Watching Gage go about his business tinkering away with a certain level of concentration on his face, she marvels that perhaps she admires Gage for this aspect of him. He’s willing to get his hands dirty, to put the time in. To do the nitty gritty physical labor that many others prefer to ‘pay the help’ to do.
Well, Daddy,she finds herself thinking as she watches him get himself situated.He might not live up to all your standards, but he is a very capable man. I’d never catch you doing this.
“You don’t have to babysit me,” he grunts out as he slides under the car with a wrench, placing the drain pan. He’s givingher an out, a way to avoid him, but she finds herself unwilling to leave.
“It’s a nice day out,” Minnie replies, pulling out a lawn chair from her garage. “I don’t mind.” Seeing as he has his Bluetooth speaker, Minnie sinks into her seat and quips, “You can play that Zombie song of yours. The one I kind of like.”
Gage makes a noise torn between a snort and a chuckle, sliding himself out from under the vehicle. “Rob Zombie?”
Minnie dances around in her seat, sing-songing, “Dig through the ditches and burn-”
“…through the witches,” he finishes for her, hooking up the song in question, keeping it low enough that it won’t bother the neighbors. With his rock tunes on, he goes straight back to work.
It’s an interesting process that she’s never seen before. He works on cars effortlessly, and she’s impressed by his knowledge in this department. “What’s that thing?”
“The old oil filter. Got you a new one.” He pulls himself out from under the car and goes to the hood with a funnel. His eyes are keen as he works, his hands dirty with grease. Her eyes catch on his hands, marveling at the strength in them.
She remembers in great detail how they feel on her body.
A thought occurs to Minnie. “Why don’t you start your own mechanic shop? You’re good at this. You could make good money being in business for yourself. Plus, you get to work your own hours.” Her father had wanted her to go the route of business, but despite her degree, Minnie had never had the confidence to pursue it. “The nearest mechanic is like twenty-five minutes away; having someone in a closer vicinity would be popular in town.”
“I don’t know how to start a business.” Gage starts pouring the new oil into the funnel. His dark eyes dart over to where she’s lounging. “Sounds rough.”
“It can be. But remember my useless degree? It’s only useless because I decided to be a librarian.” Minnie thinks through different angles, knowing what she knows about entrepreneurship. “You might need a small business loan to get started, which can help get a place to set up shop. There are a few foreclosures around town that could probably be caught cheap.”
He smiles at her, flashing pale teeth. Her insides are butterflies. “That’s why you’re the brains of this operation.”
He finishes with the oil change in short order, stowing the old oil to prepare for disposal. He takes his time checking the pressure of all her tires, telling her that he’s going to have to get her one of those small devices that can also fill the tire to the perfect pressure with a few clicks. “The new handheld ones are perfect for you,” Gage says.
“Why would I need one when I have you?” It slips out of her mouth before she can take it back. They both stare at each other, the ocean between them silent.
For a moment, his hazel eyes pierce her with a feeling so intense that the air leaves her lungs. She’s drowning under his stare, and Minnie doesn’t know how to make it stop. Gage looks away sharply, biting his tongue, hiding whatever came to mind.
When he begins putting away his tools with care, Minnie chokes out, “What do I owe you?”
Startled, Gage looks up at her as if she’s said something wild. He takes a second to attempt wiping his hands off on a rag as he comes towards her, his frame blocking out the sun. Swiftly, he hunkers down to a crouch, his large hands settling on her knees as he meets her eye to eye. “Minnie, I’ll give you free oil changes for the rest of your life if you want them.”
Oh.
There’s probably a woman out there somewhere dying to hear a man say that to her.
Seeing the way he’s looking at her, eyes all dark with wide pupils, Minnie feels her breath catch. A cherry of hunger grows in her stomach, growing brighter. “Gage…”
Why does he do this to me?
“Sorry. I miss you,” he utters softly, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek. He seems to relax when she doesn’t flinch away. “Please, don’t shut me out, Minnie.” The smell of grease is still strong on him, and it triggers a sensation of flightiness that Minnie doesn’t understand.
She doesn’t know what else she can do. Shutting him out keeps her safe from hurt, but brings a different type of emotional pain. She wishes she didn’t love him, but shedoes.
“I still need time to think about things,” she tells him, looking away, pained. “I don’t know how to feel. I don’t know what to think.”
“I’m happy to give you time to process this,” Gage tells her, a hint of hope flickering across his hard features. “I just-”
“What if I can’t get over it?” Minnie interrupts him with her greatest fear, the one that’s been haunting her every night. “What if I can never see you as you arenow? What if all I see is the mask? What if all I ever see is who you werethen?”
Maneuvering herself, Minnie stands up, looking down at him. She wants to run and run and run until her feet won’t carry her anymore.
Gage looks as though someone punched him in the gut.
