“—the better,” I finish, since we’ve been down this path before. “Fuck off.”
He chuckles again. “You’ll have to give up fast cars if you’re gonna be a dad.”
“Way ahead of you, man.” He might not believe me, but I don’t turbocharge engines for myself. “Bought a Subaru wagon at auction last month. I’m working on turning it into the ultimate family car.”
“Huh. Maybe we could repurpose it for this project.”
“Nope.”
He chuckles. “Worth a try. Who’d you knock up, anyway?”
Dammit. I promised not to tell anyone who knows Hazel.
“Wait.” He spits a few curse words under his breath. “Is she related to me?”
Double damn.
I’m saved when my phone dings to signal an incoming text. Pulling the phone from my ear, I read Hazel’s name and her message.
Sorry to bother you, but I need help with something. Are you free?
Clearing my throat, I put the phone back to my ear. “I’m getting a text from her now. Gotta go.”
“Son of a bitch,” he mutters. “No one else can soup up an engine like you can. Not even the pros at Spencer-King Auto.”
The flattery gets me a little. “How much does the car job pay?”
He pauses again, then throws out a number that boggles my mind.
“Christ,” I mutter. “You swear to God this isn’t illegal?”
“Would you believe me if I did?”
Fair point. “You swear it won’t bite me in the ass?”
“That I can do.”
“Fine.” I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I? “Send me the specs and I’ll consider it. Deadlines, details, everything.”
“On it.” There’s some tapping and clicking. “Let me know by Monday. And Luke?”
Dread rolls through my gut. “Yeah?”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you dodging my question.”
“What question?” I know damn well what he means.
“The one about who you knocked up.”
“You’re breaking up, buddy.” I make a staticky sound in the back of my throat. “What’s that? Did you say something?”
“Fuck off.”
Chuckling, I stop with the noises. “You have a sunshiny day, too.”
He growls as I hang up the call. I’m already tapping the key to call Hazel, not willing to leave this to text.
She answers on the first ring, sounding frantic. “Luke, I’m so sorry to bother you.”
