Dirtiest Little Secret

My bed was way too lonely last night.

Mine too, she admitted. How’s Becky Rae working out this morning?

She cringed a little as she waited for his reply. After training Becky Rae, Ava had seen some real problem spots.

Yeah…that… he wrote.

A little eccentric, right?

No kidding. Her nails are so long, she uses a pencil to type—one letter at a time.

Ava had seen those problems coming, even though Becky Rae assured her she could do everything necessary with her crazy clawlike nails.

And she won’t cross the threshold between the office and the garage, Isaac continued. When I get a phone call, she opens the door and yells at me. I’m usually elbows-deep in an engine and covered in grease. When I ask her to bring me the phone, she says she’s not stepping foot in my filthy garage in her Manolos.

Ava winced.

Isaac texted: How can she afford Manolos?

Ava smirked and returned: I’m surprised you even know what Manolos are.

I’ll have a talk with her before she leaves tonight. I’ll give her a few more days before I go it alone again.

If she doesn’t work out, Ava wrote, why don’t you step up the position to an office manager? You can hire someone who can do your books, promote your business, work on sales, order parts, really organize you so you can focus on the repairs and the one-on-one customer service. You can pay more because you’ll be getting more out of them, and better candidates will apply.

Good idea. Maybe we should talk it through over dinner, he wrote.

I thought you were too busy to do anything as frivolous as dinner.

Time with you is never frivolous.

“Man, oh man,” she murmured. “Where have you been all my life?”

I’d love to, she texted, but let me see how the rest of my day goes before I say yes.

Fair enough, he responded. Don’t picture me checking my phone every five minutes. And I’ll take this opportunity to counter your “no” with how about this weekend at my house?

She laughed and returned a smiley emoji with hearts for eyes. Ava really wanted to see this little country house he’d told her about, his preferred residence when a busy workload wasn’t forcing him to stay above the shop.

She’d enjoyed her forty-eight hours with him last weekend. Enjoyed waking up to him. She’d even had fun training Becky Rae while he worked in the garage and talked with customers and friends who’d come by.

Making love all night and lazing around all day had never been her style, but she’d never been with a man like this before either. One who made her feel not just wanted but cherished. Even though she wanted more of it, she knew giving in to the desire wouldn’t be a smart move. Not now, so soon after Matthew. Not with her increased workload and her strained family relationships.

After her father retired—if she and Isaac were still interested in each other—then she could consider spending more time with him. Getting to know each other better. See if they could keep their heads above water in the turbulence of a relationship.

Her desk phone gave a quick chirp, signaling an incoming call. She muted the conference call so she didn’t interrupt, then reached for the receiver and found her father’s extension on the screen. Frustration raced to the forefront. He’d been such a dick since she’d fired Matthew.

“Yes, Dad,” she answered.

“Can I see you in my office?”

His summonses always made her feel like she’d been sent to the principal’s office. “I’m on the conference call with—”

“This is important.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Be right there.”

In her father’s office, Ava found him in his desk chair facing the windows that looked out over Manhattan. She pushed the glass door open and let it swing closed behind her. “Dad.”