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“Well, good morning, Drew!” Leslie crosses her arms under her breasts and stands a little too close to me. “What brings you here so early?”

Drew steps back, hands on her hips, doing her best to smile. “I’m getting Dad’s old car checked out. What are you doing?”

“Oh, you know, men need a good breakfast. I was just making sure Gray had something to eat.” Her voice is sending a message I don’t like.

I especially don’t like the way she touches my bicep.

“I’ve got to get to the clinic.” Drew spins on her heel and heads for the door.

I take off after her. “I’ll give you a call once I’ve checked everything.”

My voice is low, professional. Nothing is going on here, and I’m not trying to send any wrong messages.

“I can stop by after work.” She’s not slowing down, so I reach out and catch her arm.

“Hang on.” It stops her, but she’s still mad. I know my girl. “I’ll probably have to order some parts. I expect if it hasn’t been driven in ten years, I’ll need to check the brakes, steering, suspension… the electrical systems.”

I’m stalling, trying to keep her close until she’s less pissed.

“Just do what you need to do.”

“Okay.” I want to say something more, but she jerks her chin toward Leslie.

“Does that include her?”

“She just showed up a few minutes ago.” My grip turns into a stroke down the length of her arm. I want to thread her fingers with mine. I want to tell her she has nothing to worry about. Nothing.

I might be broken, guilty, undeserving of her… it doesn’t change the fact she still owns my heart.

She wavers a moment, her pretty blue eyes flickering to where Leslie waits inside the garage with Billy before returning to mine. The electricity between us sizzles like always. It never went away.

Her voice is less angry when she speaks. “I’ll wait to hear from you.”

“You’ll hear from me. I have your number.”

“I know you do.” She turns, and I watch a few moments as she crosses the street and heads up the sidewalk, her sassy stride making me smile in spite of my good intentions.

Chapter 13

Drew

“But you didn’t have sex with the babysitter?” I clarify, making notes on the legal pad.

Riley Sturgiss is a new patient, a petite older teen, with bright red hair and dark eyes. She disclosed her issue is social anxiety, but I’m starting to think it might be more like compulsive lying.

Also, I’m still really pissed about whatever the hell was going on at Mack’s garage this morning.

Or I guess it’s Gray’s garage now.

Her cheeks turn pink, and she shakes her head. “I didn’t want to go to the open house, and I knew if I was grounded, I’d have to stay home.”

“You might have jeopardized your babysitter’s reputation… or worse. Could it have been construed as statutory rape?”

“Oh my gosh!” Her brown eyes widen. “I don’t think so?”

“Then you told your boss at Hamburger Heaven you used to be a man?” I give her a compassionate smile. “Are you a trans female?”

Riley chews her bottom lip. “Does it matter?”