Drive Me Wild - Melanie Harlow Page 0,28

know that for sure,” Darlene said irritably.

“Actually, Griffin’s right,” I said. “I’m only here for a few weeks.”

“A few weeks?” His mother looked hopeful again.

“Yes. It’s going to take Griffin some time to get the parts he needs to fix my car, and in the meantime I’m going to work at the desk and help out with a new marketing strategy at the garage.”

“Was there an old marketing strategy?” joked Cheyenne, coming into the room and dropping onto a leather recliner.

I smiled. “It’s centered around an event we’re going to plan for Labor Day weekend. Sort of an open house to reintroduce the business to the town. But first, we’re going to renovate the lobby a bit.”

Cheyenne’s jaw fell open. “You convinced him to renovate the lobby? Wow, he really did fall under your spell.”

“It was Blair that fell,” Darlene said. “Did you know that? Fainted dead away at the mere sight of him, and he caught her.”

“Really?” Cheyenne looked back and forth from me to Griffin, whose mouth was set in a grim line.

“No,” he said, annoyed. “She was dehydrated.”

“I heard she was wearing a wedding dress.” Darlene looked smug as she pointed a finger at her son. “Now you tell me that isn’t divine intervention.”

“Jesus Christ, Ma. It wasn’t divine intervention, it was a flat tire.”

Darlene quirked a brow. “You say tomato, I say tomahto.”

“Anyway,” I went on, rising from the couch, “I’m really grateful for the short-term work at the garage. I feel very lucky.”

“Well, I’m tickled pink that Griffin has someone to help out while I’m laid up.” Darlene fell back on the couch and made a big show of lifting both legs onto the cushions, even though she’d seemed fine a moment before. “You never know how long I’ll be out.”

“Mom, you just said earlier the doctor said you could go back to work sometime next week,” Cheyenne said.

“You hush, Cheyenne Dempsey. That’s not at all what the doctor said.”

“I was in the room, Mom.”

“You must have misheard, darling.” Darlene shot her daughter an evil look. “So thank the Lord for sending sweet, lovely Blair to fill in for me as long as we need her.”

Griffin cleared his throat. “So, Mom. Blair needs somewhere to stay while she’s in town. Know anyone who’s renting a room?”

“I thought she was staying at your place.”

“That was an emergency situation.”

“Well, you can’t just kick her out, Griffin. What’s the matter with you?”

Griffin breathed heavily through his nose. “No one’s kicking anyone anywhere, Mom. Now do you know someone renting a room or not?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I need to think about it.” She smiled indulgently at him. “You’re always such a bear when you’re hungry. How about some nice chicken salad?”

“No, thank you.” Griffin came over and grabbed me by the forearm. “Let’s go, Blair.”

“Nice meeting you, Darlene. Cheyenne,” I called over my shoulder as Griffin dragged me toward the front door. His legs were much longer than mine, and I stumbled once or twice.

“You too!” Cheyenne shouted. “And congrats again on tying the knot!”

Griffin shook his head as he pulled me onto the porch, the screen door slamming shut behind us. He held my arm as we went down the steps, then he stopped short. “Oh my God.”

I looked in the direction of his gaze and saw that someone—probably Cheyenne—had tied several aluminum cans to the bumper of Griffin’s truck, and a sign that said JUST MARRIED was stuck in the rear window. Mariah and her damp little friends stood giggling next to the car, and when they saw us, they came running.

“Congratulations!” they shouted, showering us with handfuls of rice. “Yay! You got married!”

“We didn’t get married,” Griffin barked at them.

Mariah looked crestfallen. “But Miss Cheyenne said—”

“Miss Cheyenne lies.”

Laughing, I stumbled forward through the shower of rice as he started marching across the lawn. His grip on me was tight but not painful, and I sort of liked how worked up he was. He was cute when he smiled, but he was smoking hot when he was mad, and the stubborn clenched jaw was doing things to me.

“Sorry, girls,” I said with a smile. “It’s just a joke. We aren’t really married.”

The three girls looked disappointed. “Nothing fun ever happens around here,” one of them complained. But a minute later, they were tossing the rice at each other, shrieking and racing back toward the sprinkler.

“I’m going to throttle my sister,” Griffin grumbled, pulling his keys from his pocket.

“Come on, she’s funny.”

“She’s a pain in the ass.”