in a dozen different directions, I left the office and poked my head out into the garage. It was just after nine at night. My mouth dropped at the sight of Penny curled up and asleep on one of the plastic chairs, wrapped in Conor’s dirty shirt.
Still in those overalls, Conor was bent over the engine of the car. His hands and vast chest were practically black with grease. He even had tiny little spots of grease on his face that gave him a rugged edge.
Jem was on another chair, eyes glazed, a near empty bottle of beer in one hand. He was chatting away, making Conor laugh. They hadn’t noticed me yet.
“Maybe, after a couple cars, a few good pay checks, we can get out of Blackwater, go somewhere different,” Jem was saying quietly as he spun the bottle around. “I got nothing keeping me here. I get offers for the bar all the time. I think, after everything you told me today…maybe you deserve a fresh start, too.”
Conor, who was under the hood of the car, poked his head out to look at him. “Charlotte’s built a life here.”
“Not really,” Jem argued. “The house isn’t hers, and I doubt she’ll be working for Locke very long now that you’re here.”
“She might be happy here.”
“She was only here for you, Conor. She didn’t want to let you go. The town has not been too nice to her, and she’s never warmed up to anyone, either.”
Conor frowned, looking thoughtful. “I used to think starting over was something I needed to do to let go of the past, but…” His eyes suddenly flashed to mine as I stood in the doorway. “I’m not sure it matters where I go anymore. As long as I have the people I love with me, I’m alright.”
Jem followed his line of sight. When he saw me, he smiled lazily. “Hey, Char, we were just talking shit about you.”
“Oh, yeah, because I’m so horrible.”
“That’s right. You are the mostest horrible.”
“Mostest, huh?” Stepping out, I dramatically shot him a glare and replied, “You’re starting to slur, Jem. I think it’s time you retire for the evening.”
Jem set the bottle down on the ground and patted his pockets. “I gotta find my keys first.”
“As if I’m letting you drive out of here.” I pointed my thumb at the door behind me. “You can take the spare room.”
Jem shot Conor a brighter smile. “Mr Thames, she’s giving me the spare room in all my greasy state. This girl is a keeper. Better give her your name before someone else does.”
Conor smirked. “Like you, Jem?”
Jem forced himself up, wobbling slightly. “The way half the men in this town look at her, I’d be the last of your worries.”
“Alright,” I cut in, feeling my cheeks heat. “Enough talk about me. Let’s get you inside. I’ll need to dig out some spare sheets for your filthy ass. Conor, you continue messing up the garage, but you’re cleaning up when you’re done.”
Conor chuckled and Jem looked amused, muttering, “I see who wears the pants around here.”
I wrapped my arms around Penny and cradled her inside as Jem followed. Upstairs, I settled her into her bed, holding back my cringe because she hadn’t bathed and changed and she smelled a little like engine oil, but I reasoned she was dead asleep. Waking her up would be cruel, and I’d wash her and the sheets in the morning, anyway.
Jem was in the doorway, watching me tuck her in, smiling softly at me with his glazed eyes. “Feels like yesterday I was watching you fall apart over her.”
I smiled back. “I remember hearing the front door slam and thinking you had abandoned me that night.”
He shook his head solemnly, all trace of humour gone. “Never entertained the thought. Still wouldn’t. You, her, Conor, are my family.”
I swallowed back the emotion in my throat from his words. I walked past him and grabbed the spare sheets from the hallway closet. Entering the guest bedroom, I quickly set up his bed, gesturing once to the bathroom. “You can have a shower in there before you crash. I’ll have a spare change of clothes outside the door for you.”
“Thanks, Charlotte.”
I paused and looked at him gravely, shaking my head. “No, Jem, it’s me who should be thanking you for what you did down there.”
“Getting drunk in your garage?” he cheekily asked.
I stood up straight. “No,” I told him. “For getting the car, for sparking life back into Conor. I’ve