Page 19 of Peach Blossom Hollow

“Have not!” She gave a snort of disbelief.

“You promised you’d help me get somewhere with Christine.”

“So we’re both reneging.”

“Well, that ends now.”

“Okay.” She leaned over him as he adjusted a cable clip that was slipping off, holding the flashlight he’d propped on the air filter’s lid so he could see what he was doing. She smelled nice.

“How about Landon?” he suggested, referring to the team’s goalie. “He seems decent.”

“Crushing on Cassandra.”

“Really? Cassandra McTavish?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard she moved out here to be closer to her sister, Alexa. We grew up in the same town back in Montana.” He looked over his shoulder and met Violet’s dark, bright eyes in the glow of the flashlight. Her lashes were longer than he’d realized and her quiet beauty struck him. How had he never noticed that before? “How about Dylan?”

She rolled her eyes. Right. Dylan had flirt-fought with Jenny from the Blue Tumbleweed shop in town throughout dinner.

“Okay, how about…Dak? That guy working on the team’s charity efforts—he was here tonight. Great guy.”

“Totally in love with Miranda.”

“Miranda Fairchild?” The team’s owner? Interesting.

Violet nodded.

“Well, I’ll keep looking then.”

“Send me plenty, because I’m cursed when it comes to love. Guys always leave me.”

“Can’t be true.”

“Still single.”

“Which is a crime, I tell you.”

“Preach it, brother.”

He chuckled and wiped his hands on a rag he kept tucked under his hood. “Okay. Go start your car.”

Violet flashed a smile and slid into the driver’s seat. She grinned when the engine came to life, and leaned out the window. “Thank you!”

Leo coiled up the cables, wanting to stretch out his time with Violet, but unsure how. He turned to stare when she turned off her car and got out.

“What are you doing?” he demanded.

She stopped moving. “Saying thank you?”

“Your car needs to run a bit to charge up the battery again.”

“Oh.” Her face flamed red in the stream from his headlights. She groaned and tipped back her head.

“It’s smart to turn it off when you get out. It’s a good habit. Otherwise your car could get stolen, right?”

She nodded, biting her bottom lip.

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