“One more shot!” I cried out, running up to the bar where Rhonda was starting to clean up for the night.
“One more and then we are calling it quits.” Griffin sank down onto the barstool next to me.
“Don’t tell me you’re turning into a lightweight on me now, Griff,” I slurred, leaning into his side as he wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Nope, I just want to be able to get us back to your place safely and then find a motel to crash in for the night. It’s getting late.”
Rhonda poured two shots of chilled Jack for us. “I haven’t seen you smile like that since you were a kid.” She chortled before printing out the bar tab for us.
“Well, it’s the prettiest damn smile on the planet. We need to figure out how to keep this shit up.” Griffin winked at me before grabbing our shot glasses and handing me mine. “May the best of our past be the worst of our future.”
We downed the amber goodness. “Okay, take me home or lose me forever.” I flung my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.
We said our goodbyes to Rhonda and hopped back onto Griffin’s Harley.
“Can I drive?” I chirped in his ear as the engine roared to life.
He shook his head. “Next time, not after a night of drinking.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I ain’t drunk.”
He laughed. “I promise I will let you drive another time.”
“Fine.” I gave in, wrapping my arms around his broad body and breathing in the faint smell of whiskey and cologne mixing on his shirt.
Chapter 10
Griffin
HavingOlive’s arms wrapped around me as we rode in the still night air was perfect. I damned the fact that we were so close to her place—I really didn’t want the night to end. Pulling into the parking lot, sadness settled in deep.
“Well, I guess this is goodnight.” I knocked out the kickstand with the toe of my boot and waited for her to get off the bike.
“You know, I have a couch…that way you don’t have to try to find a place to crash this late at night.” She handed me my helmet and I got up from my seat.
“You don’t mind?” I knew if I stayed on her couch, I would get to see her again in the morning, and that sounded pretty appealing.
“Come on. It just makes more sense this way.” She grabbed my hand and led me into the dark garage.
“Holy hell! Is that a Mach 1?” I stood in awe at the gorgeous Mustang that sat in the back of the garage. The layer of dust on it proved that it had been all but forgotten until that moment.
“Yeah, it is.” Liv walked over to it, running her finger over the fender. “It was the last car my dad and I worked on together.”
I could hear her voice shake as she stood there staring at the beautiful display of American muscle. When I put my hand on her shoulder, she shook her head, staring down at the floor before she continued, “It just didn’t feel right. I needed for it to be left exactly how he left it. It just made more sense that way. Ya know?”
I tucked her small frame into my side, trying to be as comforting as possible. “But, don’t you think he’d want you to finish it?”
She nodded, leaning her head onto my chest. “Probably. My dad was like that. He wouldn’t want me to hold back on something on his account ever. He wanted me to really take life by the horns. That’s why I started the shop right when I graduated mechanic school. Everyone thought that I was crazy for it, but I poured all of my trust fund into starting this business.”
“Even your stepmom? What happened to her?” I knew I might have been prying a little too much, but the whiskey was steering the conversation at that point.
“I see her from time to time. We started drifting apart after I graduated school and her obligation was over. She only had to take care of me for a few years until I was out of the house, and then I was not her problem anymore.”
I pulled her in tighter, kissing the top of her head. “I can’t imagine that you were ever anyone’s problem.”
She took in a deep breath. “Well, I felt like I was a reminder that her husband died. I wasn’t her kid, and my mom sure as shit didn’t want anything to do with me or him. She was good to me, don’t get me wrong. Maybe it was more me pushing her away. I don’t really know. But, Shaw’s my family now. It’s him and me against the world, or at least this small town or whatever…I don’t know what I’m saying anymore.” She threw her hands over her face as tears started to cascade down her cheeks. The sight broke my heart. I needed to make her feel better, needed to do something, and the only thing I could think of was to spin her around in my arms and kiss her. It was a soft, sweet, simple kiss.
She pulled away quickly. “I don’t know…” She bit her lip.
