Page 128 of Rebel Summer

“Shut up.”

His smile was the last thing I saw before he silenced me with the most delicious of kisses.

Day 420

The late-afternoon sun poured into Dax’s garage. I’d just gotten out for the summer after my first job as a professor at Harvine College. After the twelve-minute ferry ride to the mainland, the community college was only a ten-minute drive. Not bad, if you consider the fact that I got to teach college students, I wasn’t stuck behind a computer, and Dax’s garage was on the way home from the ferry. Usually, I stuck around for his last half hour or so of work and helped him fill out some invoices, among...other things, if we happened to be the only ones there.

So much had changed in a year. So many of my friends had gotten engaged. Even with all my indiscretions last year, my dad had won his campaign. I felt removed from it all. Our relationship had fallen into exactly what I had told him I’d accept. I no longer worked at the cafe, but whenever I saw him on the street, I smiled. Occasionally, he’d call me when he needed something, but I only said yes when I truly wanted to. The need for his approval had all but dissipated and it seemed to make all the difference.

Dax now had a full-time helper by the name of George, who had lost his job early last summer. He hadn’t known much about mechanics, but he was hard-working and eager to learn. Bonus: he’d been raised on seventies music, so he fit right in. Evan, the high schooler Dax had also taken on, turned out to be a natural and had been a great asset to the shop. He was a reluctant convert to the music Dax insisted on playing, but I had no doubt Dax would get him in the end.

He’d gotten me.

I walked into the shop wearing my favorite casual teaching outfit—paperbag coral shorts that hit me mid-thigh and a cream-colored tank top. My students had been out for the summer for two days already, while I had been stuck in meetings and trainings before, finally, being released as well. I smiled when I saw the massive Lego car spinning around in front of the window, a beacon for tourists and locals alike. Making my way back past the empty lobby, I opened the door to the garage and peeked inside.

Dax and Evan were standing on a small fishing boat pulled into the garage on a trailer. Dax was showing Evan something on the motor. His words were patient, easy-going, and kind—all the traits I’d surprisingly discovered about Dax last summer. That secret sweetness he tried to keep locked away, but ultimately couldn’t.

After a year of serious dating, light discussions of marriage had been danced around more and more, but Dax had seemed to clam up about it lately. He had come a long way in opening up, but sometimes the closed part of him won out.

But come on…you can’t dangle the word marriage in front of a woman for months now, only to get too scared to press forward. I had a whole litter of mini dark-haired, brown-eyed babies I planned to have, and we needed to get cracking.

Dax looked up and saw me standing there. I felt his gaze more than saw it as it trailed down my body, leaving fire in its wake.

“That’s enough for today, Evan.” Dax looked at me while he spoke. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Evan glanced at me and nodded, clearly understanding some sort of silent man code. He stood and jumped down from the boat.

“Don’t forget to clock out.”

“You got it, Boss.” Evan smiled shyly at me while he ambled toward the old pinup calendar.

“You haven’t gotten a new calendar yet?” I laughed.

“Works just fine, doesn’t it, Evan?”

Evan shrugged, blushing a bit as he passed me. “I guess.”

“Bye, Evan,” I called as Dax jumped from the boat and made his way toward me, a panther stalking his prey.

I hoped Evan was gone by the time Dax’s hands found me, but I couldn’t be sure. Nor could I find it in myself to care.

“Are you mine for the summer now?” he asked as he picked me up, his arms locking around the bottom of my hips. I leaned down, skimming my nose against his, while my hands caressed the stubble on his cheeks.

“Yup.”

“How was the last day?”

“Boring, but I’m glad for the summer break.”

“Got any plans this summer?” He blew a breath along my neck.

I tightened my hold around his shoulders. “Maybe a few.” I moved my forehead down so it pressed against his.

“Good.”

“I heard a song the other day that I think you’d like,” I said casually, before I lost my nerve. “It’s even from your preferred decade.”

He put me back down on the ground as I reached in his back pocket for his phone. “So, it’s not ‘SexyBack’?”

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