A Tiara Under the Tree

Pressure built against his temples when he gnashed his teeth. Dominic resisted pinching the bridge of his nose. Alisha had been through a lot already. Reminding her she’d screwed up his business wasn’t going to help. Did she maliciously leave without making sure someone was in charge? No, Dominic answered himself.

“You started up Crowne’s Garage out on your ranch a year ago,” Alisha went on, defending herself. “I figured when you opened a garage in town, you were good with the banks and they just worked the light bill into your rent. How was I supposed to know?”

“Don’t worry,” Dominic said finally. “I’m sending you to school to learn.”

Dominic ignored the protesting whine from his sister, aware she hated school. Funny, considering that school had saved him from a life of misery like his father. In the last few conversations Dominic had with his father, John explained his fear of not being good enough for his family since he did not have an education.

“I hate school,” Alisha announced. “I’m not good at it like you.”

“You’ll learn to love it.” Dominic pushed away from the register and stormed off into his office to change into a work jumper. He didn’t have a lot of overalls in the shop—another thing messed up when he’d left Alisha in charge. She forgot his dry cleaning. Tomorrow he’d have to go to the cleaners and pick up his overdue items. Alisha was still sorting the mail when he came back through the garage. She rolled her eyes. Dominic expected the silent treatment for the next few days. No skin off his nose; Dominic welcomed the silence. He went back to work, stretching his six-foot-five-inch frame down on the rolling creeper.

And in his absence and with Alisha’s mistakes, Dominic lost his mechanics and additional staff. Dominic reminded himself to take responsibility for the demise of Crowne’s Garage. He never should have left Alisha in charge. Hell, it was a good thing he’d bought her condo flat out; otherwise she’d be out of a place and would have to move in with him at the ranch.

Dominic didn’t realize he’d been so engrossed until Alisha kicked the bottom of his work boot. “I know you can hear me.”

“I’m working, Alisha.”

As if to verify, Hamilton crawled underneath the old vehicle and sneezed, stirring up more dust and dirt. Dominic tried to move out of the way of the pig and ended up cutting a line, which leaked thick black liquid on the front of his coveralls.

“What are your plans with Waverly?” Alisha asked.

With a clamp, Dominic stopped the leak, but he’d still stained the material of his coveralls. Dominic maneuvered his shoulders to get out of the top portion. “What?”

“I need to be clear,” said Alisha. “I mean, if I run into her, I need to know what to say.”

“I don’t need you to help,” Dominic grunted. “I can manage all by myself to ask Waverly to help me look good in front of everyone.” The sneeze he’d been holding in blasted out, causing Dominic to hit his head on the pipe above him.

“Bless you.”

That did not sound like Alisha’s voice.

Using his feet to help roll him out from underneath the car, Dominic found himself staring up at Waverly’s equally shocked face.

* * *

The original bravado Waverly felt disappeared when Dominic

rolled out on the wheeler and stood up. A hard lump formed in her throat, causing her to lose focus and her words. Had Dominic’s muscles got bigger in his absence?

Dominic leaned against the hood of the car she’d seen Mr. Myers, the retired high school history teacher, drive around town on Sundays. A slow, cocky grin spread across his face. “You came.”

From where she stood in his garage, braced against the back of a maroon Toyota, Waverly cocked her head to the side and admired the pair of coveralls he wore. The front was opened and pushed down, exposing the white T-shirt that stretched across the taut muscles of his chest and gripped those giant biceps of his. Waverly licked her lips and dragged her eyes from his body.

“I was curious about what you needed to say to me.”

“I’m sorry,” Dominic breathed.

Waverly shrugged. “For what? You didn’t do anything.”

“I abandoned you.”

A lump formed in Waverly’s throat. “You were embarrassed. I understand.” She was ashamed of her actions. Dominic didn’t want to be around a woman with so much drama.

“Embarrassed?” Dominic choked. “For what?”

“My behavior at the hospital.”

“Your behavior?” He laughed. “You mean the way you went into full-on beast mode at that brat? You never looked sexier.”