Headlights, Dipsticks, & My Ex's Brother Read online

  Memories of my mother’s reactions to my canceled engagement took on new meaning. Cries of “William’s too good of a man to let go” and “Someone is going to snap him up immediately and you’ll regret this” made much more sense now. I was triple glad I’d thrown all of his shit out the window. Bastard.

  An ill-placed step off the side of the road broke the heel off one of my towering shoes and I almost dropped my champagne glass. That would’ve been tragic. Deciding not to risk it, I finished the rest of the delicious alcohol and then kicked off my nude pumps.

  I stuck my tongue out at them in disgust.

  Like an adult.

  Grabbing them with one hand, I glared at the offending shoes. My mom had bought them for me because she said my flats would be an “embarrassment.” I chucked the shoes and glass into the roadside ditch. A string of expletives that would’ve made my mother clutch her double strand of real pearls burst from my mouth.

  I stumbled forward, but quickly righted myself and brushed back the hair clinging to my face. Despite the thousands of bobby pins and several layers of hair spray, not even a professional team could keep my blonde hair at bay, much to my mother’s dismay. It was fine but thick, rejecting hair clips and going wild in humidity. It had a mind of its own.

  I sang a few verses of my favorite breakup anthem while I walked along the grass on the side of the road, adding in a few twirls and fist pumps. But as I neared my shop, a cock-a-doodle-doo from my pet rooster, followed by a car door slamming closed and a man swearing, stopped me in my tracks. For the first time, I realized walking alone at dusk while everyone I knew was back at the venue might not have been my best choice. Of course the last “crime” this town had seen was the high school football team tipping Mr. Benson’s cows after the homecoming game.

  I took several giant steps to the side of my building and peered around the corner into the parking lot. “Hello?” I called, my voice shaky. “Sergeant Cornflakes?”

  To his credit, Sergeant Cornflakes, my guard rooster, waddled forward, squawking. Though he was probably just angry I hadn’t fed him in several hours as opposed to warning me against an intruder.

  “Sergeant Cornflakes? Really?” asked a man whose voice made my heart stutter. I hadn’t heard it in so long, I was almost afraid to hope. He walked around the front of his sensible 2010 Ford Explorer, which was haphazardly parked in my auto shop’s parking lot, and leaned against the hood. My rooster darted back over to him and pecked at his feet. He looked down at the bird. “This is somehow your fault. I know it is.”

  Unable to contain the bubble of elation that rose inside of me, I ran toward him, nylons be damned, and launched myself into his arms. Him, my brain said. It’s him!

  “Luke!” I cried, and he chuckled.

  “Reeses!” he whispered, using a nickname I hadn’t heard in years. My obsession with the peanut butter and chocolate snack was legendary. This wonderful man used to sit on my front porch and share a package of candy with me when I had a bad day.

  He pulled me tight with one arm around my waist, lifting me off the ground and swaying back and forth. “Oh my God, what are you doing here? Besides scaring my rooster.” Sergeant Cornflakes was making a racket at all of our commotion. I shushed him, and he flapped his wings at me before waddling away.

  Luke lowered me to the ground and rested his chin on my head for a long moment before releasing me. “What are you doing walking down the road with no shoes on? And why do you have a rooster?”

  I shrugged. “The rooster found me. Just showed up a few months ago like he owned the place.” I stepped back, searching his face. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m in town for a few weeks and decided to blow a tire in a pothole. Stopped by the shop since it’s actually really hard to change your tire when you don’t have a spare. Just been hanging out since you closed early…” He gave me a once-over. “For a wedding?”

  I nodded. “Kristy’s wedding. And I’ve already complained four times about the pothole on Freemont and Porter, but it appears the city just wants me to keep selling tires.” I raised an eyebrow. “No spare?”

  “Long story.” Luke ran a hand through his dark hair. “Kristy and Sam finally tied the knot? He’s a brave man.”

  I would have laughed if I weren’t so startled by how the years had changed him. His Rallye Green eyes—I’d color matched them to a Camaro color chart when we were kids—were grayer, made darker by the shadows under them. The crease in his brow was deeper and I resisted the urge to smooth it out with my thumb. A dusting of hair on his angular jaw was flecked with gray.

  The natural swagger he’d had when simply standing, the same swagger that had gotten him out of detention more often than not, was gone. This was the same lost boy who’d stood in front of his mom’s grave ten years ago. His shoulders hunched forward, and he took a deep breath, as if trying to keep himself upright.

  Thirty was too young to look this fatigued, this exhausted with life. I put my hand on his arm, unsure of how to find the carefree, larger-than-life friend I used to look up to. The man who used to take me four wheeling and cliff diving when I was young enough to feel invincible. Now he looked like he wanted to crawl into bed for days, maybe weeks, and hide from the world.

  Standing in the dark, touching him after so many years apart, especially when he looked so human, flipped something inside of me. A low buzz started in my chest, as though I was standing next to a live wire. My eyes snapped to his and he lifted his hand, brushing my escaping hair back behind my ear. I took a deep breath, trying to slow my suddenly racing heart. Calm down, heart! It’s only Luke.

  “So when’s your wedding?”

  I flinched and stepped back. “Um.” I laughed uneasily. “When was the last time you talked to Will?”

  “To be honest, it’s been a while. I texted him about some business a few weeks back and that I was coming for a visit. That’s about it.”

  I sucked in my lips and looked at my shop, nodding. “You have a key. Why didn’t you go in and make it easier on yourself?”

  He shrugged. “Just because I have a key doesn’t mean I’m welcome.”

  I grabbed his forearm. “You’re always welcome.” I squeezed once and then let go. “Come on.” I fished my keys out of my clutch, opened the front door, and then flipped on the interior lights. I raised the bay garage door under the large Pop’s Auto Shop sign, that had a banner hanging underneath that read Edie’s Auto Shop. While Will had agreed to the name change as an engagement present—one of the few good things he did before we ended—I couldn’t afford to update the sign yet. “Get inside. I’ll grab Cornflakes and make sure he’s not going to wake the neighbors.”

  “Why is he even awake right now?”

  “He’s an insomniac.”

  “Only you would have an insomniac rooster.”

  I pursed my lips, then nodded. “That’s probably true.” My dumbass bird stood pecking at a spot in the middle of the road. I sighed. This was my life. “Sergeant, you get over here right now!” He lifted his head, crowed at me, and then went back to eating what looked like rocks. I stomped after him, leaned over, and scooped him up.

  The screech of tires and the blare of a horn turned my limbs to ice. Something hit me hard and shoved me to the ground, out of the way of the speeding car. It had no headlights on, but the lean frame of a FIAT 124 Spider and red skunk stripes were a dead giveaway.

  My heart tried to crawl out of my chest while my rooster tried to claw off my arms. I let him go. “Fried chicken would be really good right now,” I warned. A shaken Luke pulled me off the ground and against his chest. He was breathing hard, his hand firm on my back. “I’m fine,” I said. “I’m okay. Thank you.”

  He didn’t let go. I resisted the unexpected urge to lean closer to his really, really nice chest. So warm and hard...Edie. Stop it.

  “Hey, you okay?” I asked, pushing back slightly. “Did you hurt yourself?”

  Seemingly remembering himself, he cleared his thr
oat and stepped back. “I’m sorry.” He looked after the car that was now long gone. “I didn’t get a good look at the license plate.”

  I shrugged. “I know who it was. Rebuilt that transmission last week. I’ll call it in to Sheriff Jasmine.”

  We looked both ways before crossing the street. “Is she at the wedding?”

  “That’s why I’m going to do it immediately, so she can escape.” I held the door open and Luke brushed past me. Whatever magical combination of cologne, soap, and deodorant that made him smell like him washed over me. It made me feel as though I had finally come home after too long away.

  I shook my head to clear it. Maybe I was still drunk. Must actually drink water soon.

  After calling dispatch and reporting the near hit-and-run and throwing some serious shade at my rooster, who was now curled up in a tire inside the shop, I shoved my feet into an extra pair of sneakers I kept in the main office. I wobbled a little as I stood up from my chair, the alcohol and exhaustion from a week of wedding madness catching up with me.

  Luke ran up and grabbed my arm. “You’re not okay.”

  I waved him off. “I’m fine, just a little tipsy and a lot exhausted.” I rubbed my forehead. “Let’s get this tire changed.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “You’re going to fall over. Let me walk you home and I’ll change it. Just tell me how much I owe you for the tire.”

  “I can fix a car drunk, blindfolded, and with one arm tied behind my back,” I countered.

  He lifted his hands in surrender. “I know you can. But tonight you don’t have to.”

  “Well then, let me introduce you to someone.” I motioned with my head to the bay at the end of the garage, where I had built a protective wall around my baby. Entering the code into my keypad, I unlocked the side door leading to my treasure. “Come into my real office. Lucas Moretti, this is Ella-Jean. Ella-Jean, meet Lucas Moretti.”

  He stopped dead in the doorway, his eyes going so wide I thought they’d pop out of his head. “Holy shit,” he breathed reverently. “A 1967 Camaro Rally—”

  “Sport Coupe,” I finished for him. “Grandpa left it for me in his will. It was hidden in a storage unit that not even my nosy mother knew about. I’ve been restoring it when I have time.”

  “That is amazing. Manual transmission?”

  “Obviously.”

  “Ram-air intake?”

  I just looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “And, before you ask, I ordered the dual exhaust chrome tips two days ago.”

  “Hardtop?” he asked, then looked at me. “I would’ve thought you’d be a wind-in-your-hair woman.”

  “Hardtop. Vinyl is for records, not cars.”

  “I think I’m in love.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “Obviously, you’re in love with Will.”

  “I was talking about the car. I love the car. My mother says I’m incapable of loving a person, and it’s why I’ll be alone forever.”

  He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. “What does that even mean?” he finally managed.

  I walked around Ella-Jean and opened the driver’s door, climbing in. The seat’s off-white leather was worn and desperate to be replaced, but she still felt like a glove against my curves. Luke stumbled into the car, plopping down hard. He stared at me, even while running his hand over the dash. “What happened?”

  I lifted my left hand and showed him the bare ring finger. “Eight months ago, I realized I didn’t want to marry Will.”

  He frowned. “Eight months?” he rasped, his eyes narrowing. “Why...why didn’t you tell me?”

  I let my hand fall to my lap and folded my fingers tightly, shrugging. “I just assumed he did. I know you guys don’t talk much, but I figured you knew.”

  He shook his head. “I would’ve...” He let out a breath and turned to look at the windshield. “I dunno. I would’ve done something.”

  “I’m sorry. That was poorly done of me. I just thought it’d circulate, you know?”

  He reached over and squeezed my knee. “It’s okay, Reeses. Grief is messed up.”

  I nodded.

  “What happened?”

  I unclasped my hands and started to pick at the loose stitching on the steering wheel. “It was always just assumed Will and I would end up together, even when we were dating other people. Our families viewed other relationships as placeholders. Hell, maybe I did too. We were only a few years apart, both stayed in Grenadine, were childhood friends. Then after Grandpa passed and we inherited the shop, Will was around a lot.”

  I stared down at my nails, which were already starting to chip. I hadn’t opted for the fancy gel polish because it’d just come off the moment I started working on an engine. I had spent hours soaking and scrubbing to get my hands clean for today. Even with gloves, my skin was always dirty from the long hours at the shop, something Will had hated.

  I rested my right arm over the top of the wheel, staring out the windshield as if I were driving. “I loved him, until one day, I didn’t. It’s like, as we grew up, we grew apart. I started not to like who I was with him. Then out of the blue, he proposed—a huge public scene—and I said yes because I didn’t know what else to say. But more and more every day it felt like I was going through the motions to hang onto something we weren’t anymore. I wasn’t happy or excited or counting down the days.”

  Luke reached over and grabbed my hand and squeezed. “So you ended it?”

  I laughed without humor, moving my hand away and swiping at the sudden wetness in my eyes. “We were in a standoff about where we would live once we were married. I always imagined growing old in my house, ya know? But he wanted to buy a new house, a bigger place with better updates. Maybe I should’ve considered it, I dunno. Maybe I was so desperate to latch onto something to get me out of whatever tug-of-war our relationship had become...” I shook my head.

  Luke looked appropriately horrified. “He didn’t take it well.”

  “He had just started his realtor business, said the market was hot. We fought, he apologized, I thought it was a done deal. Then one day I came home to see a For Sale sign in my lawn. I threw all his shit out the window.”

  “Wow.” He blew out a breath and leaned back in the seat. “How’d your mom react?”

  “She took it worse than either of us.”

  He glanced at me. “Not surprising.”

  “Nope.” I sighed. “I saw the signs she was dating someone new. New jewelry, more requests to watch Clementine, twice a month salon visits.”

  He blinked at me. “You’re not saying what I think you’re saying.”

  Embarrassment warmed my cheeks and I pushed out the words. “I didn’t realize she was dating Will.”

  “Well, fuck.” He blew out a long breath and ran a hand down his face. “I can’t believe...that’s just so...”

  “Preach.” We sat in silence for a long moment. “My mom just announced their engagement at Kristy’s reception. Before cake too, which I think is just rude.”

  “Wait, WHAT?!” He jerked to face me, jaw swaying in the breeze.

  “Breathe.”

  He moved his mouth, but nothing came out. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “Your mother. And my brother?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cynthia is going to be my...sister-in-law?”

  I pursed my lips and nodded.

  He shook his head slowly. “I don’t even know what to do with this information.”

  I gestured to myself. “Hence why I’m tipsy. And not at the wedding. I left before cake. Before cake. I was cake-blocked.”

  “Of course you’re thinking about cake right now.”

  I elbowed him. “I helped pick it out. It was triple-layer, chocolate, hazelnut, raspberry, and dark-chocolate-ganache perfection.” They’d even made a cupcake for me that was free of my food allergens. Now it’d go uneaten. So sad.

  He groaned and for a moment I forgot what we were talking about. That sound made my heart flut
ter, which was weird. I rubbed my chest for a moment and sat up straighter in my seat, giving us more space.

  “Can we sneak back into the ballroom and steal cake?” he asked.

  “I would do anything for cake,” I said in a sing-song voice. “But...I definitely won’t do that.”

  His laugh was almost as good as his groan. “Oh Edie, I’ve missed you.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.” He opened his eyes and watched me for a long moment. My stomach did a somersault.

  Whoa. What was happening? I cleared my throat. “Is this ‘something’ going to make my night worse?” He nodded, confirming my worst suspicions. “Please wait until tomorrow. I’m at max capacity tonight.”

  His hand found mine again and this time, I didn’t pull away. Palm against palm, I felt his heartbeat, all the words of comfort he didn’t need to say. That strong, steady pulse warmed me from the inside out and I caught myself looking at Luke just a little closer. He really was incredibly handsome.

  “I’ve been trying to save enough money to buy Will out, but the last few months have been hard,” I finally admitted, trying to navigate out of this weird tension building around us. “Why your father and my grandfather thought it would be a good idea to leave this place to all of us, I have no idea.” I forced out a what-can-you-do chuckle.

  Jami was already in law school and had told Grandpa he didn’t want a share of the shop. Kristy was never a car enthusiast, either. How I wished Grandpa had given it to them anyway, if nothing else than to help me with Will’s drama. Luke was silent, but he tightened his grip on my hand.

  “I should’ve ended it with Will sooner than I did. And less dramatically. I should’ve called you right away to talk about the shop. I just…couldn’t.”

  “You don’t need to explain it to me.”

  I leaned my forehead against his shoulder and breathed deep. For the first time in a long time, I was finally getting enough oxygen. “I’ve missed you,” I admitted.