Page 37 of Forever Endeavor

CHAPTER 12

Sonny

The service bell pinged as the FedEx truck rolled to a stop in front of the garage. Their usual driver carried out boxes and stacked them neatly near the open doors. “Looks like quite a few today, Sonny,” Jake said, dropping off another armload before going back for more.

Gurdeep came over to lend Sonny a hand. “Whoa, what’s all this? Did the powertrain control module come for Billie’s car? She’ll be happy we can finally get it fixed.”

“Let’s not get her hopes up yet. Once I install the new PCM, I still need to clear the error codes and then reprogram the entire system. Hopefully none of the sensors are blown. A lot can go wrong with those touchy foreign models,” Sonny said.

“Nah, you got this boss man, unless—”

“Unless?”

Gurdeep shrugged. “Maybe you’re in no rush to get Billie’s car back on the road.”

Sonny grimaced. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me. Admit it, you’re warm for her form.”

“C’mon, cut that shit out.”

“What about the other night at The Pell? You said yourself it was a date.”

Sonny sidestepped a response by picking up as many parcels as he could carry to the service counter. “Gotta get this stock updated in the inventory.”

Gurdeep filled his arms and followed him. “I know you like her. And why wouldn’t you? Billie’s great. She’s beautiful, smart and funny, plus she brings us coffee every afternoon which is obviously just her excuse to come by and see you. Why don’t you go for it, Sonny?”

“Go for what? She’s a famous author and I’m just the small-town shmuck fixing her car. We’re from two different worlds, and in a short time she’ll go back to the one she came from.”

“Dude, you could totally be the Billy Joel to her Christie Brinkley. I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy and I bet her mama never told her why.”

Now Gurdeep was really pissing him off. “You’re delusional, you know that?”

“It’s not every day a woman like Billie turns up out of the blue and then has the audacity to show an interest in you. This could turn into something great, right Jake?”

Jake joined the pair at the counter, holding out a tablet and stylus pen to Sonny. “What’s up, fellas?”

“Now don’t go getting Jake involved in this.” Sonny scrawled his signature on the screen and shoved it back.

Gurdeep ignored him. “Jake, for the sake of argument, let’s say that you’ve been living like a hermit since your last relationship ended. Pathetic, really. Then one day, you meet this gorgeous redhead who’s sweet, sassy and sexy. Ticks all the boxes of your perfect dream girl. And here’s the kicker. Despite the odds, she seems to be into you. Do you: A) give her the brush-off because you assume a woman like that could never see a future with a guy like you, or B) move heaven and earth to show her how amazing you think she is and win her heart?”

Sonny frowned. “Don’t answer that, Jake.”

Jake also ignored Sonny and addressed Gurdeep directly. “Well, that’s not much of a predicament, really. S’pose I’d be a fool to let a catch like that slip through my fingers.”

Gurdeep flashed a smarmy grin. “Hear that Sonny? Now you gonna try for that Uptown Girl?”

Still stewing, Sonny set to work tearing open the newly delivered packages and entering item numbers into the inventory system. Gurdeep had a lot of fucking nerve, especially with that hermit crack. He had no idea how divorce shredded your nervous system. Billie understood, and licking old wounds together was something they shared in common besides great sex, as mind-blowing as it was. Being friends with benefits suited him fine until Gurdeep had to throw around the F-word. Future? C’mon, their casual fling couldn’t possibly have a longer shelf life than milk. But that didn’t mean Sonny would miss out on making the most of the present.

“You’re right, I do like her, okay? You also made a good point about showing her she’s special. She deserves that.”

Gurdeep sprang up from behind a Volkswagen like a whack-a-mole target. “Yes!”

“Whoa now, don’t go popping your cork, I ain’t gonna propose or nothin’. But last night, I did start working on a little surprise for Billie and I think I could use your help.”

Billie

Billie sat at her laptop, poised to stalk social media profiles of anyone and everyone named Melissa Hayes. Janus Lake was not a big place, so theoretically, finding the heartless witch causing Sonny so much grief should be child’s play. But wait a minute, she realized, why do an online search when the town’s very own answer to Google was pouring coffee nearby?

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