Page 32

She chuckled, and my chest lifted. Della always laughed so easily, but it felt special when I was the one behind it. “Wait...” she said slowly. “If your only A was in shop class, does that mean you didn’t get one in gym? Everyone got an A in that class!”
Fighting a smile, I shook my head. “She docked me a letter grade for lewd behavior.”
“Ah, hitting on your classmates,” Della said, amused.
“No, the teacher.”
Her laugh could only be described as a cackle as she put her hands together, clapping. “Oh gosh, that’s great...” Her phone started ringing, and she picked it up, still smiling. “Hello?”
I looked down at my food, listening to her end of the conversation—sorry, not sorry.
“Oh, that’s so sweet of you... I’m at Madigan Auto. Hayes is getting me all fixed up... Yes! I’d love that... See you in fifteen?... Okay, bye.”
She was smiling so damn big when she looked at me and said, “Bennett is bringing dinner to me. Guess it all worked out after all—I get the date and my car fixed!” Her shoulders shimmied with her excitement, never mind the fact that I was trying to hide every uncalled-for feeling racing through my chest.
I definitely wasn’t hungry anymore. “I’m gonna work on your car. You can wait for him in here,” I said.
“Oh.” She looked at my half-eaten food. “Are you sure?”
“Yep. Later.” I got up and walked out, wondering what the fuck was wrong with me and feeling stupid for trying to do something new. Sex, one-night stands, friends with benefits. That I could do.
Whatever I wanted with Della was a fucking terrible idea.
16
DELLA
I was still wondering what had changed with Hayes to make him leave so abruptly when I saw headlights pan over the waiting area through the big front windows.
Hayes and I had been getting along—connecting even. And then he got all grumpy again, leaving to work on my car. I could hear the sound of an air compressor through the waiting room walls and windows. See him bent over my car, a light hanging from the hood.
And part of me missed the conversation we were having. Getting to see behind his protective wall of humor and tattoos. But I couldn’t worry about that now. Despite all odds, Bennett and I were going on our date tonight. And a small flutter of hope formed in my chest.
It was a good sign that he’d brought dinner to me—that he was willing to put effort in when things hadn’t gone perfectly to plan.
So I stood up, grabbing the takeout boxes and dumping them in the trash. Then I walked to the front door to step outside and meet Bennett in the parking lot. But it was locked—of course it was locked. The business was closed. So I went back through the garage. I saw Bennett talking with Hayes at the farthest bay, a bouquet of carnations in his hands.
Hayes’s shoulders were tense, probably from a long day of work made even longer by my mechanical issues. But Bennett had an easygoing way about him, like he either didn’t notice or wasn’t bothered by Hayes’s stance.
I walked over to them, and when Bennett saw me, his lips parted into a wide grin. “For you,” he said, handing me the flowers. They were the kind that came from the grocery store, but I loved them all the same. It was the fact that he’d thought about me, put in extra effort before showing up. It made me feel seen and appreciated.
I sniffed the fresh scent and then smiled up at him. “Thank you, that was so nice of you!”
“Of course,” Bennett said.
The screech of an air ratchet made me jump, and we turned to see Hayes bent over my car again, ignoring us altogether.
Compared to his warm attention earlier, this treatment was icy enough to make me shiver. Why did it bother me so much? It wasn’t like Hayes owed me anything, or I him.
“So, um, what do you say we get out of here?” Bennett suggested awkwardly.
I nodded. “I’d love that.” I was going to stick around a second and thank Hayes, tell him he really didn’t need to stay late for me. But then Bennett reached out for my hand, and I took it. His hands were so large compared to mine—he reminded me of a big teddy bear.
“Thanks for everything,” I called to Hayes.
He barely lifted his hand in acknowledgement before Bennett and I were in his truck, the smell of meat, mushrooms, and onions filling the cab.
“I wasn’t sure what you like, so I got you a little bit of everything. I can park somewhere on Main Street while we eat,” he offered.