“Were you racing?” he asks, breaking the silence.
“No.” Racing seems to be at the root of it all. “I came here to get away.”
“Rough night?”
“Could say that.”
He gives a wry chuckle. “You’re too young for those kind of worries.”
“My sister’s getting married.”
“Ah.”
“I’m happy for her,” I rush out quickly. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea. “He’s a good guy. It’s always been the two of us. Now, everyone is moving on with their lives and I feel like mine has stalled.”
Hank nods and we continue to sit in silence. “I hear you’re a good racer.”
“You know who I am?” I ask, surprised.
“Yeah. I may be kicking on, but I listen to the talk around the garage. Aaron’s always talking about you.”
“He’s a good mechanic and a good guy.”
“Word is so are you?” He arches his dark eyebrow to look sideways at me.
“Yeah, I know my way around an engine.”
“I could use another mechanic.”
I turn to him, my foggy brain playing catch up. “Seriously? You’re offering me a job?”
“Yeah, unless you don’t want it?”
“No, I do. I work for Causey but …”
“It’s yours if you’re interested.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
We sit in silence. I’m still trying to get my head around the fact Hank has offered me a job, as drunk as I am.
“Why are you up here?” I ask. It’s not the sort of place most people come to unless it’s to watch a race. Other beauty spots around town would be better.
“My daughter left today.”
I don’t say anything because I know this and I wonder if he knows about my connection to Leigh.
“It’s something she needs to do. There is something about this town that gets to her. I don’t get it but …”
“Will she be back?” I hold my breath, waiting for him to tell me that she’ll be back before he knows it and she’ll stay for good.
He scrubs a hand down his face, drains the last drop of the whiskey, and turns to me. Pinning me with familiar green eyes. “I hope so.” And he pushes up to standing. It’s not the answer I was looking for and it doesn’t ease the knot in my stomach or the pain in my heart.
“Come on, son. I’ll take you home. You look like you could do with some sleep.” I let him pull me up to standing and guide me to his car. I’m more drunk or tired than I realized and I doze off on the ride back to town. It isn’t until Hank gently shakes me awake that I realize we’re not at my house.
“You can crash on the couch,” is all he says as he climbs out the car.
Chapter Twenty-Three
My first week at Hank’s Auto Shop passes quickly. Guys who race on the quarter mile come in with their cars, a couple of tune-ups, and some modifications. I am doing what I love and with guys who are as obsessed with cars as I am. It is too social to be considered work. Aaron and I lock up on Friday evening, and once the shutters down, he turns to me.
“Racing tonight?”
“Yeah. I guess I’ll see you there,” I reply. Nothing else to do and my heart sinks when I remember Leigh won’t be there. Seeing her was part of the appeal, even if she never spoke to me. I liked knowing that she came to watch me race. I always looked for her in the crowd and watched her unobserved. I sound like a total creeper, but I’m not ashamed of it.
“I’m sorry she left.” Aaron flashes me a sympathetic smile and I nod.
“You and me both.”
“She’ll be back,” he says assuring me and himself. I hope he’s right; her family is still here and Beth—she has to come back.
“I’ll be waiting.” His mouth drops open with surprise at my answer, and I’m more surprised I actually said it. Since the night we spent together, the one I’m not about to tell Aaron about, I openly admit to myself that I’m in love with her. Have been for a long time.
I part ways with Aaron and drive home. Meghan’s saved leftovers from the diner in the fridge for me, which I eat standing over the kitchen sink. After I get showered and changed, I pause on my way out the door. Meghan is in a good mood. I can hear singing coming from her bedroom; she’s been like this since they got engaged. Me, on the other hand … I’m in a funk. My bad mood has gotten worse all week, and I need to get over myself. I think back to what I said to Aaron in the garage. Where did that come from? I’ll be waiting? What if she never comes back? Now, I’m pissed off. Pissed at her for leaving me and pissed at myself for screwing it all up and not realizing how I felt about her until it was too late. Now, she’s gone. I can’t keep wallowing like this. I need to get out there, win this race, and find some girl to get over Leigh.