“The owner asked for me specifically.”
“Really? Last time I saw the two of you, you were brawling in the men’s room.”
Carlos laughed. “Sass, as much as you might wish otherwise, you’re a girl. You’ll never understand how men think. We’re like brothers, fighting one minute, comparing sex stories the next.” Carlos arched one brow meaningfully. Before she could say anything he continued, “Jordie wants me. You understand? He wants the best, and he’ll get the best.”
It was her turn to laugh. “Two things. First, while Buck’s gone, I’m boss, so what I say, goes. I’m doing the bodywork on the Mustang, end of story. Secondly, and really, most importantly, if Jordie wants the best, he gets me.”
Thank God Al chose that moment to come into the shop because Carlos seemed like he was about to lose it on her.
“Morning, Carlos. Heya, Sass-per-illa,” Al called out as he neared.
“Hey, Al-a-bama.” She greeted in typical fashion. “Have a good weekend?”
“Same old.” He went through his usual morning routine, filling in his time card and looking over the work orders as he poured himself the black sludge that masqueraded as coffee. “Carlos, give Manny a hand with Johnson’s Dodge. He wants to make sure there’s no crack in the frame. Then the side fender’s going to need to be replaced or patched.” Al tossed Carlos the keys from the pegboard. “Bring ’er into bay three.”
“I’ve got the Mustang in three.”
“Two then.”
Sass could tell Carlos wanted to say something, but Al had about twenty years seniority and was a close friend of Buck’s. If he wanted to keep his job, he’d keep his trap shut.
As soon as the side door shut behind Carlos, Al turned to her and motioned with his head to Buck’s office. She bit her thumb and followed him, feeling like she was seven years old and about to be reprimanded. She shut the door behind her and forced herself to look at Al.
“You two should never have gotten involved.”
“You knew?”
Al nodded. “How long is this hostility going to last?”
Sass shrugged as she continued to gnaw on her thumb. “It depends on Carlos. I’m over it; I don’t think he is.”
“You’re over it?” Al eyed her speculatively. Finally he moved away from where he’d been leaning against Buck’s desk, and propped himself up against the wall by the window so he could watch Carlos out in the yard. “Taking an iron to someone’s car is a serious thing.”
She almost fainted. Never in her twenty-three years had Sass ever felt light-headed and woozy like she did right then. “Wh-what?”
He turned to face her and said, “You heard me.”
“H-how?”
“I was just stopping by the Pit for a quick drink Saturday night. Heard a racket and followed it to the back of the lot where I watched you workin’ over that car.”
“Did anyone else see?” Sass didn’t even recognize her voice. Panic had a hold of her throat, squeezing until she could hardly breathe, and white dots clouded her vision.
Al shrugged. “I didn’t see anyone, but I can’t be sure.”
“Shit.” Sass slumped down into the chair facing Buck’s desk. She put her head in her hands, willing the nausea away. “It was an accident.”
“I’ve seen plenty of accidents. What you did didn’t look like much of an accident.”
She glanced up at Al and tried to smile but her lips weren’t cooperating. “You know what I mean.”
His jaw twitched. “Yeah, I do. But that doesn’t change things.”
“What am I going to do?”
“Far as I see it? You better tell that boy the truth before the cops figure it out. The last thing the shop needs is a lawsuit.”
Sass nodded.
“It looks pretty strange when some guy’s hot rod gets smashed up by the local auto-body repairman’s daughter. Wouldn’t you say?”
“Yes.”
“We won’t charge him, and we’ll reimburse him for his costs.”
“That’s what I was planning,” she said, keeping her head down.
“The cost of everything will come out of your pay. Buck didn’t raise you to be a hooligan.”
Her head bobbed up and down and her stupid chin quivered but there was no way in hell she was going to let anyone, even her dad’s best friend, see her this way. “I’m sorry, Al.”
Al came over and put his big ol’ hand on top of her head, just like he used to in the years after her mom died. “I know you are, Sass. You’re a good kid.” He sighed. “Buck didn’t raise no sissy. Besides, I know where that anger came from.”
“You do?” She pinched her nose to keep the tears at bay. As close as they were, to cry in front of Al was unacceptable. No one cried at the shop. No one. Sass wasn’t about to be the first.
“I’ll tell yah, Sass, you sure reminded me of your mother Saturday night.”
She couldn’t chance glancing up; otherwise the tears she was holding so carefully in check would fall fast.
“You’ve got her spirit. There’s no doubt about that. Why, I remember one night when Buck and I were playing poker at Eddie’s. You were just a baby, still brand new.” Al paused as if waiting for a response but Sass had nothing to say. She sat there, still as anything, her heart pounding so loud she could hear it.
“We lost track of time. It must have been going on two in the morning. Next thing we know your mother barges in with you in her arms. Your tiny face was red as a fire engine and you were screeching like a banshee—which is something you’ve done since the day you were born, by the way—and your mother dumps you in Buck’s lap, pulls a chair over, sits down, and says, ‘Deal me in, boys.’”
Sass’s quiet laugh sounded more like a sob and Al gave her shoulder a squeeze.
“She was so mad at Buck for leaving her home with a new baby, and, by the color of her cheeks, it looked as if she’d taken a turn at screaming herself. But, she played the hand, calm as you please. Won it even. Then, she scooped you up and marched right back out the door.”
Sass took a deep breath and touched her tongue to her dry lips. She sniffed and then said, “I never heard that story before.”
“No?”
She shook her head. “Buck doesn’t like to talk about her much.”
“I know.”
Keeping her head down, she whispered, “Thanks, Al.”
Al squeezed one more time and then left her alone in the office. That meant no one saw the tears that somehow managed to slide down her cheeks before she could angrily swipe at them.
She didn’t know how long she’d sat there before she heard a little tapping on the window of the door and a high-pitched voice sing out, “Yoohoo. Sass? Are you in there?”
Alice Larson, the receptionist, poked her head around the door. “There you are.” Alice was a contradiction of age and fashion. She must have been in her late forties, but she dressed in polyester pantsuits like a seventy-year-old. However, she almost always wore her auburn-dyed hair in a high ponytail, giving her heavily made-up face a much-younger appearance. “There’s a fella here to see you.” Penciled brows waggled. “A girl takes off for the weekend and all hell breaks loose. But I heard about Mr. Yummy. He’s got a bit of a black eye, but…what do you think?” Alice smoothed her hand over her lilac jumper. “Do you think he’d go for a slightly older woman?”
Sass stood up and said, “He’d be a fool not to.” She twisted her lips, attempting a smile. “Where is he?”
“Reception.”
“Thanks.”
Sass made her way to the front hoping she didn’t look as awful as she felt. But then again, she shouldn’t really care. There was nothing between her and Michaels. What happened last night was a one-time thing, never to be repeated. A mistake made in a moment of madness.
“Hey, Sass.” Jordan’s voice was neutral, maybe even a little cool when he saw her. Great, that would make things easier for her to pretend.
“Michaels.” Unfortunatel
y, just seeing him in his well-formed designer jeans, his expensive button-up shirt and that square jaw of his made her pulse race. Somehow, even the black eye looked good on him. Made him seem rough. Damn. “I need to speak to you. In private.”
He cocked his head to one side as if she’d just propositioned him again. When he spoke he sounded pissed off. “Your place or mine?”
Sass wanted to cuss him out, but she was already in enough trouble. “This way.” She led the way back to Buck’s office, ignoring Alice’s ridiculous expression as she passed by. Once Jordan was seated, Sass closed and locked the door and sat down in Buck’s chair, behind his desk.
“I didn’t get a chance to ask yesterday how the car was coming along,” he asked.
“About that…we haven’t really started.”
“Why?”
“First…” She took a deep breath and then asked, “Have you been to the police yet?”
Jordan’s gaze left her face as he stared up at the ceiling and scratched the back of his neck. “Right. The police.”
“We can’t proceed until the damage has been reported. I suppose we could take pictures, but…”
“I’m not going to the police.”
Sass dropped the pen she’d been absently flipping around her finger. “What?” She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or…or…hell, she didn’t know what to think. “Why not?”
Jordan studied her for a moment before he said evenly, “I’d just rather not.”
Staring in open-mouthed confusion, a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Do you know who…?”
His shrug was so noncommittal that she realized then and there that Jordan knew. Of course. He’d only been in town a few days but he already understood her better than most. He’d seen how weird she’d been acting Sunday morning. There was no mistaking the similarity between Carlos’s Mustang and his and after last night’s little brawl, Carlos had obviously mentioned their history. Holy shit! He knew.
And he wasn’t going to go to the police. Why? Because they’d slept together? He didn’t have feelings, did he? No way. Impossible. A guy like him might hook up with a girl like her, but that was it.
Maybe he felt sorry for her.
Well, she wasn’t about to let him feel sorry for her. She wronged him and now for some reason he was going easy on her, but she’d make it up to him, not just by covering the costs, there were others things she could do to make his stay easier.
“This sure isn’t much of a vacation for you, is it?”
Jordan shrugged. “Not quite what I had in mind, no.”
“It’s going to take at least a week, maybe more to get all the parts and to finish up the car. If you don’t want to head back to Denver, I can offer up a semi-solution.”
“What’s that?”
Sass started to chew her thumb but dropped it because it was too raw. “I’ve got some wheels for you, a ’76 Camaro. It’s a beater, but it runs well.”
“Okay.”
“And, if you like, you can stay at the cabin. It’s not luxurious or anything, but it sure beats the Greenwood. It’s quiet, there’s a fishing boat, rod and tackle if you like to fish. The water’s still warm enough for swimming, we’ve got indoor plumbing now, so it’s…”
“I’ll take it. How much?”
“Nothing. It’s on the house, so to speak.”
Jordan stared at her as if for the life of him he couldn’t figure her out. “I have to pay you something.”
Was this guy for real? Maybe he didn’t understand. Maybe she needed to spell it out for him. She leaned across the desk and said, “No, really. You don’t owe me a dime.” She heard Manny talking to Al just outside Buck’s office. She lowered her voice even more. “For anything. Do you understand?”
With his swollen eye, it was difficult to read his expression. She certainly didn’t expect him to say, “Come for dinner then.”
What was Michaels’ deal? Why wasn’t he yelling? Why on earth was he inviting her to dinner? “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” Jordan stood and rounded the desk where he nudged her chair toward him with his boot.
“Because,” she started slowly, confused, “of what happened.”
“You worried you can’t control yourself around me?” The words were playful, but his expression was dark. Dangerous. Particularly with the black eye.
Confusion be damned. He was challenging her and she was never one to back down from a challenge. Even if it wasn’t exactly in her best interest. Particularly when it wasn’t in her best interest. She pushed herself up, standing toe to toe, eye to…well…eye to collarbone with City-boy and tilted her head way up and said, “Oh, I can control myself.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Try me.”
“Fine, come for dinner tonight.”
“Can’t.”
Jordan’s smile said, I told you so, which just got Sass riled. With a hand on her hip and her toe tapping to her inner turmoil, Sass said, “I’m free Wednesday.”
“Wednesday it is.” Then Jordan swooped down as if he were about to kiss her. Sass backed up so quickly she bruised her thigh on the corner of Buck’s desk.
“I’ll get the keys.” Sass strode from the office knowing full well Jordan was watching her every move. Damn him!
Why couldn’t she say no to this man? She grabbed a set of keys from the pegboard, took the cabin key off her key ring, and attached the two together. She turned to find Jordan standing only a few feet behind her so she tossed him the keys. “Come on. Follow me.”
She led him to the back lot where some cars were waiting to be serviced. She pointed to the beat up Camaro and asked, “Do you remember the way to the cabin?”
“I think so.”
“Okay, well…”
Just then Carlos walked out of the shop into the bright morning light and approached the two of them like a gunslinger ready to draw.
“Hey, man,” Jordan called, wary.
“Bro.”
Sass did a quick evaluation of the situation. Despite the warm sunny day, it was as if a thick fog hung above the three of them. Maybe Carlos was right. Maybe she really didn’t understand men. But it wasn’t like women were any more transparent. So what did that make her? An entity unto herself? Caught somewhere between no-man’s and no-woman’s land?
“Did Sass tell you?” Carlos angled his head in her direction.
“Tell me what?”
“She doesn’t want me to do the repairs.”
Jordan turned a confused glance her way. “Why not?”
“Well, you two were fighting last night and the truth is—”
“No.” Jordan shook his head. “I need Carlos to do the work. Okay?”
With a tight smile, she let out a quiet, “Fine.”
Jordan lifted his chin at Carlos. “Good.”
“Okay, so…Thanks for stopping by and we’ll see you around.” If Sass could have pushed Jordan into the Camaro, she would have.
He looked from her to Carlos and back again. “Okay. I’ll see you later.” He pulled on the door of the Camaro and the hinges groaned in protest.
“Needs lubricant,” she muttered.
“Don’t worry about it.” Jordan got in the car. He started her up and then rolled down the window. “We’ll see you.”
Once the car was out of the parking lot, Sass took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She turned to Carlos, who was assessing her with narrowed eyes. “What?”
“You’re into him.”
“No I’m not.” Sass couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Yeah, you are. Be careful, Sass. You don’t have the best track record when it comes to men.”
“You should know,” she said, chin raised in anger.
“I do. I remember how you were after Dex.”
“Shut up, Carlos.”
“How you came crawling to me, needing affection.”
Sass
staggered back as if he’d clocked her in the gut with a sledgehammer. “That’s a lie,” she whispered.
“You were so sad.”
“Go to hell!” She started walking back to the shop, hoping Carlos didn’t see the moisture pooling in her eyes.
Before she got far, he called, “Poor Sass.”
She stopped. Took a deep breath and called over her shoulder, “By the way, we’ll let Jordan think you’re fixing his car, but you’re not going to touch it. It’s mine.”
Chapter Nine
After packing up his stuff and checking out of the Inn, Jordan headed out of town toward the reservoir. He was grateful to leave the Greenwood Inn behind. The place was depressing, the mattress uncomfortable, and the walls paper thin. Not to mention, it wasn’t in the least bit inspiring. He hadn’t opened his sketchbook in the three days he’d been there. The cabin would be so much better, even though the idea of staying there made him feel incredibly guilty. He was about to ruin Buck Hogan’s business by scooping his best body mechanic, he’d slept with Buck’s daughter, and now he was staying at the family cabin.
Yep, he was a first-class jerk.
But was it his fault everything was working out so perfectly? Even Sass’s questions about the police had been easy to avoid. Of course, there was no way he could go to the police. Although he was insured to drive the Fastback, it was registered to Carlyle’s. The police would find out and then Hogan’s would find out. The questions would start and Jordan’s plan would fail. One more fuckup to add to his long list. He couldn’t have that.
So, when he saw Sass today, he’d been concentrating so hard on his made-up explanation for why he didn’t want to involve the police, that Sass’s sudden offer to loan him a car and let him stay at the cabin took him completely by surprise. Why the hell would she do that? It was the element of surprise that was responsible for his later actions, too. After last night, he’d sworn he would stay away from Sass Hogan. She was bad for him in every way. Every way. Spending more time with her would be a completely stupid, idiotic move. One that would only prove his brothers were right about him.
Mustang Sassy Page 9
