I glance over as I turn the corner and see her wince. She was adorably hammered when I picked her up last night, and the sex was fuckingfun. By the time we lay down to go to sleep, she was mostly sober, exhausted, and it was well past midnight.
“A little hung over, but I’ve had worse. Wait, no, I haven’t.”
I snort at that, and she smiles.
“I took something, and I’ll hydrate all day. It’s fine.”
Bringing her hand up to my lips, I press kisses over her knuckles. “I’m just glad you had fun.”
“I did.” She’s looking at her phone, and her hand tenses in mine. “Well, fuck.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Sheemailed me. Again. This is the sixth time this week.”
“We have an appointment with Chad next week,” I remind her, and she nods, nibbling her lower lip. “Ignore her, and we’ll figure it out.”
“She’s going crazy because I changed my number,” she murmurs as she closes out of the email. “And frankly, I don’t care.”
“Good girl.” I pull up to her restaurant, and before she can climb out of the truck, I lean over, cup her chin, and brush my lips over hers. “Drink lots of water.”
“Yes, sir.”
My cock fucking twitches.
“I love your smart mouth.” I bite that lower lip, making her grin, and then she’s off. She waves at me before unlocking her front door, and once I see that she’s safely inside, turning on lights, I pull away and drive down to the garage.
Gabe’s already here, which isn’t unusual. He prefers to work earlier in the day so he can get home earlier with his family. These hours work for me, too. I don’t care if he comes here in the middle of the night, as long as the work gets done.
Mitch pulls in just as I do and looks like his grumpy-ass self.
“My wife isn’t feeling well today.” He shakes his head. “So if she calls and needs me?—”
“You’ll go home to her.” I clap him on the shoulder. “It’s no problem, Mitch.”
“I’m sick of her being sick.” He sighs. “Forhersake. It’s horrible watching her … well, it’s horrible. I’d gladly switch places with her.”
I can’t even imagine.Mitch’s wife was diagnosed about six months ago with breast cancer and has been fighting her waythrough treatment. The prognosis is good, but getting well is a battle that I don’t wish on anyone.
“If she needs you, just go home, buddy. Gabe and I can handle this.”
“What am I, chopped liver?”
I glance over in surprise as Jake Wild saunters in, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, a smug smirk on his face.
“I’m here for a few days, thought I’d come in and log some hours, if you need the help.”
“I think wealwaysneed the help,” Gabe calls out from under the hood of a Chevy.
“You’re not between semesters, are you?” Jake goes to college in Bozeman.
“I wish. No, just didn’t have classes for a few days this week, thought I’d come home. Get some decent food, see the horses, tinker in an engine.”
“Tinker away, kid.” I laugh and nudge his shoulder with mine. Jake’s a tall guy. “How’s the girlfriend?”
“Fucking gorgeous, man.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Now, what do you need me to do?”
The morning moves fairly smoothly. Not many interruptions, the music’s playing, the guys and I are quiet, doing our own thing.
