“Yeah, I get it. How’s she doing?” Braxton is still between my thighs, my arms hanging loosely over his shoulders, and finally his hands are holding me.
“Today is better, but she keeps having complications with fluid collecting. Sometimes it’s something they can deal with at home, but for the most part, her heart rate drops when it happens, so Dad has to take her in.”
“Fuck.” Braxton doesn’t say anything else. I’m grateful he’s not giving me the obligatory I’m sorry like so many other people have around town. Instead, he pulls me in closer to his body, neither of us worrying about the grease that could stain my clothes. I need this more than anything right now. It was hard being away and finishing out my bachelor’s in business degree. My parents wouldn’t hear of me coming home early, and in the end, I’m glad because I probably would have never finished. I will say living at home again is not easy, and I’m already looking at apartments to rent. There’s no way in hell I want to live there permanently. Bridger’s offer of living in his pool house is appealing, but he’s worse than Dad when it comes to being overprotective.
“Stay in here. I’ll pull your car into the garage bay and look at it. If it’s too bad, you can take my truck, and I’ll drive the Bronco.” I’m actually shocked. My mouth is wide open. It’s written all over my face.
“Are you feeling okay? No one drives your truck, and you don’t drive the Bronco unless it’s something special. Even I know that,” I say, astonished.
“Not letting you drive on bald tires either.”
“You’re not worried about what people could say, since, you know, this is all hush-hush?” I question.
“Nope, you tell them the reason why, they won’t question dick. You know that. Sit tight. I’m going to go see the damage you caused.” I roll my eyes before jumping off the desk.
“Whatever.” Braxton kisses me one last time, this one showing the depth of his meaning. It’s soft, and it’s enough to make me want to hold on to him for the rest of the day. Knowing he needs to work, I peel myself away from him. That doesn’t stop me from enjoying the view as he walks out the door towards the shop area. I spin around and take in the sight of his office. It’s a freaking mess, and if I’m going to be in here for a couple of hours, I may as well clean this place up.FourBraxtonI can’t fucking believe it. Walking out to Rowen’s car with her taste still lingering on my lips, that tattoo, it had me crumbling, knowing she got it to remind herself of the feather charm on the necklace I gave her on that fateful night. I pull her car into the bay that isn’t occupied knowing damn good and well it’ll be getting the works. Bridger must be getting it every which way between Kellie, his mom, and his sisters. He’s a good brother, but it doesn’t make it an easy pill to swallow that Rowen could be driving on bad tires, and if it’s vibrating like she says it is, it’s clearly got something else going on with it too.
Her car, if you can even call it that—I can’t believe I’m sitting inside this rattle can of a car—this tiny two-door coupé passes as her car. Pulling the lever until I’m practically sitting in the backseat is the only way it’ll fit my six-foot-two-inch frame. There’s no way she’ll be driving this come the first snowfall. I’ll have to make sure the Bronco is finished so she can take the truck. By then, I’m hoping this shit is a thing of the past, and the ‘dirty little secret’ Rowen threw, those being her words, will be down and the dust will be settled. Even if it is my own idea, it still sucks. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to take my time to get to know Rowen more, to see how we do in a relationship compared to the off-limits bullshit Bridger put on me when he saw me looking at her more than once.
Once her car is in the bay, I get out, placing the four lifts underneath before hitting the motor to lift it up so I won’t be breaking my back while looking at her tires. This life isn’t for the faint of heart, and when old man Red was ready to sell, I jumped at the chance after working my ass off with him for years before. That doesn’t mean I’ll see retirement anywhere near in my future, or sitting plush in the cash. I’m a simple man who enjoys a simple way of living, including the modest home I purchased last year. It’s a simple three-bedroom, two bath. It does the job and is big enough to qualify at the very least as a good starter home.