Mustang Sassy (27 page)

“What?” Carlos held her hands tighter and looked deep into her eyes, his tic giving away how upset he was. “Middle-of-the-night booty calls? Is that what you call a relationship?”

Sass sputtered in response.

“Wham, bam, thank you, man? I wouldn’t even be done before you were sprinting for the door.”

“I—” She opened her mouth to deny his claim but she hadn’t expected his argument to go off in this direction.

His grip on her loosened, and his voice dropped even lower. “You didn’t want a relationship. You didn’t even want to be seen with me. We work together and we sometimes slept together. That’s all you ever wanted.” He made his voice go high. “
It’s only sex, Carlos. That’s all.
Did you forget who said that?”

“But—” Sass stumbled backward as if Carlos had pushed her.

Shaking his head, he pressed his lips together. “You know, all that time we were hooking up, all I really wanted was to be with you,” Carlos said quietly. He glanced over Sass’s shoulder and, in his normal voice, said, “Hey, Al.”

“Everything okay out here?”

Turning at the sound of his voice, Sass could only stare. Her emotions were in upheaval and her brain wasn’t capable of forming a response of any kind.

Al put his arm around her shoulders and ushered her back inside the shop. He sat her down at the coffee machine and spun her chair around to face him. “Carlos did nothing wrong.”

“But he—”

“He was offered a job. He went for a job interview. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“But—”

“There is no one in this little scenario that is beyond blame. Least of all you.”

“I know, but—”

“I think you should take the rest of the day off. You aren’t looking so good.”

“I’m fine. I’m—”

The door to Buck’s office opened and Al glanced behind him to nod at Buck. Sass stared at her father. Feeling betrayed by everyone around her she caught a glimpse of the man following Buck out of his office.

Jordan
.

Chapter Twenty-one

“Hi, Sass.”

“What are you doing here?” Sass glanced accusingly between Buck and Al. “What is
he
doing here?”

“Among other things, he’s come to make amends,” Buck said. “I’m putting him to work.”

Sass stood and backed slowly away from the three men. “Here? Buck, are you out of your mind?”

“Sass, listen. I know you’re upset.”

“You think?” Sass didn’t wait for an explanation. She stormed out of the shop and got in the truck, banging the heavy door shut behind her. Her hunger pains forced her into the parking lot of the Pit—the place where the horror of the last month had all begun.

Well, it wasn’t all a horror. For a while there, things were going pretty good. Images of Jordan at the cabin came to mind. Sass shook her head. What was she thinking? Things weren’t good. Everything had been a lie. A horrible, stupid, stinking lie.

With a sigh, she crossed the parking lot and pushed the doors open to the saloon. The stale smell of beer and greasy food hit her full in the face. She sat down at the empty bar and waited until Sam appeared from the back.

“Hey, Sass. What are you doing here on a Tuesday morning?”

“I’m starving. Can you make me an omelet or something?”

“The kitchen doesn’t open for another ten minutes.”

“That’s fine. I’ll wait.”

“You look like hell.” He poured some orange juice into a glass and slid it over to her.

“So I’ve been told.” Sass drank the orange juice down in three gulps.

“What’s up?”

“My life sucks. It’s a total wreck.”

“Ah, c’mon. Can’t be that bad.”

“Oh yeah it can.”

Twenty minutes later, she had a steaming plate of eggs, hash browns, and sausage in front of her. Sass doused it all in ketchup and started to eat. She heard the saloon doors bang open then shut but she didn’t bother to turn around to see who else had nothing to do on a Tuesday morning.

Someone sat on the stool right next to her. Sass stopped eating. She knew who it was before she even turned. A cloud of fancy perfume followed Mary-Lynn wherever she went.

“What are you doing here?” Sass asked with her mouth full of eggs.

“I’m the evil stepmother. I’m here to make your life a living hell.”

“Get in line.”

Mary-Lynn chuckled. “At least you’ve still got your sense of humor.”

“Not really.” Finally, Sass turned to her and said, “What do you want?”

“I want to get to know you.”

“Great.” Sass shoveled more food into her mouth.

Mary-Lynn tapped her lacquered nails against the surface of the bar and then called to Sam who was stocking the coolers on the other side of the bar. “Excuse me. Would you bring us a bottle of Southern Comfort please?”

Sam took his time bringing the bottle over. “It’s barely past ten.”

Mary-Lynn glanced at her watch. “It’s past noon in Florida,” she drawled. “That’s good enough for me.”

Sam left the bottle and two shot glasses on the counter. “I guess you know how to pour yourself.”

“Uh-huh. Thanks, doll.”

Mary-Lynn had just called Sam
doll
. Sam was six foot two and two-fifty at least. He was no doll. Without turning, she asked, “Do you call everyone doll?”

“Mmm,” Mary-Lynn hummed as she poured the first round. “Not
everyone
.” She slid the glass in front of Sass.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing. Having a drink together on a Tuesday morning probably isn’t going to help.” She pushed the glass away. “And you can tell Buck if he wants to talk to me, he should come here himself.”

Mary-Lynn patted Sass’s hand. “This was my idea, not your father’s. Besides, we both know talking isn’t his strong suit. I, on the other hand, am a very good talker.”

Sass groaned.

“I’m not here to be your mother; I’m not here to win over your affection. I’m here to try to get to know you.”

“You’ll probably regret it. Most do.”

Mary-Lynn’s laugh sounded like little tiny bells. The kind of thing that Sass would probably break if she got her hands on it. “I’m going to marry your dad, and I think it would be nice, for all of us, if you and I could have some kind of relationship.”

At the word relationship, Sass thought of Carlos and what he’d said in the yard earlier that morning.

You know, all that time we were hooking up, all I really wanted was to be with you.

She blinked once, then twice. She massaged the space between her brows, thinking about the thing she’d had with Carlos. The reality of it. She swallowed—hard. Then she grabbed the shot glass closest to her and downed it. “Okay, let’s get to know each other.”

…

“You can stop checking out the window. She’s not coming back today.”

“Huh?” Jordan jumped and nearly knocked over the coffee pot at the unexpected voice behind him. He turned and nodded at the man standing there. “You’re Al McGregor, right?”

“Mmhmm.”

Jordan stuck his hand out to shake Al’s. “I’m—”

“I know who you are.” Al didn’t take his hand but moved around Jordan to pour himself some coffee.

“Right.” Jordan dropped his hand and forced a smile. “I guess Buck told you why I’m here.”

“He told me something about you offering to work for Hogan’s for free for the next few weeks.” Al didn’t sound too pleased about the prospect.

“That’s right.”

“Why would you do that? Plan to steal shop materials next?”

“No,” Jordan said. “Buck knows our intentions. Carlyle’s wants to buy Hogan’s. This is our way—my way—of apologizing for what happened.”

“For what happened?” Al grinned, but his smile wasn’t friendly. “That sounds like it was an accident—you sneaking around and taking advantage of one of our employees in the worst possible way. That ain’t no accident.”

Jordan felt the same way he’d felt when he was ten years old and Blake would hold his arms while Brandon used him for a punching bag. He coughed and said, “Yeah. Well, I’m sorry about that.”

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Jordan said, “I know. But Sass won’t give me the time of day.”

Al shrugged. “Can’t blame her.” He leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee. Then he glanced out the window. “So, you’re here to work, huh?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I guess you’re going to need something to do, then?”

“That’s the idea.”

“What did you do at Carlyle’s?”

Jordan cleared his throat. Time to tell the truth about his job at the family business. “Payroll, customer satisfaction follow-ups, some HR stuff.” He wished he could add design to that list. But there was no way that was ever going to happen now.

“Office stuff?”

“Mostly.”

“You ever clean a car before?”

“Clean? You mean detail?”

Al shook his head. “No, I mean ‘clean.’” He pointed out the window. “See that Model A coupe shell out in the yard?”

Jordan followed Al’s finger. There were a number of old wrecks out in the back of Hogan’s, but the one Al was pointing at had weeds and thistle growing up around it. It was so rusted and dilapidated, it looked like roadkill after all the carrion eaters were done with it. “What do you want me to do?”

“Take a sander and a brush and clean it. Get all the crap off it so we know what we got to work with.”

Clearing his throat again, Jordan asked, “You sure there isn’t anything else you need?”

“From you?” Al sipped his coffee and shook his head. “Nope.”

…

Sass’s head was swimming, Mary-Lynn’s voice seemed far away and everything was all fuzzy like she was stuck underwater. She set her head down on the bar and took a few deep breaths.

“I think it’s time to get you home, doll.”

“Huh?” Sass glanced at the woman sitting beside her. Her hair was perfect. Her makeup? Not one smudge. Her eyes were bright but not glassy. “How come you’re not drunk?” Sass slurred.

“Sweets, you’re looking at Tri-Delta’s ‘Shoot it or Lose it’ four-time champion, 1988-92.”

“You were in a sorority?”

“Yep. Go, Gators, Go.”

“Of course you were.” Sass slithered off her stool to the sound of Mary-Lynn’s laughter. Which didn’t make any sense because Sass had just insulted her. Or, tried to, anyway. But in the midst of it, Sass found herself held up by Mary-Lynn’s tiny arms. She moved her away. “I can walk by myself.”

“I’m sure you can, but despite how I look,
I
need a little help.”

With reluctance, Sass let Mary-Lynn take her arm. “Who’s gonna drive? I don’t think you should.” Sass tried to point at Mary-Lynn but her finger missed.

“Let’s walk. It can’t be far, and it’ll do us good.”

Sass snickered. “You? Walk? It’s two miles at least.”

“You think I don’t know how to walk? I used to run the mile in college.”

“You were on the track team?”

“Mmhmm.”

Sass stared at Mary-Lynn. But her face swam in and out of focus. “But you’re so…”

“So, what?”

“So…I don’t know. You don’t look like an athlete.”

Mary-Lynn shrugged and headed for the door. “Well, it was a few years ago. I don’t know if I’d call myself an athlete anymore. But I do try to follow Coco’s philosophy.” Once at the door, Mary-Lynn called and waved to Sam, “Thanks, sweets! We had a lovely time.”

Sam chuckled and called back, “You need a ride home?”

“Oh, we’re fine. Sass, here, is going to walk me. Aren’t you, doll?”

“Sure, why not.” Sass helped Mary-Lynn, or Mary-Lynn helped Sass—Sass wasn’t sure which it was—out into the bright sunshine, which was weird. Sass had never been tipsy in the middle of the day before. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation. Way too bright. The brightness made Sass squint which just made her head feel even more swimmy.

They weaved across the parking lot and Sass asked, “So, who’s Coco?”

Mary-Lynn stopped, regarding her with wide eyes. “Coco Chanel, who else?”

“Of course.” Sass made a derisive sound at the back of her throat. “So, what’s her philosophy?”

Smiling with her straight white teeth peeking out between her lips, Mary-Lynn said, “A girl should be two things, doll. Classy and fabulous.”

Sass snorted and started walking again. “The very things I am
not
.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

Sass stopped walking and stood stock-still.

“Sugar? What’s wrong? You going to be sick?”

Sass wavered on the sidewalk at the edge of the parking lot certain she must be seeing things. She no longer heard Mary-Lynn chattering beside her. All she could hear was the pounding of the blood between her temples. Parked across the street, at the Burger Baron, was a bright red ’57 Chevy with unmistakable flames licking up the front and sides of it. Flames that bore an awful resemblance to the ones tattooed across her backside.

“Sass, honey? You okay?”

“I’ll be right back,” Sass said.

Without even looking for cars, she stumbled across the street, half walking, half running. A car honked and slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting her, but Sass didn’t pay any attention. Her focus was solely and completely on the car. It was like a dream, seeing that car again. The car that inspired her tattoo. The car that inspired the red paint job for the Corvette. The first car she’d ever had sex in.

Once she stood beside it, she couldn’t help herself. She ran her hand along the rear fin, the polished chrome. Her hand started to shake as she traced the flames licking along the passenger door.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

Sass looked up to see a man hurrying back to his car with a Burger Baron bag clutched in his hand. He was big, but not as big as Jordan. Where before he’d always been fit, now his stomach hinted at a paunch and his longish blond hair needed to be washed.

“Sass?”

“Dex. Long time no see.”

Chapter Twenty-two

Dex’s gaze trailed up and down her body. “Sass Hogan. My, my. What are you doing here?”

“What do you think I’m doing here? I live here. The question is, what the hell are
you
doing here?”

He grinned. It was that grin that had always been her undoing. Dex Whelan had the ability to go from appearing greasy and dangerous to desirable and charming in one simple gesture. “Hell, I never planned to come back.” He dropped the bag of food on the roof of the car and came around the hood to stand beside her. To look down at her. “I guess I just couldn’t stay away.”