the paper out to him, but he didn’t take it.

  “What if I said that the program funds will cover it?”

  “The grant doesn’t extend beyond the apprenticeship.” She reached up and tucked the paper back into his pocket.

  He caught her hand with his and flattened it against his chest. “I said funds, not grant. It’s in the community’s best interests to keep these children off the streets and teach them life skills. As I see it, the building project is an extension of the apprenticeship program. Luckily, the mayor saw it my way, and he’s decided to fund a portion of the building costs of your refuge. Which is why he has given you a cheque to cover the removal of the asbestos.”

  He lifted her hand away a little to remove another piece of paper from his pocket and unfold it, but didn’t let go of her hand. He tightened his grip on her fingers as she tugged.

  The tugging stilled at the sight of the amount on the cheque. “That will more than cover the cost of the removal. There’ll be change to buy some new materials.”

  “Exactly. This is where you say, ‘Thank you, Scott’.”

  “Thank you, Scott.”

  He let go of her hand and pocketed the cheque. “There’s one more thing.”

  “What?”

  “The Police and Citizens Youth Centre will be holding a fundraiser to assist with the cost of the building materials and will help source volunteer tradespeople when the time comes.”

  TJ let out a squeal as she launched herself at him and threw her arms around his neck, planting a kiss squarely on his lips. The moment definitely called for more than a handshake.

  “You are a legend! Do you know how hard and long I’ve fought for this?”

  Scott’s arms tightened around her as he hugged her closer. “No, but if I’d known this would be the reaction, I might have intervened a whole lot sooner!”

  TJ laughed and kissed him again, on the cheek this time. “Thank you, Scott. I really can’t say that enough.” She wriggled in his arms. “I need to tell the boys.”

  “In a minute,” he said as his arms tightened and he lowered his head.

  Chapter Eight

  “So, this is what you call working?”

  TJ tore out of Scott’s arms at the sound of her brother’s voice. He released her reluctantly. Damn it! He hadn’t even touched her lips yet.

  He watched with regret as TJ launched herself at Rob and hugged him tightly.

  “Guess what?”

  “What?” Rob replied as he kissed her forehead. Over her head, Rob’s eyes narrowed.

  “We’ve got funding!”

  “No shit? From where?”

  “Scott had a little chat to the mayor.”

  “You mean Mr Bloody Professional Spotlight Devin?”

  TJ punched his arm. He let her go and walked over to shake Scott’s hand.

  “Rob. Nice to see you again,” Scott greeted, accepting the handshake.

  For a moment they squared up. Scott saw the question
s burning in Rob’s eyes. What exactly are you up to with my sister? With a subtle nod, he sent a reassuring message. You have nothing to worry about.

  It seemed to satisfy him because the tension around them eased and a smile replaced the apprehension on Rob’s face.

  “You too. How did you squeeze funds out of the mayor?”

  “Like I told TJ, it’s all in the delivery.” Scott shrugged.

  “Not like you were delivering to my sister there when I walked in I hope?”

  Scott laughed. “No. Nothing like that at all. Your sister was expressing her gratitude.”

  An edge of warning coloured Rob’s reply. “Yes, I could see she was very grateful!” He turned to TJ. “You’ll have to tell me more. I wanted to pop in and say hi to Sheila, really. I have a present for her.”

  “Really? What?” TJ asked.

  Rob pulled a small box out from behind his back. “A new radiator cap.”

  TJ laughed. “I’m sure she’ll be happy with it! Thanks, Rob.”

  He smiled back. It was wonderful to see her laughing again. The months of stress had started to take their toll on her. Whatever Scott Devin had done to put that smile back on her face, he was grateful for it; but if it meant TJ would get hurt because of it, it would not be worth the pain that would follow. He would be sure to keep a close eye on the relationship. The tension between the two of them was obvious. And it wasn’t all bad feelings either.

  “You’re welcome. So, Scott, want to tell me how you did it?”

  “Sure. Why don’t we all grab a cup of coffee in my office?”

  “You guys go on. I’ll be there in a minute. I’ll sort Marty out with what he needs to do first.”

  TJ was stalling and Scott knew it. The colour in her cheeks was high as her eyes refused to meet his. He’d give her a moment to recoup. God knows, he needed one himself.

  “Sure. I’ll get your coffee ready,” Scott said as he led Rob away.

  “You must have some swing with the mayor then?” Rob followed behind, matching Scott’s strides.

  Scott shrugged as he opened the door to his office, stepped aside and waved Rob inside. “I figured TJ needed a little help. The program should have the support of the community.”

  “We’ve been trying to achieve that for so long. I thought TJ would give it up, but those kids mean a lot to her.” Rob stopped and looked around the room. “She fought long and hard with Mal Malone to get it all going. All he saw was the dollar signs that the grant would bring in. He never gave any thought to the kids in the program.” He turned back to where Scott was lining up the coffee cups. “TJ was pretty much left to run the whole thing. It was just as well she had Ethan Wright to give her support.”

  “Yeah, he seems pretty committed too. Nice bloke. I’ve been doing some work with him to find out more about other rehabilitation programs available.” Scott placed a cup under the spout of the coffee machine.

  “So what were you doing trying to kiss my sister?”

  Rob’s words threw him off guard a little, even though he’d been expecting them. Scott cleared his throat. What did you say to the brother of the girl you’d been caught with your hands all over? A girl who’d crept under your skin and into your heart because of her spirit and selfless determination. One who’d begun to restore his faith in humanity and melt the ice that had held him in its grip since the court case. He took a moment to answer as he ran his hand across his jaw.

  “She’s quite a girl.”

  “Yes she is, but that doesn’t answer my question.”

  “I know. It was exactly as you saw it. I won’t deny that I am attracted to her.”

  “Like you were attracted to Serena Snow?”

  Scott dropped his hand to his side as he turned to the coffee machine. “No. Nothing like Serena Snow.”

  And, he realised, he was right. What he’d seen in Serena was nothing compared to what he saw in TJ. They were poles apart. One held the world in her hands and the other had the world at her feet. Serena revelled in stomping on the world and TJ was all about picking it up again.

  “That was messy business, Scott. I don’t want it transferred to my sister. She has enough to deal with.”

  “Point taken,” he replied as the door opened and TJ came into the room. He handed her the coffee he’d just poured. “Everything okay?”

  Her fingers carefully avoided contact with his as she took the cup. “Yes. Tiny’s done with mowing the verge. He’s helping Marty on Sheila now … unless you want him to do something else.” Her eyes flew nervously to his.

  Yes, she was as unsettled as he was and, he hoped, a little disappointed too. God knows he was. Maybe one kiss would be enough. Scott shook his head. “Let them play a bit. Now, let’s sit down and I’ll tell you my plan.” He pulled another chair closer for Rob. “Once the asbestos is removed, building can go ahead. I promised the mayor that M & M would pitch in with volunteer help from the staff to show community support for the program.”

  “That might encourage some of the locals to participate too,” Rob countered.

  “Exactly! The mayor has also said he will encourage some of the local tradespeople to pitch in with things like plumbing, roofing, carpentry and so on.”

  “Wow! That must have been some pitch you delivered. Either he’s had a change of heart or you’ve been able to make him see something we couldn’t.”

  Scott laughed. “I’ve mastered the art of negotiation, and a promise of a donation to the local arts centre helped to sweeten the deal. But there’s more.”

  TJ sat up in her chair. “There’s always more. I’m guessing he has some reservations about the impact of juvenile delinquents in the community. That was one of the concerns when we approached him.”

  “Yes, he is concerned. Which is why I have a suggestion to make.” He paused to pick up a pen from his desk and tapped it on his palm. “He’s asked for round-the-clock supervision of the boys for as long as they are on your property during the building process.”

  TJ sighed. “I can understand that. I’m perfectly capable of looking after the boys. Bill and Rose come over all the time when they’re there, and Ethan stops in twice a week, as does Rob.”

  “That’s not enough for the mayor. He’s worried about you alone with a group of teenagers who have yet to prove that they’re on the straight and narrow.” He put his hand up as TJ started to argue. “Hear me out first.” He reached across to touch her hand where it lay on his desk. “It’s not that he doesn’t trust you. He really is worried about your wellbeing. It’s tough raising teenagers. More so when you’re not their parents.”

  TJ pulled her hand out from under his and clasped hers in her lap. “The plan?” she prompted.

  “I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone. I think that Tiny and Marty would be a lot happier if they were together. Tiny’s doing okay with me so far, but I can see the boredom setting in. He needs to have company his own age. I can’t stop him going out on his own if he decides to, but I would like to discourage it.”

  “So you want them both to stay with TJ?” Rob asked.

  Scott nodded. “Here’s the other part of the plan. I need to look for another place to stay. The townhouse was always going to be a temporary arrangement. I’m not ready to buy a property yet. I’m a little over inner city living, but I’m not sure that I’m ready for semi-rural either.” He turned to TJ. “So, I figured if I could rent two rooms from you while we’re working on the rebuilding of the cabins, I’ll have a place to keep my dog and get a feel for whether I can do the semi-rural thing or not. Tiny will have Marty for company and together we can make sure that they both stay out of trouble.”

  “Why can’t you stay with your parents? They live next door.” TJ sat on the edge of her seat. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about. Scott Devin in her house? Naked in the shower? Wandering around in … did he even wear PJs? Probably not. No, this was a very bad idea.

  “Because Tiny won’t give you any trouble if I’m there. Sarge
, my dog, will be an added bonus, both as a distraction and as extra security. Research has proved that dogs—and pets in general—have a positive impact on negative behaviour in children. It’s worth a try. Plus you’ll have a steady income from the room rentals to subsidise any improvements to the property. I’ll pay you for my room and Tiny’s. Plus, I’ll be there to help with the supervision of the building works.”

  Scott sat back and folded his hands, allowing the thought to lie between them. TJ looked at Rob, who shrugged.

  “It sounds like a good plan. TJ?”

  TJ stood up and wandered over to the window. She placed her hands on the sill and stared out over the hills. Scott watched as she considered the proposal. He could almost hear the wheels turning as she chewed her bottom lip. He wished she wouldn’t do that. He had visions of nibbling it himself. Dangerous visions—ones that could get him into a heap of trouble sharing a house and working with her. That couldn’t be a good thing. But he’d promised the mayor he would keep a close eye on the boys. Having them all under the same roof seemed like the best solution. Sarge would love the company, and he could do with the change of scenery.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?” Scott stood up and walked over to where TJ stood.

  “Why are you doing this? We’ve managed perfectly fine without you until now.”

  “Because I’ve been looking for something, and this feels like the right thing to do. I came back here looking for a project, a new challenge. Buying another struggling dealership wasn’t enough this time. It hasn’t fulfilled that … need. Dealing with these kids has given me that sense of satisfaction, that challenge I’ve been looking for.”

  “I don’t suppose it had anything to do with running away from Serena Snow, then.” TJ turned and looked him in the eye, set a challenge.

  He considered the challenge and met it as he stared back. “No. I don’t back down from a fight, TJ,” he said without as much as a blink. “I stay and fight. Serena lost, I won. Let’s get that skeleton out of the closet right now.” He turned to Rob. “And then I can put your mind at rest too. Anyone for more coffee?”