Page 15 of Suits and Spark Plugs

“The car needs full brakes and rotors, and an alternator. It will be about nine hundred dollars for everything. That includes labor.”

I closed my eyes as my stomach tightened into a knot. “Pocket change,” I tried to joke, but it came out wobbly.

Blaine’s arms tightened around me, and he leaned his head close to my ear. “It sounds like a lot, but I can cover it.”

“I can’t imagine how I’d pay that back,” I replied quietly. “Let me think about it. I’ll take the car home for now and figure it out.” I raised my head and gave him a half-hearted smile before stepping out of his embrace. I turned to Connor, who had been trying not to watch it all play out. “Keys, please.”

“You sure?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“I have to back it out of the bay. You can meet me in the parking lot,” Connor replied. He exited the small lobby area again, and I tried not to make a face when I heard the sputtering of the engine echoing around the bay. It didn’t sound good, or right, or normal, and it definitely wasn’t starting.

“Say nothing.” I held up a hand when I heard Blaine take a breath. “It’s not that bad.”

“It’s that bad,” he said, but at least there was a smile tugging at his lips.

Thankfully, he was finally seeing the humor in the situation, which only grew as we saw Connor climb out of my car, still in the bay, and come walking toward us. I smiled when Blaine started laughing. He was so attractive when he laughed. I watched his face, enjoying his expression, wishing he could laugh more.

“It won’t start,” Connor said plainly.

“This is a car shop. You have jumper cables, yes?” I asked.

“I don’t want to have to tow you home tomorrow because I let you take the car today,” he replied. “Let’s just get it fixed. We’ll figure out a payment plan or something.”

“That’s an excellent solution. I didn’t think to ask if you do payment plans.” Blaine brightened up considerably.

“I don’t,” Connor replied.

“But you just said...” Blaine stammered, confused.

“She’s a local girl. We’ll get her sorted.” Connor looked at me for an answer, which I appreciated, because it was my car, after all, and my money we were talking about.

I needed a minute to think, so I held up a hand and looked at the floor. After doing some quick calculations in my head I looked back up. “The most I can pay you is fifty dollars a month. So it would take me a year and a half to pay off. Who knows if the car will still be running then?” I gulped.

“We’ll figure it out. Have your boyfriend take you home. I’ll get the parts ordered and the repairs done. Come back in three days,” Connor said.

I simply nodded as Blaine effusively thanked Connor and shook his hand, this time careless of the grease. He kept chatting about what a nice guy Connor was the whole way to his car and on the short drive to my home. I knew the truth, but kept my mouth shut for once.

“Thanks, Blaine,” I said when he pulled up in front of my parents’ house.

“I’m glad it’s all worked out.”

He leaned over and gave me a light kiss. He apologized for having to run, but I was secretly relieved as I waved goodbye, then made my way inside and up to my bedroom. Worry was my companion as I got dressed in comfortable clothes and settled in to study before it was time to make dinner.

What was Connor going to demand for payback? Could I trust him? How much was this actually going to cost me?

CHAPTER five

The soft sounds of oil paint sliding across canvas soothed me into a dreamlike state as the mountain scene I was painting took shape. Gentle strokes to make snow drifts, harder strokes to create the depth needed for pine needles to jump off the page, purple and blue mountain peaks in the background. The sharp tang of paint thinner filled the air, and I could feel a wet spot on my jeans where I’d dripped some below where my apron covered. My mind forgot my worries as I tapped and swirled the brushes. This was my escape, my happy place.

It was a precious Saturday off, and I didn’t have time to be painting. The kitchen needed a major clean up, our food supplies were at critical level, and I needed to pick up my car from Mainstreet Mechanic this afternoon. Still...

I dabbed a fresh brush into pastel pink, deciding to paint the underside of the clouds and make it look like sunset. My tongue stuck out between my lips as I concentrated, a habit I’d had since childhood. I tasted the hint of strawberry in my Chapstick.

“Hello? Earth to Liv,” Sadie’s voice interrupted me. I startled briefly but managed to keep from swooping the paint through a cloud and ruining what I was doing.

“What?” I grumped, not bothering to turn and look at her.

---