Page 43 of Mr. Infuriating (Mister #1)

Gabe

I told her I could be done with the cabinets in less than a month, but if I recruited my brother, Beau, for help, I think I could have everything installed in two weekends. Then I would worry about the smaller details once she had a functional kitchen again.

What was the saying? Better to under promise and over deliver.

Besides, I still needed to see if Beau was available.

I decided to swing by his auto shop the next day and take him out to lunch.

I think his employees recognized me when I walked in the garage because they didn’t even question who I was or what I was doing there.

Even if they hadn’t known me, the resemblance between the Mitchell brothers—especially the three oldest—was obvious.

We all had dark brown hair and blue eyes.

Derrick looked the most like our mom with his lighter hair and hazel eyes.

“Is he around?” I called to Rob, the guy who’d worked there since Beau opened the shop ten years ago, with Maverick’s backing, of course.

Rob gestured to a pair of legs sticking out from under a blue Ram truck.

I nodded my thanks, walked to where my brother lay, and squatted down so he could hear me.

“Hey, you had lunch yet?”

Beau slid out on the wheeled creeper and looked up at me with a bright smile and a smudge of grease across his forehead .

“Hey! What are you doing here? Is Freddie running okay?”

My gearhead brother named his many cars, along with the rest of the family’s vehicles. He had dubbed my black truck, Freddie the Ford F150.

“He’s running like a champ. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d see what you were doing for lunch.”

Beau’s brows drew together as he sat up, still holding a wrench in his hand.

“You were in the neighborhood? Doing what?”

Of course the asshole would call me out about something so trivial. I hated being caught in a lie, even if it was just a fib.

“Do you want me to take you to lunch or not?”

He put the wrench in the tool chest, pulled a rag from his back pocket, and slowly wiped his hands as he spoke.

“I dunno. It sounds like you want something.”

“What if I do? Are you going to tell me no?”

His nose wrinkled in a snarl as he begrudgingly grumbled, “No, probably not.”

I couldn’t help but grin in return.

“Good. Let’s grab something to eat, and I’ll fill you in.” I nodded toward his face. “And wipe your forehead.”

~~

“So, let me get this straight. You’re not dating her, but you’re installing her cabinets… for free ?”

“No, not free,” I said as I dressed my cheeseburger with the condiments on the table. “She’s going to tutor Brayden in exchange. His grades have started to slip, and I’m worried he’s going to be ineligible. ”

My brother removed the bun on his burger and waited for me to pass the ketchup.

“Is Becky worried about his grades?”

I frowned at his question.

“I don’t know.”

“Then his grades aren’t that bad. If they were, she’d be on your ass and find a way to make it your fault.”

I usually loved that my brothers knew my ex-wife so well. But not today.

“I’m trying to get in front of it.”

Beau held the burger with both hands and paused before taking a bite to say, “Yeah. Sure. That’s what this is about.”

“Fuck you,” I grumbled before taking my own bite.

He swallowed before asking, “Why can’t you just admit you like this woman?”

“Okay, fine. I do like her; she’s a nice person. But that’s not what this is about.”

“Look,” my brother paused and sucked a ketchup blob that had dripped onto the webbing of his hand then continued. “If you want me to give up my Friday night to help you, the least you can do is be honest with me.”

I shoved fries into my mouth to buy myself a few seconds before responding.

Beau lowered his burger, like he’d had an epiphany.

“Unless you aren’t even being honest with yourself.”

“What does it matter? I’m not going to pursue her. We both agreed that we want different things.”

Beau took another bite and studied me while he chewed slowly.

Finally, he asked, “Is she going to be there on Friday? ”

“I think so. At least to let me in.”

“She doesn’t have to be home to do that, Boomer.”

I remembered the night I took her home from Flannigan’s, and she opened her garage door with her phone.

“I know!” I snarled.

“Well, find out if she’s going to be there.”

I looked at my brother suspiciously.

“Why?”

“Because I’m only helping you if I get to meet her.”

“Why do you want to meet her?”

“Derrick said she’s your soulmate. I want to see if I agree.”

****

Gretchen

I pulled out my phone during lunch to play a few games of sudoku while I ate my sandwich and noticed I had a text message.

Gabe: Are we still on for tomorrow?

Me: If that still works for you. Do you know what time?

Gabe: My brother, Beau, and I can get there around six.

That didn’t leave me a lot of time after school. It was a good thing I was almost finished boxing up the kitchen.

Me: Jake and I will be gone by 5:30. The garage code is 1215; you can let yourself in.

Gabe: You guys don’t have to leave. I’ll bring pizza from Caruso’s.

Me: I don’t want to be in your way.

Gabe: You won’t be in my way. I actually would prefer you stay so you can show me where you want your fridge and microwave.

Me: Okay… then shouldn’t I be the one buying the pizza?

Gabe: Nope. I’ll see you tomorrow.

I’d thought it was best to keep Jake away from Gabe.

I didn’t want to upset him by reminding him of his son that he’d lost, so I’d planned on taking Jake to see the latest animated movie, even though I was worried he wouldn’t be able to sit still after the first forty-five minutes.

That was his max when we watched movies at home.

I decided to see if my parents or sister could watch him Friday instead and we’d shoot for a matinee on Saturday.

As luck would have it, my mom was thrilled at the prospect of babysitting her only grandchild.

“Of course. Just bring his overnight bag, and we’ll keep him until Saturday.”

“You don’t have to do that, Mom. I should be able to pick him up no later than nine.”

I couldn’t imagine Gabe would want to work past then after having worked all day.

“Nonsense. There’s no point waking him up when he’s perfectly fine here.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Honey, we love that little boy and love having him around. It’s no trouble.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I hung up the phone and burst into tears, so grateful for my parents. I wasn’t sure what I’d do without them.

How could Jake’s grandparents want to see him more than his own father?