Read Online Kiss Me Hard Before You Go by Shannon McCrimmon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shannon McCrimmon
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she’ll be fine,” he answered in a clipped tone.
She muttered something under her breath, giving him a dirty look.
Doris moved closer to him. “You should come.”
He shrugged again. “She’s a grown girl. She can take care of herself,” he said. “Besides, I’m hungry.”
Doris slapped him on the arm.
“Ow,” he grimaced. “What the hell was that for?”
“You know what it’s for. A gentleman doesn’t leave a girl stranded.”
“I’m not a gentleman, and she’s not stranded. Look.” He pointed to Main Street. “She’s in the middle of town, a town she’s lived in her entire life, and I’d be willing to bet half these townies would give her a lift if she needed it. No need for you all to walk with her. I’m sure she can figure this out on her own.” He opened the door and stepped inside.
She shook her head in disgust and walked toward Evie, Friedrich and Mouse. “Let’s go see about this battery,” she said with a plastered grin.
“Really, I’m fine,” Evie said. “You can go eat with him,” she said, enunciating “him” with a undertone of anger.
“He’s fine by himself,” Doris said. “‘Sides, if he doesn’t change his ways he’s going to spend the rest of his life that way so he might as well get used to it.”
They made their way down Main Street. Evie couldn’t help but notice anyone nearby would stop to gawk, point, and whisper as they passed. “I’m sorry,” she said to Doris.
“Ain’t nothing we hadn’t dealt with before.” Doris brushed it off. “That’s how we make our money, Honey Lamb – by being different.”
Mike’s Garage was the only auto shop in Haines. Mike, who was the owner, was a good friend of Gray’s. Mike’s father started the business many years before, and Mike inherited it when he retired. He didn’t suffer for business. Being the only auto mechanic within miles helped matters, but most people trusted him and wouldn’t dare go anywhere else.
They entered the garage. Mike lay underneath a raised yellow 1975 Pacer. Evie could see some of his faded gray striped uniform pants and his black work shoes peeking out.
“Mike,” Evie shouted over the 1950s doo-wop music that played on the radio. The volume was set high, and Mike sang along ineptly.
He rolled out from underneath the car and looked up at her. “Hey, Evie.” He smiled at her and then made a strange face at Doris, Mouse, and Friedrich. He slowly hoisted himself up, moaning as he did so. “Hey there,” he said to them with uncertainty.
“Mike, this is Doris, Mouse, and Friedrich. They work for the carnival,” she explained.
His head tilted to the side, studying the ink colored designs covering Friedrich’s body.
“I need a new battery for Daddy’s truck,” she said.
He brought his gaze back to her. “I won’t be able to put it in for a few hours. Gotta finish up on this here Pacer. I’m on a deadline,” he said. “Told your daddy he’d need a new one last time I jumped it for him.”
“How much is the battery going to cost?” she asked.
“Fifteen dollars.”
She inhaled a sharp breath. “I can’t pay you today. Is that okay?”
“Yes, of course, Evie,” he said, and she felt relieved. “It’s not like I don’t know where you live.” He chuckled. “Your daddy can pay me sometime this week or next week, or the week after.” He laughed again.
Evie gave him an appreciative smile. “Y’all can go on. I’ll wait here until he can put the battery in,” she said to Doris, Mouse, and Friedrich.
“I used to help my papa tinker with his car. I can put the battery in,” Mouse spoke up.
“Are you sure?” Evie asked him.
“Positive.” He smiled assuredly.
She looked at Mike, who was still staring at Mouse, Doris and Friedrich in wonder. “Ain’t never seen so many tattoos,” he said almost apologetically.
Friedrich smiled proudly. “You can look at them.” He moved closer to him, allowing Mike to inspect them more closely.
Mike
She muttered something under her breath, giving him a dirty look.
Doris moved closer to him. “You should come.”
He shrugged again. “She’s a grown girl. She can take care of herself,” he said. “Besides, I’m hungry.”
Doris slapped him on the arm.
“Ow,” he grimaced. “What the hell was that for?”
“You know what it’s for. A gentleman doesn’t leave a girl stranded.”
“I’m not a gentleman, and she’s not stranded. Look.” He pointed to Main Street. “She’s in the middle of town, a town she’s lived in her entire life, and I’d be willing to bet half these townies would give her a lift if she needed it. No need for you all to walk with her. I’m sure she can figure this out on her own.” He opened the door and stepped inside.
She shook her head in disgust and walked toward Evie, Friedrich and Mouse. “Let’s go see about this battery,” she said with a plastered grin.
“Really, I’m fine,” Evie said. “You can go eat with him,” she said, enunciating “him” with a undertone of anger.
“He’s fine by himself,” Doris said. “‘Sides, if he doesn’t change his ways he’s going to spend the rest of his life that way so he might as well get used to it.”
They made their way down Main Street. Evie couldn’t help but notice anyone nearby would stop to gawk, point, and whisper as they passed. “I’m sorry,” she said to Doris.
“Ain’t nothing we hadn’t dealt with before.” Doris brushed it off. “That’s how we make our money, Honey Lamb – by being different.”
Mike’s Garage was the only auto shop in Haines. Mike, who was the owner, was a good friend of Gray’s. Mike’s father started the business many years before, and Mike inherited it when he retired. He didn’t suffer for business. Being the only auto mechanic within miles helped matters, but most people trusted him and wouldn’t dare go anywhere else.
They entered the garage. Mike lay underneath a raised yellow 1975 Pacer. Evie could see some of his faded gray striped uniform pants and his black work shoes peeking out.
“Mike,” Evie shouted over the 1950s doo-wop music that played on the radio. The volume was set high, and Mike sang along ineptly.
He rolled out from underneath the car and looked up at her. “Hey, Evie.” He smiled at her and then made a strange face at Doris, Mouse, and Friedrich. He slowly hoisted himself up, moaning as he did so. “Hey there,” he said to them with uncertainty.
“Mike, this is Doris, Mouse, and Friedrich. They work for the carnival,” she explained.
His head tilted to the side, studying the ink colored designs covering Friedrich’s body.
“I need a new battery for Daddy’s truck,” she said.
He brought his gaze back to her. “I won’t be able to put it in for a few hours. Gotta finish up on this here Pacer. I’m on a deadline,” he said. “Told your daddy he’d need a new one last time I jumped it for him.”
“How much is the battery going to cost?” she asked.
“Fifteen dollars.”
She inhaled a sharp breath. “I can’t pay you today. Is that okay?”
“Yes, of course, Evie,” he said, and she felt relieved. “It’s not like I don’t know where you live.” He chuckled. “Your daddy can pay me sometime this week or next week, or the week after.” He laughed again.
Evie gave him an appreciative smile. “Y’all can go on. I’ll wait here until he can put the battery in,” she said to Doris, Mouse, and Friedrich.
“I used to help my papa tinker with his car. I can put the battery in,” Mouse spoke up.
“Are you sure?” Evie asked him.
“Positive.” He smiled assuredly.
She looked at Mike, who was still staring at Mouse, Doris and Friedrich in wonder. “Ain’t never seen so many tattoos,” he said almost apologetically.
Friedrich smiled proudly. “You can look at them.” He moved closer to him, allowing Mike to inspect them more closely.
Mike
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