Hot and Handy: A Small Town Romantic Suspense (Shameless Southern Nights Book 3)

by J. H. Croix

  He didn’t have to say it. His little Monday morning road trip with me proved he was worried beyond what he said. Telling me to go to the prison instead of just speaking to our father betrayed more than worry.

  Why and what for, I didn’t know. I wasn’t even sure if Beau knew what was going on. None of us ever did when it came to our dad and the web he weaved. Or was still weaving. I didn’t fucking know anymore.

  Being responsible for the loss of another life, however—my father’s life—wasn’t an option for me. Sighing deeply, I knew it was only going to go one way. I was going to go to the prison. Fun times.

  Phoenix arrived at work a couple of minutes after I did, whistling “hi ho, hi ho” as he crossed the workshop floor. Grinning when he saw me standing at the coffee maker, he pressed his palms together. “Please tell me you’ve got some of the good stuff for me too.”

  I filled up his mug and slid it over to him. “Never say you don’t have the best boss ever.”

  Lifting a finger to wave it at himself, he mockingly asked, “Me? Never. I would never say such a thing.”

  “Not even if I asked you to look after the shop this morning?” I glanced around pointedly at all the cars that needed to be worked on today, and there were more waiting outside. “I have to go out for a bit.”

  “No problemo, boss man.” He grinned. “Consider it done.”

  With a wave, I left and drove to the one place I’d told myself I’d never go. The prison loomed in front of me like the world’s most depressing example of architecture. The new age guy who thought Beau’s clients were getting their juju blocked by a balcony would probably have fainted if he ever saw it.

  It was a plain gray square with guard towers on each corner and miles of fencing at regular intervals in between, and a large visitors’ parking lot. Gravel crunched beneath my tires as I parked, the sound grating on my nerves.

  Once I was parked, I shut off the truck but didn’t move. I was still questioning if I should go in. I’d promised myself a bunch of times I never would, but here I was. I hadn’t come all that way and presented my ID three times before I even got to the parking lot only to sit outside the prison.

  I came here to see my dad, to find out what he wanted from me. Wimping out would make me a coward. I’d been called many names in my life, but coward wasn’t one of them.

  Blowing out a breath, I jerked back on the handle and got out of my truck. It was time to visit my damn father.

  I marched purposefully to the entrance marked “Visitors” in bold capital letters. Visiting hours were displayed on a board beside it. I waited in line with some other people visiting. Surprisingly, some people looked excited to be here. I most definitely wasn’t. But most people probably didn’t have issues the size of Texas with the people they were here to see.

  The sun blazed down on us at a million degrees before the bored-looking guard at the door checked his watch and pushed open the doors that led into the actual visitors’ waiting area. We waited some more and presented our ID to the bored guy and to another one who was noting our names down on a form clipped onto a board.

  Frustration with the process simmered, but I ignored it. I might not have wanted to come here, but I’d taken that step and I’d see it through.

  I fell into the line like a good son and dutifully went through the security checks to be allowed entry. Once I’d submitted to being searched and filled out the necessary paperwork, a metal gate slammed behind me, and a guard ushered me inside.

  The room I was to visit my father in felt like it was closing in on me before the man even arrived. It was a narrow box of a room with a long row of seats on either side of a sheet of glass. The booths were divided by partitions and had an old-school phone on each side.

  Everything about Cypress Creek Penitentiary was a damned cliché so far. I sank down on the stool the guard pointed out to me and waited for my father to make his appearance. When he appeared in the doorway behind the glass wearing a prison jumpsuit and with hair grayer than I’d ever seen it, all of my feelings over what he did came rushing back.

  My heart thudded in my chest, and my head pounded. My hands got sweaty, and it didn’t matter how many times or how hard I rubbed them against my jeans, the layer of sweat remained.

  If I’d thought seeing my father was going to be easy, I was dead wrong. It was going to be one hell of a tough conversation.

  My father sat down on the stool on his side of the glass and motioned to the phone, his blue eyes more alight and alive than I remembered them being. Strange for a man in such big trouble that he lured a son who didn’t want to see him to prison.

  “How are you, Evan?” he asked when I pressed the receiver of the landline to my ear. “How’s the shop doing?”

  I stared at him, unable to believe he was trying to make small talk. “I’m fine, Dad. I would ask how you were, but given where we are…”

  “I’m fine, actually,” he told me, flashing me his pearly whites in a smile totally out of place for a man in his position. “How are your brothers doing?”

  “They’re fine, Dad,” I replied, narrowing my eyes on his. It was bullshit. He wasn’t in trouble. He was just trying to pull all the strings from in here, trying to get us all back on his side. “You’ve been trying to get ahold of me, Dad. I’m here now, so quit with the babbling. What do you want?”

  Our family didn’t do small talk. At least, we never used to. My father fell silent and then nodded. “Right to business, then? Okay.”

  “The floor’s all yours.” I motioned for him to continue. “Please, tell me what was so important that you needed me out here so badly.”

  His piercing blue gaze met mine and held it, the cocky light in them all but extinguished. His jaw tightened, and his expression grew dark. “I’ll cut to the chase. There are people on the outside who are still after me. People who think I owe them something. One of my own people recently told me that some of those I allegedly stole from are getting close to one of my accounts.”

  “Allegedly?” I scoffed. “It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”

  He shook his head. “We don’t have time for your doubts. I need you to get to the account and put everything into an account in Cypress Creek. A safe one.”

  My jaw loosened. It probably would’ve dropped if I wasn’t so busy searching for my father’s second head and the pigs flying above it. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “No, I need you to—”

  The stool I was sitting on made a screeching sound as I pushed it back. “Forget it. My answer is no. I’m not going to help you. You ruined my life, and you ruined my brothers’ lives. I don’t want anything to do with you, and I’m sure as hell not doing that.”

  I slammed the phone down in its cradle and shook my head as I turned and walked away. He was fucking insane if he thought I was touching his dirty money, let alone moving it for him.

  Chapter Ten

  Sadie

  Lori’s head was bopping along to music playing softly from the radio in my kitchen when I got home from the night shift at my janitorial job. She was seated at the kitchen table, finishing off a bowl of cereal.

  I frowned, looking around for Emery, but she wasn’t there. There was also no sign she had been there for breakfast. No dirty bowl or juice glass, no stool pushed back. My nerves were still frayed from my encounter with the lawyers and overhearing their ominous conversation, and my composure was hard to hold onto.

  Sliding my jacket down my shoulders, I walked into the kitchen. “Hey, Lori. Where’s Emery?”

  On the mornings after my night shifts, I usually just missed them. Lori made Emery breakfast and took her to school. I only got to see Emery once she got home from school.

  Lori swallowed her bite of cereal down with some water. “She’s not feeling well. I knew you would be home soon, so I didn’t call. I didn’t know if you’d want her going to school if she was sick.”

  Tension ramped up another notch, worry spinning tightly ar
ound my heart. I didn’t do well with Emery being sick. Understatement of the century. “You did the right thing. Thanks. I’ll go check on her.”

  I rushed to her bedroom, finding the door ajar and Emery lying in bed. It was very unlike my energetic little girl to be in bed at that hour. She turned her head when she heard the door creak open and gave me a weak smile. “Mommy, you’re home.”

  “I’m home, baby,” I replied, going to sit next to her on the mattress. Her cheeks were flushed and her skin clammy when I lifted my hand to forehead. She was burning up. “You have a fever. You definitely need to stay home from school today.”

  She chewed her lip, disappointment flashing in her eyes before she lay back in bed. “Okay, I’ll stay. Will you call my teacher? She’ll be sad I’m not there.”

  “I’m going to call her right away.” Emery was still in those precious few years where she adored school. Her teacher was her superhero. I knew she was bummed to be staying home, but I didn’t want to take any chances. Hopefully, she’d be right as rain tomorrow.

  “Sleep for a while, Em.” I pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’ll bring you some medicine. You’ll feel better when you wake up.”

  Tiptoeing out of her room, I grabbed some aspirin from the bathroom cabinet. She fell asleep again almost immediately after I brought her a glass of water to chase down the aspirin. I left her door open a crack and tried not to let the gnawing worry about her get me down.

  What I desperately needed was a cup of coffee. It had been a long night at work, and with Emery sick, it was bound to be an even longer day. Lori was still in the kitchen when I returned, washing the dishes and tidying up.

  She glanced over her shoulder as I walked to the teapot. “How’s she doing?”

  “She has a fever, so I’m keeping her home today. We’ll have to see how she’s feeling tomorrow, but I’m hoping it’s one of those twenty-four-hour things.”

  Lori crossed her fingers and held them up. “Here’s to hoping.”

  We talked while I made coffee. I offered some to Lori, but she declined. “I have to get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “See you,” I called after her when she headed outside. “Thanks again.”

  It was only after she drove away that I remembered I was supposed to get my car today. I cursed under my breath. I couldn’t go another day without it, and I needed to pick it up, pay for the repairs, and put it behind me. I had enough on my plate as it was. Worrying about my car and how I was going to pay for it were added extras I didn’t need.

  I’d already inquired about picking up more shifts to cover the damage. Both of my employers assured me something would come up, but I was still waiting for them to call and tell me what.

  Blowing out a sigh, I turned to see if my coffee was ready. While Emery slept for a couple of hours, I used the time to straighten up the place, take a shower, and squeeze in a quick nap of my own.

  When Emery woke up, she was looking a little better, but I knew not to count my chickens yet. “How are you feeling?”

  She rocked her head from side to side, scrunching up her nose. “A little bit better.”

  I smiled, brushing her hair off her face. “I’ll take a little bit so long as it’s paired with better. You up for a bath?”

  She nodded, and I took her hand, helping her out of bed. After checking my watch, I got her another dose of aspirin to keep her fever down. Even though she said she felt better, I knew she wasn’t feeling too good when she didn’t protest taking another aspirin.

  After her bath, she got dressed and managed a few bites of toast with some water, I helped her into her jacket. “Mommy’s car is ready today. We’re going to have to catch the bus to pick it up, okay?”

  Her tired eyes lit up, and she lifted her head from my shoulder. “The bus? I like the bus.”

  “I know, but we won’t stay on it today for too long.” It wasn’t ideal to have to bring Emery with me on the bus when she was sick, but I couldn’t call Lori to come back to our place, and I really needed the car for work. I felt bad enough about having to borrow Lori’s for three days, let alone more when my car was already fixed.

  The auto repair shop was full and bustling when we got there, a contrast to the quiet of Sunday when I’d been here. Machines clattered and clamored and the sound of metal striking metal rang out above the voices of men calling out to each other occasionally. Emery’s legs dangled from my hip where I held her, staring with wide eyes at the scene in front of her.

  We walked inside, and I spotted a chair next to the counter where I could sit Emery down. I saw my car outside in the parking lot, but I couldn’t see Evan anywhere. A large blond guy was joking with another man behind the counter while they waited for coffee. The atmosphere in the shop was lively and jovial. Surprisingly, I kind of liked it.

  “I was wondering if we were going to see you today.” A deep voice spoke up from behind me. I pivoted on my heels, finding Evan standing there with an amused expression on his handsome face.

  My body reacted to his presence instantly with heat unfurling inside. My hands tingled with the urge to reach out and touch him, to trail my fingers along the sexy stubble on his strong jawline. When my gaze collided with his, I couldn’t look away. Swallowing through the tension in my throat, I asked, “Is my car ready?”

  “It is,” he said, one corner of his mouth kicking up in a lazy grin. On Sunday, I might’ve thought his face would crack if he risked such a carefree smile, but he was different today. “Who’s this little lady?”

  He nodded at Emery, walking along the counter until he was standing next to her. She looked up at him with something like wonder in her watery eyes. “I’m Emery.”

  “She’s my daughter,” I told him, watching as his smile stretched from one corner to the other. He reached over the counter and rummaged around, coming back with a lollipop.

  Showing it to me, he lifted a questioning brow. I nodded. “She hasn’t been feeling very well today.”

  “That’s too bad,” Evan said directly to Emery, dropping to his haunches in front of her as he handed her the lollipop. “I hope you feel better soon. Being sick is no fun.”

  She laughed, or hoarsely snorted her way through what usually would’ve been a laugh. “I couldn’t even go to school today.”

  Evan’s eyes widened, and he shook his head slowly. “That’s the worst. You should rest today and get in bed early tonight if you want to stand a chance at school tomorrow, kiddo.”

  Nodding dutifully, Emery stuck the lollipop in her mouth. “My teacher says when we’re sick, we should drink lots of water.”

  “Words we live by right now are ‘my teacher says,’” I explained with a rueful smile.

  Evan pushed to his feet and flashed another smile. “Oh, yeah. Teachers know best.”

  I nodded and realized as I watched him that he wasn’t the hard-assed shop owner I thought him to be the last time I was here. Also, that smile of his helped. A lot.

  Full, perfectly kissable lips stretched over white teeth. One of his front teeth was the tiniest bit crooked, which only added to his roguish charm. He already had charm in spades, so it wasn’t as if he were hurting for it.

  My focus sharpened on the gold flecks in his sage green eyes and the tanned skin showing in the V of his shirt. My senses were on high alert, and when my eyes made their way back to his face, my pulse lunged.

  His gaze was dark and traveled up and down my body. The air around us felt electric. I thought I should say something to snap through the taut moment, but my mouth was dry, and my words jumbled around in my head. It had been years since I’d felt desire, and it’d probably never happened that a man who looked like him gave me a second glance. Being a harried single mother wasn’t exactly sexy.

  Evan gave off a silent strength combined with an easy smile and casual manner. His kindness to Emery had instantly knocked through my defenses.

  The people who worked here clearly liked and respected him from the way they shouted quick que
stions at him while our wordless exchange was going on. The blond guy from behind the counter even made him some coffee and handed it over.

  It was disconcerting to be the sole focus of his attention, to feel the heat of his gaze sweep over me. I was distracted enough with Emery being sick for it to throw me off completely.

  Clearing my throat, I reached into my purse and extracted my nearly useless credit card. “I’d better settle what I owe and get her back to bed.”

  Evan’s eyes dropped to the card in my hand and slid back to Emery momentarily before he shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. It’s on the house.”

  “What?” The word jumped out of my mouth of its own accord. “I-I can’t do that. Please, just tell me what I owe you.”

  “No can do,” he said cheerfully, turning to snag the coffee waiting on the counter for him. “Really, it’s okay. I know what it’s like to struggle, so like I said, don’t worry about it.”

  I stared at him, unable to reconcile the man in front of me with the one I’d met on Sunday. “Are you sure?”

  “One hundred percent,” he said firmly, his tone brooking no debate. Glancing down at Emery, he asked, “You ready to get back in bed? And remember about all the water you have to drink.”

  She slid off the chair and smiled shyly, twisting a lock of her auburn hair around her finger. Little flirt. At least one of us knew how to react around him. “I remember. Lots of water, take my medicine, and get in bed early.”

  Evan raised his hand and gave her a high five. “You’re a good listener.”

  “My teacher says so too,” she agreed.

  Evan held back a laugh, patting her on the head. “I bet she does. Feel better.”

  I took a step toward him, though I had no idea why. My body was drawn to him with a visceral tug. A part of me wanted to throw my arms around him and thank him for fixing my car, while another wanted to skip the hug altogether and jump him right there. I chalked up my confusing thoughts to stress and a lack of sleep.

  Finally, I offered him my hand. “Thank you so much for the work you did on my car. You’re a lifesaver.”