She expertly works with the wires. “It’s weird that not everyone gets a summer break. Don’t you miss it?”
“Of course. Everyone enjoys summer break. It takes a lot of getting used to when you don’t get that anymore.”
“You chose the wrong profession, Ang.” She glances up as I walk around to the passenger side and slide in beside her. “Rookie mistake, and such a guy thing to do.”
“You told me your students are monsters and you were considering a job in the garage.”
Her entire frame bounces with laughter. “That was then. Now summer’s here and I remember why being a teacher is awesome.”
“It’s not too hot yet.”
“Not yet, but it will be soon.” She flashes a beautiful smile. “I bet it’s gonna hit hard this year. It’s saving the heat up, then we’ll all melt to the road.”
She paints a picture in my mind of a blistering summer in a hot garage.
Rookie mistake, indeed. I should’ve picked an office job.
“I probably need to buy new fans for the shop. My guys will kill me if it gets hot again like last summer.”
Footsteps on the internal stairs draw my attention. I wait for the door to open, because I know who it is, but more than that, I know it’sbothof them. The steps are too heavy not to be Kane’s boots, and there’s no way Jess won’t follow him out to get more of what they were watching in the yard.
“Incoming,” Laine murmurs. Her eyes remain on her tasks, her hands sure. The dangling strands of hair over her shoulder draw my attention, tempting me to wind around my fingers. “They used to coddle me when I first came here. Jess made all my meals, brought me snacks, asked me what I wanted to watch. She made Kane watch Gilmore Girls every night just to get me to sit with them.”
“And now?”
She grins. “Now she calls out if I’m in the kitchen and tells me to bring her snacks. She throws balled socks at my head the way you throw wrenches when your apprentices don’t put them away.” She knows me so well. “She’s officially done coddling me. Time to grow up and rejoin society.”
The door swings open and reveals a set of dirty grins.
Sliding under Kane’s arm, Jess steps into the garage and studies us. “You guys know you need to take it outside, right? Driving means roads.”
“Ha.” Laine rolls her eyes and works on mounting the odometer. “I’m finishing this, then we’ll take it for a spin.”
“That’ll be nice.” Jess’ mischievous eyes meet mine. “You should take it up to the lookout. It’s a good place for couples; maybe you’ll bust someone banging in public.”
Missing her sister’s jab, Laine lets out an inelegant snort. “I swear, they’re filthy.”
“Who?” Kane pulls Jess against his chest. “Who’s filthy?”
“Britt got busted with Jack at the lookout. She was going to dirty town with her man when the cops turned up.”
“The cops… her brother?” he laughs. “She was busted by her brother?”
“Yup.” Jess looks up and grins. “It was super shitty timing, considering Britt had organized a dinner for the next night to introduce us all. Ya know; bringing the boyfriend home to meet the family. It was a shit show.”
“But it gets better,” Laine continues. I already know this story, I was there for that dinner, I saw the gun slinging, egg throwing, ketchup bottle flinging drama. “After Britt and Jack married and had a baby, they were driving around one night because baby Charlie wouldn’t sleep. They drove up to the lookout.”
Jess snickers. “Wouldn’t ya know it; Alex was up there banging Jules.”
Kane’s smile grows. “Busted by his little sister?”
“Yeah. Jack was pretty smug about that.”
“I’m constantly surprised by you freaks.” Kane shakes his head. “You act all white bread, pure and clean and perfect, but then you find out the little secrets. The fucking in public. The cow tipping. The criminal friends.”
“Youare our criminal friend!” Jess laughs.
“Don’t forget the gun range,” Laine adds. “You meet weird commando dudes that are perfectly content aiming guns at people he claims are his friends, and if that ain’t weird enough, turns out your sister is on a first name basis with him.”