Poking her head into the garage, Delaney glanced around until she saw Beau’s legs sticking out from beneath Mr. Welch’s Oldsmobile. “Bad news,” she called over the rock song blaring from the radio.
He rolled out from beneath the car and sat up, rubbing his hands on a red cloth. “What now?” Coming to his feet, he turned down the music before walking over to where she stood.
“Supplier said they were clean out of replacement bumpers for the ’03 Civic. He said to check back in a week or so.”
“Damn,” Beau muttered, shaking his head. “I hate to leave Grace waiting any longer than I have to. I promised she’d have it back before she headed to Mobile this weekend.” He sighed, pushing a hand through his hair in thought.
“I called around to the other suppliers in your mom’s rolodex, but no dice. I even checked Amazon, but they estimated a month lead time.”
In her three days as his temporary office manager, Delaney had really started to get the hang of things. Her new system meant everything was searchable at the drop of a hat, so she no longer had to waste time digging around for every little thing. It wasn’t exactly her job of choice, but it was nice to feel useful.
“You know what?” he said, reaching around the doorframe to grab his keys from the hook. “I’m gonna think outside the box on this one. Ever been to a pick and pull?”
“A what?”
He grinned. “Come on. I’ll show you what mechanics do when they get desperate.”
Ten minutes later, Delaney was beginning to wish she’d stayed in the office. Hands on either side of her hips, she peered out over the endless rows of old, rusted, and wrecked cars. “This is a junkyard.”
“Yep.”
The cars were in various states of deterioration, from freshly wrecked late model sedans to rusted shells that looked like they’d been there for decades. “You could have told me.”
“I did. Welcome to the local pick and pull, aka junkyard, aka salvage yard. Just give me a second to let Mutt know we’re here.” He trotted off toward a squat white cinderblock building.
He was back a few minutes later, grinning as he tipped his chin towards the far end of the lot. “Mutt thinks he’s got an old Civic with an intact bumper about three quarters of the way down.” He opened the back door of the truck and pulled out a toolbox. “Grab those work gloves, would you?”
“Sure thing,” she said, tossing them to him. “Shall I keep the truck running, or wait inside?” Her blue shorts and gray tank top weren’t fancy, but she didn’t want to be anywhere near all that dirt and grease.
His grin made his green eyes crinkle. “Nice try. Come on, this is the coolest day we’ve had in weeks, and the sun’s not even out, so the metal shouldn’t be too hot.” He tossed back the gloves she’d just given him. “Those are for you. I’ve got a pair in my toolbox.”
This was not what she’d pictured herself doing this afternoon. She pinched the mud-brown fabric between her fingers. “As lovely as these are, I think I’ll pass.”
Lifting his eyebrows in an I-mean-business look, he said, “Hey now, I am your boss and I need your help pulling a bumper, if I find one. Now put your big girl panties on,” he said with a teasing reference to what she’d said to him at the lake, “and let’s go.”
She made a face. “It’s not like you’re paying me.”
“Other than in room, board, and discounted car repair?”
He had a point. Gesturing to the sea of cars with a flap of her gloves, she said, “Lead the way, boss.”
His boyish grin made her stomach give an unexpected little flip. “I like the sound of that.”
He laughed when she smacked his shoulder with a light swish of the gloves as he passed. It really was a nice day, with a noticeable breeze bending the weeds at their feet and ruffling the few trees that lined the perimeter of the property.
She fell into step beside him, picking her way down the hard-packed gravel lane. “Do you come here often?”
“Not really. My brother and I came here a lot as kids when Dad wanted us to find a part for him—probably a ruse for getting us out of his hair. But it’s usually too time consuming to want to hassle with. Plus, there is no guarantee you’ll even find what you are looking for.”
“But it’s worth it today?”
He nodded. “Grace is an old friend of my mother’s. She was really there for Mom after Dad died, so I want to make sure we take care of her.”
His kindness made her smile softly. He really was a good man. “You truly care about the people around here. How often will you come back after you return to Birmingham?”
“Same as before, I imagine. Three or four times a year, depending on my schedule. Speaking of which,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips, “I got an email from my brother last night. He’ll be home in two weeks.”
Her hand flew to her chest. “That’s awesome! Your mother must be over the moon. I can’t believe she didn’t mention it.” Excitement mixed with a healthy dose of relief for his brother’s safe return filled her heart.
“She doesn’t know. He wants to do one of those ridiculous surprise homecoming things, where he jumps out of a bush or from behind a door to scare the bejesus out of her.” He spoke with such warmth, she knew he was actually pretty stoked.
“God, I wish I could be here to see it. She will absolutely flip out. Promise you’ll video it.” She was a little taken aback by just how much she wished she could be here for it.
“I already promised Brendan I would.” He shook his head. “If you thought this town had lost its mind over this contest, you don’t even want to know what they’ll do when they find out he’s back.”
“Parades? Fireworks? Blue Angels flyby?”
“Don’t forget the three-ring circus,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “Seriously though, he’s earned anything this town wants to throw at him. I just hope it’s his last tour.”
There was no mistaking the love and affection in his voice. She bumped his side lightly with hers as they walked. “You’re a good brother. Not many people would have stepped up like you did.”
He shrugged off her compliment. “Believe me, I had the easy part of the bargain. I’m just glad I didn’t run the garage into the ground while he was gone.” He stopped abruptly, whistling with the sort of appreciation normally reserved for catcalls.
“Look at this old Bel Air. How in the hell did she end up here?”
Delaney sent a dubious glance to the rusted out hunk of metal squatting on tire-less rims in the weeds. The driver’s side door was missing and the glass from the passenger side was busted out, littering the moldering red vinyl seats. The backseat was in better shape, presumably since it was better protected from the elements, but there was a hole in the floorboards big enough to stick a leg through. “Someone put it out of its misery?”
He spared a brief scowl her way before turning his attention back to the car. Or car-shaped object, more accurately. “This is a ’57 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible, the quintessential American classic automobile. This baby has twin rear fender skirts, fender antennas, and look,” he said, pointing through the opening where the door should have been, “it even has the old Wonderbar radio.”
“I’ll say this for you,” she said, looking in at the grime-covered dash and shaking her head, “you’ve definitely got vision. This thing looks like the leftover shell from a nuclear bomb explosion.”
Straightening, he caught her eye and grinned. “What do you think of the vintage truck at the garage?”
“The red one?”
When he nodded, she smiled. “It’s gorgeous. Like something from a pinup poster. That’s more quintessential than this rust bucket, for sure.”
The smile that curled his lips was pure, unadulterated male satisfaction. “Funny you should say that. It was in much worse shape than this one when I bought it a few years back.”
Her jaw dropped. “You restored that thing?” It looked like something out of a showroom, with gorgeous curves, mirror-shine chrome, and a paint job straight out of an Italian sports car fantasy. “That’s freaking amazing!”
“Thank you,” he said with a pleased dip of his head. “I hadn’t had much chance to work on it over the years, but I had been searching out and collecting parts I knew I would need for it. When Brendan called, I figured this was my chance.”
“When did you find the time? I thought you were slammed.”
He shrugged. “Nights, mainly. Nothing else to do in this town. After closing up shop, I’d usually spend four or five hours working on it. Besides, things didn’t get really crazy until Malone’s Garage closed for his surgery last week.” He ran a hand through his hair, sending her a look that reminded her of a kid a Christmas. “It’s this close to being finished, too.”
It was impossible not to smile at his excitement. “Why haven’t you been working on it? It would drive me nuts to be that close to something and not finish.” But even as she said the words, she realized why. “Wait a second—did I get in your way?”
For the past few nights, they’d come home together, had dinner with his mother as she chatted about the improvements for the contest, then inevitably ended up on the screened-porch out back, sitting on the rockers and alternately talking and relaxing.
He waved a dismissive hand. “No big deal. I’m not going to leave you to fend for yourself with my mother.”
“I like your mother,” she insisted. It was true, too. She was sweet, funny, and sassy, all rolled up in one. “Besides, I was supposed to stay out of your way, and I’ve done of crappy job of it.”
“You don’t hear me complaining, do you? Besides, you’ll be gone in a few days and I can get back to it then.”
That thought almost made her sad. Pushing it away, she shook her head. “I still can’t believe you fixed that truck up. I feel like you should have one of those reality shows.”
He laughed, obviously thinking she was full of it.
“No, really! With your talent, looks, and eye for beauty, you’d be a shoo in.”
One brown eyebrow arched. “Ah, so you think I’m sexy do you?” The teasing sparkle in his emerald eyes sent a sweet little shiver down her back.
She made a show of rolling her eyes. “Yes, that is exactly what I said. Come on, we’ve got a bumper to pull.”
But just as she took a step, he snagged her by the hand and pulled her back. She drew in a sharp breath as butterflies danced to life in her belly. Oh, Lord. His touch was light, but insistent, and she didn’t even try to resist. Slipping an arm around her waist, he looked down into her eyes, his mirth giving way to something else altogether.
“Hey,” he said softly, his breath caressing her upturned cheeks.
“Hey, yourself,” she replied. Her voice was almost husky.
His other arm slipped around her waist so his hands could join behind her back. “You’re right about one thing.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I do have an eye for beauty. It’s why I can’t take my eyes off you when you’re around. Never could.”
Delaney’s heart pounded hard in her chest. In all their years of knowing each other, she’d never seen him look at her like this before. Like he wanted her. Like there was nothing else in the world but the two of them.
Widening his stance, he leaned against the car behind him, pulling her neatly between his legs. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. “When I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen.” He leaned toward her until their lips were almost touching, so she could just feel the heat of his skin. “Still do,” he whispered.
Her breath was fast and shallow, her heart going a million beats a minute. Giving into the moment, she swayed forward, closed her eyes, and kissed him.