Their Blue-Collar Girl (The American Soldier Collection 4)

“I’m just walking Lori out to her car.”

“All right, hurry up then. I need you.”

“You can go, Gus. We’ll walk her out,” Charlie said and Lori swung her head around toward them.

“Is that all right with you, Lori?” Carl asked, sounding a little annoyed.

“Yes, that’s fine,” she said as she started to walk away.

“I don’t need bodyguards you know.” It was more of a statement than a question. Charlie and his brothers took position around her.

“I didn’t say I was your bodyguard,” Charlie stated.

“My car is way over there, you don’t have to…”

“I’m already walking with you, kid, let’s just leave it at that.”

“Fine!”

“Fine!” Charlie responded as they made their way across the parking lot.

Charlie could see the beat-up vehicle that Lori called her car.

“Are you still having problems with that muffler?” Dante asked.

“It’s just loud that’s all.”

“Maybe to you but to everyone else in the neighborhood it lets us know when you’re coming and going,” Charlie added with an attitude back at her.

Lori turned toward Charlie, surprised that no one mentioned this before.

“I’m so sorry! I had no idea. I’ll bring it somewhere tomorrow,” she blurted out and Charlie realized he made her feel bad.

He took her hand to stop her from opening up the driver side door.

“Lori, I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s all right, really.”

Lori pulled away from him with her head down mumbling about how she would pay to get the car fixed. The money she made from tips tonight would have to pay for it.

“I guess I’ll have to rearrange a little. I could probably work something out with Calvin. I just met him the other night at the bar. I think he said he was a mechanic…where the heck did he say he worked?” She was talking to herself when Charlie turned her toward him by her shoulders.

“Lori, it’s all right. That’s what I was going to tell you. I can fix it for you. I know a lot about cars and trucks. It’s a hobby of mine. I’ll take care of it.”

“You don’t have to do that, Charlie. I’ll come up with the money.”

“Let him do it. He likes working on cars,” Dante added as he leaned against her car.

“It relaxes him,” Trevor said.

Charlie gently touched her face with his hand and Lori froze.

He smiled then laughed a little under his breath. She hoped that she looked attractive when she was worried. She felt so self-conscious around these men. He put his hand around her waist, pulling her toward him.

She didn’t say a word. She just waited for Charlie’s next move as his other hand softly touched her hair giving it a gentle yank.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“I’ll pay you.”