“Sorry, Peter, I couldn’t find mine,” she says, looking up at me.
“You need glasses, Tink?”
She furrows her brow under the longer fall of her blond pixie cut. “No, why?”
“Because yours is right there on your workbench.”
She follows to where I’m pointing. Her skin flushes as she bites on the inside of her cheek, making the thin gold nose-ring glint in the light. “Well, would you look at that,” she says with an embarrassed chuckle. “I swear it wasn’t there earlier. But now that I’ve got you here, Peter, I wanted to ask you—”
“Boss!”
I turn to see Carlos gesturing wildly at me like it’s a life or death situation. Shit, I hope the computer isn’t on the fritz again. We can’t afford to replace it. “Sorry, Tink, hold that thought.”
“That’s okay, I’ll walk and talk,” she says, falling into line as I make my way back across the bays, the bell she keeps on a long chain around her neck tinkling with every step. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Pitt County car show next weekend and pick out a custom project we could work on together. You know, to sell afterward as another way of bringing in money.”
“We don’t have the time or space to devote to a project like that right now. We need all our bays operational for the daily stuff that’s paying the bills.”
“No, I know. But we could make space for it in the pole barn and then after work—”
“Tink, what have I always said about after work?”
She sighs. “When work is done the fun’s begun.”
“Exactly. We only work as much as we have to, and after that, we work hard at having fun,” I say, dropping my wrench off in my bay as we pass. “Which, correct me if I’m wrong, makes me the best boss on the planet.”
“You’re absolutely the best boss, Peter. You’re the best at everything.”
I smile down at her. “Won’t get an argument from me on that one.” We stop in front of Carlos, and I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’s a good idea, Tink, just not for right now. Someday, we’ll be able to do stuff like that without pulling overtime hours. Until then, let’s keep doing what we’re doing.”
“Boss.”
Carlos is practically bouncing in place as I finally turn my attention to him. “What is it?”
“There’s someone who wants to talk to you about a custom rebuild.”
I arch a brow in Tink’s direction, but she holds her hands up. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t talk to anyone but you about that.”
“Tell him we don’t do custom rebuilds right now, but we can refer him to someone who does. Hold on, I think I have a number for J.R. at the Toy Shop in London…” I fish my phone out of the pocket of my coveralls and pull up my contacts.
“It’s a her, boss,” Carlos corrects. “And trust me, you’re gonna want to talk to her.”
“Trust me,” I say, scrolling through the names in my phone. Did I save it under the J’s or the T’s? “I’m really not.”
I hear the door to the waiting area open just as Tink whispers, “Holy shit,” making me look up from my phone…and my heart stops.
“Hello, Peter.”
A woman with cornflower blue eyes and long hair the color of maple syrup steps into the shop. Her smile is shy, and her small hands twist together in front of her like she’s unsure of her welcome. So much time has passed since I’ve seen her, and yet, she’s just as beautiful as that night I saw her standing on her balcony, wearing only a nightgown and rays of moonlight.
“Can you believe it?” Carlos says excitedly. “Wendy’s home!”
Glossary of Neverland Characters
(as they are when the book starts 16 years before the present timeline)
* * *
Lost Boys
Peter Pan: Leader of the small group of children at the School for Lost Boys of Neverland.
Slightly (aka Silas/Si): Self-appointed right-hand of Peter since he’s the next oldest and a classic one-upper as he believes he’s slightly better than everyone else.
Curly (aka Carlos): Sweet and flirtatious with dimples that would get him out of trouble in most cases; yet, he’s blamed for things so often that he adopts the habit of accepting blame even when it isn’t his to claim.
Nibs (aka Nick): Most reserved of the boys, quiet and loyal; probably Peter’s actual right-hand.
The Twins (aka Tobias and Tyler/Ty): Identical, fun-loving twins, no one can tell apart, who finish each other’s sentences and argue about everything except girls.
Tootles (aka Thomas): Youngest and sweetest of all the boys; very empathetic and helpful.
Tinker Bell (aka sprite/fairy/pixie): Only girl living at the school for boys; sassy and feisty and fiercely loyal to Peter.
Pirates (a sub-group of the Lost Boys)
James “Captain” Hook: Oldest of the boys at the school, inexplicably hates Peter.
Smee: Red-haired and loyal to Hook unless he isn’t around, then joins in with the Lost Boys.
Starkey: White-haired and loyal to Hook unless he isn’t around, then joins in with the Lost Boys.
Darlings
Wendy Darling: Young girl who lives in neighboring city of London; enjoys telling stories, nursing wounds, and pretending to be a mother.
John Darling: Wendy’s brother, two years her junior; smart, cunning, and a martial arts enthusiast.
Michael Darling: Wendy’s brother, five years her junior; genius level IQ and hates being the baby of the group.
George Darling: Father to the Darling children and financial planner in London.
Piccaninnies
Tiger Lily (aka Lily/Lil/T.L. Picc): Princess of the Piccaninny tribe; getaway driver with an affinity for knives and emasculating men.
Gray Wolf (aka Chief): Tiger Lily’s older half-brother; outcast, nomad, and mischief-maker.
Crocs
Fred Croc: Guardian of the Lost Boys, small-time criminal, owner of chop shop.
Delia Croc: Wife to Fred and hates kids.
About the Author
Gina L. Maxwell is a full-time writer, wife, and mother living in the upper Midwest, despite her scathing hatred of snow and cold weather. An avid romance novel addict, she began writing as an alternate way of enjoying the romance stories she loves to read. Her debut novel, Seducing Cinderella, hit both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists in less than four weeks, and she’s been living her newfound dream ever since.
* * *
When she’s not reading or writing steamy romance novels, she spends her time losing at Scrabble (and every other game) to her high school sweetheart, doing her best to hang out with their adult teenagers as they learn to spread their wings, and dreaming about her move to someplace perpetually warm once they do.
* * *
You can find more information about her and all her online homes at www.ginalmaxwell.com.
Other Books By Gina L. Maxwell
Neverland Novels
Pan
Fighting For Love Series
Seducing Cinderella
Rules of Entanglement
Fighting for Irish
Sweet Victory
Playboys In Love Series
Shameless
Ruthless
Merciless
Stand-Alones
Hot for the Fireman
Ask Me Again
Tempting her Best Friend
* * *
Connect with Gina: www.ginalmaxwell.com
Newsletter Sign-Up: www.ginalmaxwell.com/newsletter
Follow on BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/gina-l-maxwell
Reader Group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/TheMaxwellMob
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Hook (Neverland Novels Book 2) Page 33
