and I told you, there was silence! All the way to my truck and everything. You’re used to—”
She cuts me off with a yelled, “Who’s judging now?!! Huh?!” lowering her voice now that she’s got my attention. “I was stunned because your house is almost better than my parents’ and I was wondering if mechanics really do rip us off like we always think they do!”
A ripple of laughter through the crowd.
I raise my voice for them. “I’m as honest as they come!” and to her add the question, “That’s really what you were thinking?”
“Sammy, what does Uncle Jake do for a living?”
“He’s a construction worker!”
“Water reclamation specifically. And what about Uncle Jett?”
“We can’t say!”
Cherry meets my eyes, clarifying, “But it’s not a job that rolls him in cash every night. My cousin Ben is a farmer. His father, my Uncle Jaxson, has a modest ranch with a little retreat called Sunflower that barely clears a profit. Wyatt’s a cop, as you know, and they make very little. Nathan is a firefighter—”
“Okay! You don’t have to go down the list.”
“I’m just saying, the only person who thought I looked down on your job was you. I run books for a yoga studio and barely make above minimum wage! I’ve got two roommates!”
Sam shouts, “Two awesome roommates!”
“But two roommates, so when you told me you were a mechanic after we fucked all over your two story, three bedroom craftsman,” more laughter from the crowd, ignored this time, “I was impressed almost as much as I was by your…” She motions to my crotch, and people start whistling. “So guess what? For a guy who needs to know everything, you sure don’t know much.”
Stunned, I stare at her, putting it all together and realizing how wrong everything I assumed was. “What’re you telling me?”
“Everything that I’ve just been saying!”
“Yeah, but what’s underneath it?”
The audience hushes until they're bone-silent as bright green eyes gaze up at me. “I’m saying I’m in love with you, Crocodiles.”
I hook my arm around her, drag that sweet body close and kiss her like everyone watching should take lessons, breaking free to make it clear to her and everyone listening, “I’m in love with you, too, Cherry.”
“You really are?”
“Fuck yes, I am!”
The crowd goes wild, and gets even louder as Lexi leaps up, wraps her dance-lovin’ legs around me, dress hiked up as we kiss like crazy.
Samantha shouts, “Good thing about those matching panties now, Lexi!”
Ralphie yells through cupped hands, “You’re one lucky sonofabitch, Gage, you know that?!!”
Kissing the fire I was drawn to that very first night and every night since, I murmur, “That is something I do know.”
Cherry smiles with pure love in her eyes, and there’s never been anything more beautiful. “You love me and I love you!”
“Yep.”
Staring at my mouth she whispers, “Hey Gage…”
“Yeah?”
“Ya wanna play darts?”
I throw my head back and laugh with relief and flat-out joy, spinning her around to carry her inside just like this as the crowd makes way for us, clapping.
“You’re all witnesses. Lexi loves me!”
“I sure do, Crocodiles.” She nuzzles my neck, “And I’m proud everybody knows it!”
Chapter Thirty-Five
GAGE
“So this is where you work!” Cherry calls out with a saucy smile, sexy as fuck in a yellow halter, blue jeans swaying. “You just gave me an address but you didn’t clue me in about the name.” Her finger points back to the sign. “Holbrook’s Garage?”
Wiping a day’s work from my hands onto an old rag, I meet her by Ralphie’s Mustang. She looks up, recognizing it.
“That’s his. Brought it here Thursday.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“He was so nice buying our drinks last night.”
“We gave his bar quite a show.”
“You’ve had it here two days and still nothing?” She feigns shock. “Better step it up, friend!”
I grab her. “I’m not your friend.”
Gazing lovingly up at me, Cherry murmurs, “What are you then?”
“I’m your one and only.”
A slow smile spreads lips I kissed all night long. “Yes, you are. Better make sure your boss gives you Saturdays off again.”
“You said that twice already this morning.”
“I was shocked you were working on our day off!”
Playfully smacking her ass while she’s still in my arms, I demand, “How was I supposed to know we’d still have those?”
“Why is this place called Holbrooks?”
“It belonged to my dad.”
She blinks at the reminder of his passing. “Oh!”
“No, he gave it to me years ago, Cherry, don’t get sad. Retired at sixty-seven. His fingers weren’t as nimble as they used to be. Arthritis.”
“Wait…you own this?”
“And