Miss Mechanic

“Yeah, all right.” He headed for the door. “Next time he calls, I might just let you drive the tow truck.”

Ahh, Mr. Daniels and his difficult personality.

Breaking Dexter Ryne down, one dead battery at a time.

***

Haley stopped, her fry halfway to her mouth. “Seriously? He refused to accept Dex’s summary of the situation until he heard you confirm it?”

I nodded.

“Actually, I’m not surprised at all. The old coot was cussing up a storm when the called the office today to cancel his appointment. I could practically feel the steam coming off him down the phoneline.”

I winced. Between all Dex’s grumbles and Mr. Daniels’ louder grumbles, I’d totally forgotten that my best friend was the receptionist at the only doctors surgery in town.

“Ouch. I bet that was fun.”

“Oh, it was. I was subjected to ten minutes of complaining about that “damn little shit in the garage” and I knew for a start he wasn’t talking about you.”

I paused. “He’s not far off in his summary of Dex, to be honest.”

“Is he still being a pain in the ass?”

“Still? It’s only been one day, Hales. I have another twenty days of his shit. He balked when I said I’d drive the tow truck.”

“What is his issue?”

I cupped my boobs, lifted them, then released.

She looked at my chest. “He likes your boobs?”

“I have boobs. You know that.”

“Actually, I’m starting to think he’s just a dick.”

Well, that, too.

I inclined my head in her direction in agreement and picked up my glass of Coke. Sipping through the straw, I cast my gaze away from her and over the rapidly increasing dinner crowd moving into Sherry’s Diner.

A staple restaurant in Rivendell, North Carolina, most of the residents here visited it at least once a week. Breakfast, lunch, dinner—it didn’t matter. Sherry’s was the place to go for gossip or news and everything else in between.

I just came for the burgers.

A low whistle left Haley’s parted lips. “Who is that?”

I swung my head around, glancing at her to see where she was looking so I could follow her line of sight. She was looking at door.

At the guy who was standing in it, looking around at the people who filled the recently-refurbished diner.

“Oh no.” The groan escaped me before I could stop it. “I have to hide.”

Haley blinked at me, then looked back at Dex. “Oh, shit. Is that—?”

“Dex? Yep.”

She tilted her head to the side. “He doesn’t look like a mechanic.”

“Is there a way we’re supposed to look?”

“I expected him to be dirty. You know. Oily and shit.”

I just barely resisted rolling my eyes. “He was when I left two hours ago.”

Haley jolted her head, facing me with her eyes wide. “I think he saw you. He’s coming this way.”

I glanced over my shoulder. Shit. She was right. “Thanks. He probably felt your beady little eyes undressing him.”

She shrugged a shoulder with a half-grin on her face. “As long as he keeps his mouth shut…”

I kicked her under the table seconds before a shadow fell over it and us. “Are you following me?” I asked, turning to face him.

Dex laughed and held up his hands. “Sure. I’ve been following you for the past two hours, yet somehow managed to go home, shower, and get a take-out order for my entire family.”

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” His eyes twinkled, then he turned his attention to Haley. “We haven’t met. Dex Ryne.”

Haley took his outstretched hand, a girlish smile lighting up her face.

Sweet baby Jesus in a chicken coop.

“Haley Allen. A pleasure.”

Barf.

“It’s all mine.”

Double barf.

“I’m about to order food. Can I get you ladies anything?” He glanced between us.

“We’re good,” I said tightly. “Thank you.”

Dex’s lips twitched, and he raised a hand as he headed to join the line.

Haley stared after him.

I snapped my fingers in front of her face. “Earth to Haley.”

“Man, that’s a great ass,” she said lazily, turning back to face him. “Have you seen that ass?”

Of course, I jerked my head around and got an eyeful of the way his bleach-wash jeans hugged what was, obviously, a very peachy backside.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” I muttered, focusing back on her and jabbing a fry in my ketchup. “Why were you so nice to him?”

“He’s pretty,” she replied with a straight face. “Like I said… As long as he doesn’t talk…”

I rolled my eyes. “I need the bathroom before I vomit on my dinner.”

I got up, leaving her laughing to herself at the table.

Chapter Six – Dex

I smirked when I glanced over and saw Jamie throwing a napkin on the table. She slid out of her booth, her shorts riding up her thighs and almost giving a peek at the curve of her ass cheeks as she straightened up.

She stormed off, leaving Haley laughing, and disappeared around the corner.

I looked away before Haley caught my eye. The last thing I wanted was her to think I was trying to get her attention when I’d just been eying up Jamie’s ass.