fiancée had held that title only because his
mother and brother forced him to keep his engagement for political reasons. He’d
known he wouldn’t last a year with her.
“Can I sweep or something?” he asked.
What in Aer had come over him? He didn’t sweep!
She glanced up at him from over the computer monitor. A
quiet sigh slipped from her mouth. “You can just stay out of the way.”
“Am I in the way now?”
“No, but you’re distracting me.”
He doubted he was distracting her the way he wanted to distract her. “Um, okay,” he said before stepping back into the garage and
out of the way.
Drew returned to the storage room with the intention of
sleeping. But the hopelessly bent cot didn’t look comfortable. A back door he’d
barely noted last night looked like the best bet for removing the mangled
contraption. Drew grabbed hold of the sheets and blanket he’d flung on the
thing. He balled them up and hurled them toward a spare plastic chair. Then he
dragged the stripped bed to the door.
It took two shoves to get the back entrance open, as if it
had been sealed shut for ages. Drew brought the cot around the garage to where
he’d seen bags of trash piled against the building. He paused at the corner for
a look inside. Erica stared at the front of a truck, facing away. Her shoulders
were hunched. Each breath she took was heavy and obvious. She looked like a
woman with many worries.
A pickup pulled into the drive behind him. Drew stepped
inside and hid around the corner where he wouldn’t be visible to the customer.
Erica cast a glance at the parking lot. Her frame stiffened.
“Maybe you should just have me work on that,” a man called a
moment before a car door closed. “I’ll have to fix it later anyway.”
The ex-boyfriend. Drew reached for magic—visualizing a
finger slicing through the aether. He snagged a thread of Air magic from within
the swirling energy coating everything, hardly thinking his actions through.
Drew positioned his palms just so and thrust. A dull thud echoed back into his
ear. Satisfaction spread his lips broad. A smack in the ass with a gust of
focused air was exactly what the douchebag had needed.
“What the… fuck ?” the male griped from the ground.
Erica faced her ex. Her eyebrows drifted to the middle of
her forehead. “Are you okay, Jared?”
Was he okay? Drew wanted to shout at her. The guy had
insulted her. He didn’t deserve her concern.
Yet…she’d given Drew her concern when he’d insulted her as
well. It was part of why he liked her.
“I’m fine .” The guy came into view beyond the
garage’s outer doors.
Erica took a step back. “I hope you came here to do more
than taunt me.”
“I came to renew my offer.”
“No,” she cut in before Jared could say anything else. “I’m
not selling Daddy’s garage.”
“Your father has been dead for two years. It’s not his
garage any longer. It’s yours. Besides, he would want you secure and happy.”
“I am happy—”
“You can’t be happy having to get up every morning and come into
this…place.”
The derisive pause in his speech made his opinion obvious.
The guy wasn’t a fan of the garage. Clearly he didn’t intend to buy it so he
could keep it. He wanted to be rid of the competition. But if the competition
was screwing up cars, why was he worried? Unless…
Drew focused on Jared’s face, looking for evidence of
treachery. While it wasn’t readily visible in the rugged features, Jared didn’t
look the part of a charitable benefactor.
“My happiness isn’t your problem anymore,” Erica said. “I’m
not selling the garage. Stop harassing me about it or I’ll have no choice but
to file a restraining order.”
Good girl. Drew smiled in the corner, where neither
individual had noted him.
“This was just a friendly conversation, Erica.” Jared’s
droning was thick with condescension. “I’m sorry you feel it was harassment.
I’ll just have to do this the official
mother and brother forced him to keep his engagement for political reasons. He’d
known he wouldn’t last a year with her.
“Can I sweep or something?” he asked.
What in Aer had come over him? He didn’t sweep!
She glanced up at him from over the computer monitor. A
quiet sigh slipped from her mouth. “You can just stay out of the way.”
“Am I in the way now?”
“No, but you’re distracting me.”
He doubted he was distracting her the way he wanted to distract her. “Um, okay,” he said before stepping back into the garage and
out of the way.
Drew returned to the storage room with the intention of
sleeping. But the hopelessly bent cot didn’t look comfortable. A back door he’d
barely noted last night looked like the best bet for removing the mangled
contraption. Drew grabbed hold of the sheets and blanket he’d flung on the
thing. He balled them up and hurled them toward a spare plastic chair. Then he
dragged the stripped bed to the door.
It took two shoves to get the back entrance open, as if it
had been sealed shut for ages. Drew brought the cot around the garage to where
he’d seen bags of trash piled against the building. He paused at the corner for
a look inside. Erica stared at the front of a truck, facing away. Her shoulders
were hunched. Each breath she took was heavy and obvious. She looked like a
woman with many worries.
A pickup pulled into the drive behind him. Drew stepped
inside and hid around the corner where he wouldn’t be visible to the customer.
Erica cast a glance at the parking lot. Her frame stiffened.
“Maybe you should just have me work on that,” a man called a
moment before a car door closed. “I’ll have to fix it later anyway.”
The ex-boyfriend. Drew reached for magic—visualizing a
finger slicing through the aether. He snagged a thread of Air magic from within
the swirling energy coating everything, hardly thinking his actions through.
Drew positioned his palms just so and thrust. A dull thud echoed back into his
ear. Satisfaction spread his lips broad. A smack in the ass with a gust of
focused air was exactly what the douchebag had needed.
“What the… fuck ?” the male griped from the ground.
Erica faced her ex. Her eyebrows drifted to the middle of
her forehead. “Are you okay, Jared?”
Was he okay? Drew wanted to shout at her. The guy had
insulted her. He didn’t deserve her concern.
Yet…she’d given Drew her concern when he’d insulted her as
well. It was part of why he liked her.
“I’m fine .” The guy came into view beyond the
garage’s outer doors.
Erica took a step back. “I hope you came here to do more
than taunt me.”
“I came to renew my offer.”
“No,” she cut in before Jared could say anything else. “I’m
not selling Daddy’s garage.”
“Your father has been dead for two years. It’s not his
garage any longer. It’s yours. Besides, he would want you secure and happy.”
“I am happy—”
“You can’t be happy having to get up every morning and come into
this…place.”
The derisive pause in his speech made his opinion obvious.
The guy wasn’t a fan of the garage. Clearly he didn’t intend to buy it so he
could keep it. He wanted to be rid of the competition. But if the competition
was screwing up cars, why was he worried? Unless…
Drew focused on Jared’s face, looking for evidence of
treachery. While it wasn’t readily visible in the rugged features, Jared didn’t
look the part of a charitable benefactor.
“My happiness isn’t your problem anymore,” Erica said. “I’m
not selling the garage. Stop harassing me about it or I’ll have no choice but
to file a restraining order.”
Good girl. Drew smiled in the corner, where neither
individual had noted him.
“This was just a friendly conversation, Erica.” Jared’s
droning was thick with condescension. “I’m sorry you feel it was harassment.
I’ll just have to do this the official
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