He nods, glancing up at me with serious, black eyes. “You going to hire somebody else?”
My brow furrows, and it only takes me a moment to decide. “Nope. The job’s yours if I can keep you busy.”
He nods. “I work cheap.”
“I’ll remember that.” He extends his hand, and I catch it, giving him a firm shake. “It’s a deal. Next week.”
He walks away, hands shoved in the front pockets of his jeans. A heavy silver chain dances in a loop from his belt to what I guess is his wallet in the back pocket. It was never my look, but it’s pretty classic grease monkey. I wince at the memory. Danny had nicknames for everybody.
Clearing the sudden thickness from my throat, I walk to the overhead door and pull it open. If they all know I’m back and open for business, no use hiding it. I confess, I’m curious to see who all’s got their eye on this place.
It doesn’t take long to find out.
Chapter 9
Drew
I pull dark shades over my eyes before running out to meet Ruby. The only things that got me out of bed this morning were making sure my dad ate some pancakes for breakfast and my patients.
I lost track of how long I cried last night. Seeing Gray after waiting so long, feeling how distant and guarded he was, had been worse than when he was only a ghost. Now it’s like the hole in my chest has been stuffed full of shards of glass.
“Nice look, Jackie O,” Ruby quips as I climb in the car. “I thought about it all night. What I need is one of those insanely rich Asian men to come and sweep me away to his mansion in Singapore on his extravagantly lush jet airline.”
“I think you mean crazy rich.” Thank God my voice doesn’t sound as fragile as I feel. Maybe I will survive this day.
Ruby’s voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. “I thought we didn’t like that word.”
“What? Crazy?” I shake my head, flipping down the visor to check my face. Less puffy than an hour ago. “Just don’t use it when you’re talking about patients.”
We’re just entering town, K-pop playing on the radio, when my broken glass-filled chest squeezes tighter. We’re getting close to—
“Holy shit!” Ruby lunges forward in her seat, craning her neck so much, I reach for the steering wheel.
“Careful!”
“Is that… Mack’s garage is open!” she stage-whispers.
I guess that answers my question. He didn’t say he’d open the garage, but he didn’t say much of anything.
My quiet reaction gives me away.
“You knew!” Ruby cries, whipping her head back to me. “How long have you known? What have you not told me?”
“I didn’t know the garage was open.”
“But you knew he was back in town.” She’s studying my face hard. “Take off those sunglasses and prove me wrong.”
“I have nothing to prove.” I take off my sunglasses, and her face goes from triumphant to sad. It irritates me. “Don’t look at me that way. I hate it.”
“You know, anger is a common defense against depression.”
“Oh, now you know so much about psychoanalytical theory?”
“Need me to cover your appointments today?”
“No.” I have to pack these feelings down into a tight little ball and put them away and do my job.
I can’t believe I just thought that.