Under The Hood

by Juanita Kees

  TJ shook her head and sat on the edge of his desk. He could feel her eyes on his back as he poured the coffee. Serena’s skeleton was one he’d gladly lay to rest and hoped it would stay there once he had. Yes, he’d crossed the country to get away from her. There was no denying that. The peace and quiet of the West coast had beckoned, with the added bonus of his parents being a little closer. The business opportunity had been more of an experiment than an investment. He’d played with much higher stakes on the east coast. M & M was child’s play in comparison.

  “Serena and I had a brief relationship. She was my employee, a very ambitious one. Unfortunately, she used her power as my girlfriend to bully the staff, and it backfired. We got taken to court for harassment. The employee won and the charge was against Serena but, as the business owner, it was my duty of care to prevent it. Serena was too ambitious to take the fall alone, so she counter-sued me for harassment, stating that I’d coerced her into a relationship.”

  “And did you?”

  His laugh was tinged with bitterness as he sat down again. He picked up his mobile phone off the desk and wiggled it in the air. “These things have a habit of dropping you right in it. What she didn’t tell the judge was that she initiated the chats. All her messages in response were deleted from her phone. There’s a whole lot more to the story, and I won’t bore you with the details, but the judge threw it out of court because of insufficient evidence. What I will tell you is that there was no coercing required.”

  “But the media had a field day with the story,” Rob countered.

  “Yes, they did. Unfortunately some of the mud sticks, which is why I decided to make the move out here. In the hope that the media would find something else to focus on.”

  “Does this mean your involvement in the program is only to garner positive media and get you back into their good books?” Silence sliced the tension in the room as TJ’s words fell like splintering glass between them.

  Scott’s eyes narrowed on hers as he bit down on his anger. He stood slowly and came around the desk to face her. She stood too, with her hip resting against the desk. Poised for a fight, a tiger ready to pounce. Hands in his pockets, he towered over her. She stood her ground, drew herself up to her full height and held his angry stare.

  “Back off, Tiger. I don’t like what you’re suggesting.”

  “And I don’t like you using the program as a springboard to rescue your reputation!”

  “That’s not true and you know it! I don’t need to impress anyone. I please myself and I choose my fights. Choose yours wisely, TJ. I won’t pull my support from the program either way.”

  Rob stood, deciding to step into the fray. “Let’s get back to the program.” He gripped TJ’s arm and tugged her away. “Sit down, TJ. It won’t kill you to listen to the plan. It won’t hurt to accept help either. I’d be happier with Scott staying with you and the boys.”

  “I’ve been coping just fine on my own.”

  Scott sighed. He admired determination and commitment, but pure stubbornness and pride was another story—yet another way in which she differed so much from Serena. Ambition didn’t come into it at all. As his anger subsided, he watched the emotions chase across TJ’s face. Complex didn’t even begin to describe her. He was looking forward to getting to know how her mind worked.

  “I’m picking my dog up from the airport tomorrow. I’ll bring him around to your place. We can discuss it with Marty and Tiny and see what they think.”

  Rob nodded. “I’ll be there too, so we can go over the finer details; but now, I have to go. TJ, please hear Scott out before you veto the idea completely.”

  TJ nodded, but her eyes were on Scott’s, as if she were trying to read the thoughts in his head. That was what he liked most about her. There was no subterfuge. What you saw was what you got. Every emotion, every thought, every action was right there on the surface. He had no doubt she would tackle anything thrown her way.

  Rob bent to kiss her cheek before extending his hand to shake Scott’s. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Yes. We have some planning to do, if TJ agrees.” Scott tore his eyes from hers to walk to the door with Rob.

  “Give her time. She likes to process. She’ll see sense eventually.”

  “I’m still in the room, Robert!”

  “And she only calls me ‘Robert’ when I’m in trouble.” He blew her a kiss as Scott closed the door behind him.

  “Do you want to think about this overnight? I’m worried about you, TJ. I read the reports from juvie hall. The psychologist who treated Tiny is convinced that his dangerous behaviour will escalate. I’d like to prove him wrong, and I do believe we can help him if we get this project off the ground.”

  “What you’re saying makes sense. I appreciate your commitment to the program. It’s what’s between us that I have a problem with.” TJ paced the floor. “We can’t afford to cross that line, Scott.”

  He raked a hand through his hair as he perched on the edge of his desk. “What happened with Serena was a mistake. I’m usually a better judge of character. I should have seen through it, but I didn’t. I won’t make that mistake again. But what’s between us is different. You’re different.”

  “And if I had a dollar for every time I’d heard that line, I wouldn’t need funding for the building project.”

  He smiled and put out a hand to stop her pacing. A simple touch that sent liquid heat pooling through him. His fingers slid down her arm to link with hers. A gentle tug brought her closer. Her free hand pressed against his chest to stop him. He lifted it to his lips.

  “We’ll talk about it in the morning. Now, I’d better get some work done. Shall we go and see what the boys are up to?” He dropped her hands and stood before pulling the paperwork and cheque out of his pocket once more. “Take these and think it over tonight. Once you’re happy, we can get the ball rolling. The contractor has been notified that we will contact him within the next few days to start clearing the asbestos cladding. The sooner we get this happening, the happier everyone is going to be.”

  “Thank you, Scott, but we do need to set ground rules.”

  “I know.”

  Rules, lines that couldn’t be crossed, temptation that would always be one step away, and the unavoidable office gossip that would result when the news got around that he was boarding with her. It could all go horribly wrong very quickly. He really hoped history wasn’t about to repeat itself; but as he watched her walk out of his office, he knew that he would do whatever he could to make TJ’s project a success. What he wasn’t ready to do was ask himself why. The answer would be too close to admitting he cared.

  Chapter Nine

  Sunday dawned sunny and bright. TJ hoped that was a good omen as she knocked on Marty’s bedroom door. “Come on, big guy, it’s almost time for breakfast.”

  A muffled groan came from inside, followed by a thump and a muttered oath. “Is it 6am already? Fark, TJ! Why do we have to get up so early? It’s Sunday.” The door opened and he poked his head out.

  TJ grinned. “Watch your language and put your money in the jar.” She tugged the sleep-spiked hair gently. “We’ve got chores to do. You need to collect the chook eggs, and I’m going to get the pork roast on the go for lunch.”

  “It’s bloody sparrow’s fart! Can’t the eggs wait?”

  “Not if you want breakfast. Smell that?” She sniffed the air. “That’s fresh bread. You don’t get any until you’ve collected the eggs.”

  Marty sniffed the air too. “Fa—,” he stopped at TJ’s warning look. “Far out. It does smell good.”

  They laughed as Marty’s stomach growled in response.

  “Off you go. To the shower and then hit the chook pen. Or maybe chook pen then shower.” She wrinkled her nose as she walked passed him towards the kitchen.

  “Hey, TJ?” He waited for her to turn around. “Thanks.”

  TJ smiled. A simple word held so much weight. “You don’t need to thank me. I have some good news to
share when the others get here. Things are looking up.”

  “They are? Like how?”

  “You’ll have to wait until the others arrive. I only want to tell it once. Come on, let’s get breakfast out of the way first. Hurry now.”

  They did the chores in easy harmony. It was at times like these that TJ’s heart glowed with hope. And pride. These were the times when she saw the potential in Marty. He enjoyed pottering around on the property, fixing fences, cutting firebreaks and mucking out the chook pen. The dark world of drugs and troubled teenagers seemed so far away as the sun warmed against the azure sky.

  If only she could help Tiny find the same inner peace that Marty found out here. She’d spent a sleepless night tossing in bed over Scott’s proposal. Everything made sense, except the bit about having him in her house every day and every night. Mostly at night.

  Despite the inner alarm bells over the case with Serena Snow, the attraction between them was strong. Scott was strong. And she’d been fighting alone for so long now. It would be nice to have someone else shoulder some of the responsibilities. Not that Rob didn’t try. He did his best, but he couldn’t see the same value in the project that she did. That Scott did see the value warmed her heart a little more towards him each day. And it was with each warming that came the danger of falling in love with him. TJ straightened from putting the roast in the oven. Oh, God. She was falling in love with him.

  “Shit!”

  “Wassup, TJ? You okay?” Marty stepped into the kitchen just as the sound of a car coming up the drive reached them. “Mr D and Tiny are here.”

  With a hand that shook just a little, TJ took her apron off and hung it on the pantry door. “All good, Marty. Let’s go say hi.”

  They stepped out onto the veranda as Scott’s ute came to a stop on the gravel drive. In the back was a massive black and brown beast with a head the size of a beer barrel.

  “Fu … Phwoar, TJ! Is that a dog or a horse?” Marty hissed in her ear.

  She elbowed him in the ribs. “You owe the jar 60c, mate. To answer your question, I think it’s a beast.”

  They watched as Scott and Tiny got out of the ute. Tiny bounded up the stairs to envelop Marty in their ritualistic man-hug—a quick bump of the shoulders, a clasp of right hands, a pat on the back and a knuckle bump. Tiny touched the peak of his cap.

  “TJ.”

  “Tiny. What the hell is that thing?”

  Tiny laughed and TJ’s heart swelled. Tiny never laughed, not even at jokes, and especially never at anything she said. Perhaps they really had turned a corner.

  “That’s Sarge, Mr D’s Rottweiler. Picked him up from the airport this morning. Pretty cool, huh?”

  “I’m not sure ‘cool’ is a word I’d use!” Her eyes were glued to the dog as Scott unclipped his harness and set him free. With a single command, the dog jumped out of the ute and sat at Scott’s feet. Another command and the dog went to heel.

  “Is he showing off?” She asked with a nudge in Marty’s ribs.

  Marty grinned. “I think he’s trying to impress you, TJ.”

  “Ha! I’m not impressed. I’m paralysed. Good God! How much would that thing eat? I hope he’s vegetarian. He looks like he could swallow you whole.”

  “Mr D says he’ll only do that on command.”

  She was sure Tiny was only half joking. Muscles rippled in unison as Scott and the dog walked towards the veranda. TJ was hard pressed to keep her eyes on the dog any longer as they came closer. “Tiny, were you guys at footy training this morning?”

  “Yeah. There was a friendlies game at the oval near Mr D’s place this morning, so we went down to check it out. Then we had to go pick up the beast, so we didn’t have time to change.”

  Her fuzzy mind vaguely registered that Tiny had spoken the longest sentence she’d ever heard from him. Her focus was on the six feet plus of muscle that strolled towards her dressed in tight football shorts. Once white, they were now streaked with mud and grass stains. The red and white sleeveless guernsey clung to a strong, wide chest and shoulders that supported two long, muscled arms. Oh, dear lord. She was in trouble.

  “Towels,” she squeaked.

  “Beg yours?”

  “Towels, Marty. Get them towels. Shower. Tiny, you go first.” She turned to Tiny and realised his face was streaked with mud and sweat … and his grin was wider than she’d ever seen before. She grinned back, and the boys took off at a sprint, their voices booming through the house.

  “Morning, TJ.” Scott stopped at the stairs to the veranda and commanded the dog to sit. “Say hi to Sarge.”

  She eyed the dog warily. “Has he eaten?”

  Scott laughed. “Yes. A football team.”

  “Ah, well. That’s okay then. Hi, Sarge.”

  Sarge barked and held up a paw. TJ felt her heart melt as he cocked his head and frowned. She stepped down and shook his paw. Scott slipped him a treat.

  “Enjoy your game?” she asked, keeping her gaze firmly on the dog.

  “Yes, actually. Tiny is quite a good player. I think he enjoyed himself.”

  TJ scratched behind Sarge’s ear and smiled at the dopey look in his eyes. “That’s good. It’s the first time I’ve seen him smile.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” She forced her eyes past his impressive body and met his eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Thank me later.” His eyes glittered and his lips twitched.

  She found herself smiling back. “In your dreams. I have beer. Cold beer. That should be thanks enough.”

  He threw a friendly arm around her shoulders and steered her towards the house. “I accept that offer. For now.”

  “Ha! I think a shower is in order first. Since Tiny is using the second bathroom, you can use mine. Go easy on my Chanel.”

  The arm around her shoulders crept up around her neck and pulled her closer. He sniffed at her hair and then kissed her temple. “Bless you, Tiger. You smell like fresh bread and Sunday roast. Makes a change from grease and oil.”

  She elbowed him in the stomach, impressed when it met washboard abs that didn’t give way to fleshiness. “Yes, well I think Sarge smells better than you right now. Go on. To the shower. Will he stay with me?” She shrugged off his arm, walked up the stairs and through the front door as dog and man followed closely.

  “Yes, lucky dog. Stay, Sarge. Which way to your bedroom?”

  TJ swallowed. Those dark velvet tones made it sound like an invitation. “Down the hall and to the left. On your way past, ask Marty for a towel and shower gel. Unless you want to smell like roses.”

  He spun her around and took her face in his hands. She had a nanosecond to see the challenge in his eyes before he kissed her hard. Firm, warm lips rubbed against hers, angled to deepen the kiss. Time melted away as TJ stilled under his hands and he coaxed her lips with his.

  It took all her strength not to return the kiss. He even tasted like dark velvet. Like sin. Like something she shouldn’t be tasting. She pulled away, placed her hands over his and removed them from her face. The glint in his eyes shouted victory as hers slid away to look over his shoulder.

  “Rules. Boundaries. Shower,” she reminded him.

  He stepped back and peeled the sweaty guernsey over his head to reveal a sun-kissed chest sprinkled with a light dusting of dark hair.

  “A cold shower,” he said as he stepped around her and walked away.

  This was so not going to work. A bad, bad idea. She watched as he disappeared up the hallway, her hands cupping hot cheeks. Those shorts showcased a very nice arse. One she was about to see around her house every day if she agreed to his plan. Oh boy, she was in trouble.

  “Yoo-hoo!”

  Rose’s voice rang through the house, thankfully redirecting her thoughts and her footsteps towards the front door. She kissed Rose’s cheek affectionately, accepted Bill’s hug and returned it.

  “I see Scott’s here already.” Bill released her to look up the hallway. “Did he pick up his dog?” />
  “The boys are cleaning up after playing a game of footy this morning. They’ll be out soon. Sarge is standing guard over the pork roast in the oven. I think he’s hoping there’s a bone in there for him. What’s for dessert?”

  Rose held up the basket in her hand. “Apple and rhubarb pie with custard and cream.”

  “Ooh, yum!” TJ lifted the blue chequered cloth that covered the contents of the basket. “Still warm. Let’s put it in the kitchen, and I’ll make us a cup of tea. Bill, the telly’s on in the lounge if you want to wait in there for the boys.”

  “Will do, love, thanks.” He wandered off, happy to be relieved of kitchen duties.

  “Need help with anything?” Rose asked as they entered the homely, country-style kitchen.

  TJ loved her kitchen. The forest green walls blended beautifully with the rich, bare Oregon pine ceilings, the walls lined with the same cabinetry her grandfather had hand-crafted when he’d built the house in the 1940s. Their leadlight, bevelled-glass fronts showcased her grandmother’s collection of antique chinaware. Here she always felt at home, at peace.

  “Do you want to peel the potatoes for roasting while I prep the rest of the veggies?” She put the basket on the table in the centre of the kitchen and waved towards the pile of vegetables resting on the stone bench tops.

  “Sure! Then you can tell me all the latest gossip. How are the boys doing?”

  “They seem to be doing fine. Tiny seems very happy staying with Scott. He actually smiled today and completed a sentence without grunting once!”

  Rose laughed. “That’s progress. But you know, love, grunting is all part of teenage-speak. Nothing’s changed since Scott was one. Must be a boy thing, hey? What about Marty?”

  TJ made their tea as Rose moved to the kitchen sink to peel the potatoes.