She gives me another quick squeeze and pulls away. With a single nod to my brothers, who seem a little shellshocked, I make for the front door, but pause on the threshold.
Scott’s got the hood of his Jeep propped open, a look of pure determination on his handsome face. Give him a little smudge of grease on his brow and a dirty handkerchief for his hands, and he’d make the perfect ad to sell a car.
Yep, I’m definitely making the right decision.
“Car troubles, handsome?” I ask as I sidle up next to him.
“Forgot about the fucking battery, but as long as you’re good coming back for yours, we should be all set.”
“Whatever gets me out of here.”
The snow’s melted enough to free the tires, and no one’s parked behind him. One crank on the ignition and the car starts right up. The engine’s rumble is music to my ears.
We slow around the final bend of the driveway and pull onto the plowed county road. The tick of snow tires breaks through the melody of Christmas tunes on the radio. I slept like the dead—funnily enough—last night. Though, it must not have been sufficient, because my eyes start to drift closed when a warm hand lands on my thigh, jolting them open.
“Oh, I don’t think so, baby. We’ve got hours between us and my place, and I think it’s time you start paying for that bratty little mouth of yours.”
A flannel blanket lands in my lap a second later.
“Pants off, Ava. It’s time I had a little fun.”
