"I love you, Gorgeous. That’s never going to change."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
DARLA
Darla still hadto catch up with Tanner, and Mach agreed to tag along since they weren’t going to be spending much time apart for at least the immediate future.
Her hand was tucked in Mach’s as they walked through the parking lot at Brothers’ Garage. The parking lot was vast and tucked behind a chain link fence with wire at the top. The asphalt was filled with an eclectic mix of vehicles in various stages of repair, everything from vintage Mustangs to newer Toyotas all lining the parking spaces of the lot.
"How did you even get in?" Darla asked, swinging their hands together. "There’s loads of security at the ER and they don’t let anyone just walk through."
"A little magic from Hans and a whole lot of help from your friends," he said, staring at her like he couldn’t believe she was there with him. "Patrice and Renata were extremely helpful."
She owed them, then, didn’t she?
He showed her the way to the back garage and through large metal doors marked asEmployees Only.
"It’s cool, I work here sometimes." Mach grinned another of his sly smiles that she’d missed so much.
The smell of gasoline and oil permeated the air in the open garage. Tanner was there talking to another guy—older, clearly a mechanic based on the overalls and the dirt in the creases of his hands. His name tag patch read,Dan. They both stared up at a car on a hydraulic lift, pointing at things she wouldn’t even try to understand.
Ask her about ventricular reticulation and she was all about it. But with cars? Duct tape and WD-40, always.
Car parts were strewn about under the vehicle they worked on, tools scattered around like forgotten toys. Everywhere there was evidence that multiple projects were underway here. Things being fixed. It felt a lot like the hospital, really.
"Tanner?" she said like a question.
He shifted his gaze to her and the smile he gave was brilliant. "Darl-ahhhh."
His expression lit up even more seeing her holding hands with Mach. Then he gave Mach a head nod that seemed to hold a whole lot more than the simple movement implied.
Dan came out from beneath the car, wiping his hands on a rag. This was Mach’s family and what they thought was suddenly important. That’s why her hands were shaky. But she had Mach, now, and that’s all the courage she needed.
"You’re Darla?" Dan asked, giving her a once-over like a parent deciding if a person was good enough for their kid. "I’m Dan."
Darla held her free hand to him. He shook it with a firm handshake she met squeeze for squeeze.
"I am." She bounced on her toes, sort of wishing she’d taken time to change out of her boxy scrubs. But, then, there wasn’t time.
"This is my dad." Tanner draped his arm around Dan. "Mach’s dad, too."
Mach nodded and something profound but unspoken passed between the three of them.
"He is," Mach said.
Dan got a little choked up at that declaration. He coughed to cover it up.
"I’m glad you came, Darla." Dan gestured to a cluster of three sofas all pushed together to make a U shape in the corner. Thin blue fabric covered the couches, with a stained beat-up coffee table between them. There were a couple of vending machines right near there, too.
"I just came to tell Tanner that things are fine," she said. "Well, before they were fine. Now they are excellent." She glanced up at Mach. Excellent, indeed.
"You want something to drink?" Dan asked.
"No. Thank you. I’m…uh…" She was what? Ready to go home and microwave a burrito? "Actually, yeah." She didn’t have anywhere to be but right there.
"You two worked shit out?" Tanner asked, tossing a Coke to Mach, and then cracking open one for himself.
Mach settled on one of the sofas and tucked Darla right beside him.
