She chuckles. “No, I just know my kids.”
Sliding onto one of the barstools, I ask, “So, did you miss me?”
“Were you gone?” She jokes.
I reach over the bar to boop her on the nose. “Why does Mommy hurt me? Admit it. You missed your favorite child.”
“Favorite is a bit of a stretch. Top five for sure.”
“Mom, you only have five kids.”
She smirks. “I know.”
“Well, despite your hurtful words, I missed you.”
She stops looking at the receipts and looks at me instead. “I missed you too, kid.”
Our mother has never been the most overly-affectionate one. She is like a pit-bull you’d get to protect your junkyard. She would go up against anyone to defend the ones she loves.
“So, where’s Dad?” I ask.
“At the dentist,” she replies. “What are your plans for the day?”
“I need to go to the store, and I might take a nap. Then, who knows?”
“You’re coming for family dinner tonight.”
She doesn’t ask it like a question but rather states it like it’s pure fact. I could argue, but I know better. The only way out of family dinner is loss of limb, and even then, it would depend on the limb.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll be there.”
“Don’t be late.” She points her finger at me. “Now, get out of here. Go be productive.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
We say our goodbyes, and I head out. My plan was to go to the store, but I think I’ll go take my nap first. Lord knows I’m going to need my rest to deal with my family tonight.
Chapter seven
Consider Yourself Lucky
Beau
Ilove my job. When I was a kid, I never thought I would say that about being a mechanic, but now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
I left Lilly Leaf Falls to go to college for computer science. When I was almost done with my degree, I decided to take some time off due to the death of my dad and brother. I started working at the auto shop for some extra money and fell in lovewith it. I never did go back to college, but I managed to finish my degree online.
And I don’t use it at all for my job.
Maybe it’s the nerd in me, but I love figuring out what’s wrong with a car. The whole thing is like a puzzle that I have to solve. Every vehicle is different with its own set of problems, so every day is different than the last.
Today, I’ve got my head under the hood of a Ford Bronco, trying to figure out why it’s making a strange ticking sound.
I work straight through the morning, not thinking about anything but the job at hand. I don’t think about Christie or the sex we had last night. I don’t think about my mom giving me shit for hanging out with Christie. I don’t think about how much I miss my dad and brother around this time of year. All I think about is the job at hand. I don’t stop for a break until it’s time for lunch.
As I’m sitting in the break room, my boss, Jack, comes walking in with his brother-in-law, Dylan. I’ve known Dyl for years, and I consider him a good friend. They both say hi before grabbing their lunches and taking a seat.
“How are you doing?” Jack asks.
