Then he clears his throat and looks away as if he’sashamed of how gentle he just was. “Go home, Sally.”
“Okay,” I say, smiling.
He watches until I’m buckled into my Jeep. His gaze stays on my car until the road curves, and he disappears.
And even then, I can still feel it. Low in my belly. Hot as a spark.
This isn’t just about a car anymore.
Not even close.
Chapter 5
Nolan
I tell myself I’m not checking my phone. I tell myself I’m not waiting for the video to go live. That I’m just looking over the Mustang’s paperwork like a responsible adult who doesn’t let some wide-eyed woman crawl under his skin.
All lies.
I’m sitting on the stool in the office at Clover Canyon Autos, late as hell, staring at the dark rectangle of my phone screen like it owes me answers.
The stall lights are still buzzing above the Mustang. She’s sleeping. Sally’s Jeep taillights vanished into the woods nearly an hour ago, but somehow her presence still echoes through the place, lingering like her scent, vanilla and wildflowers.
A scent that shouldn’t be driving me this crazy.
I rub the back of my neck hard. This is stupid. I should clock out. Go home. Sleep.
Instead, my thumb wakes the phone. No new texts. Not that I expected any. Not that I wanted any.
A small icon flashes at the top:New upload from Mustang Sally.
My pulse kicks. It’s just a video. A clip. Footage. Nothing important.
I open it anyway.
Her bright, nervous voice fills the office speakers, a little breathless in a way that punches me right in the ribs.
“Attempt number one at reviving Grandpa’s car did not go well… but that’s okay because I met the mechanic who’s apparently a night owl like me!”
I glare at the screen.I am not a night owl.I just… prefer nights. Less noise. Fewer people. Less chance of anyone noticing you exist.
The video cuts to a shot of her smiling at the camera, eyes sparkling even though she’s clearly exhausted.
“We’re going to get this beautiful beast running again. One bolt at a time.”
And there I am, out of focus in the background, lifting the hood like I’m some TV-ready grease god. The comments pile up alarmingly fast:
GarageDaddy99: who is the mechanic tho???
crank&spank: tell that man I’d let him check MY oil
TorqueMeTender: NIGHT SHIFT MECHANIC SUPREMACY
Sally_stan: he looks GRUMPY. I love him
I choke on air. Oh no. Oh no no no.
I didn’t sign up for this. I’m private. Quiet. The guy in the background who fixes what’s broken and goes home.
