Page 28 of Minor Trouble
“Okay, give me the keys. I’ll take it for a drive around the block and see what I can hear.”
Clumsily, I tossed him the keys, which clattered to the floor in front of him. Laughing to himself, he bent down to pick them up. He grabbed a seat cover to protect the upholstery from his clothes, then got in the car, moved the seat back and fired up the engine. As he drove off, I swore I could hear the banging.
While I waited, I didn’t know whether to make polite conversation with Maddox. He appeared engrossed in whatever he was doing, and I didn’t want to disturb him. Then again, I was keen to know whether Seth had shared anything about our Saturday night.
“How are Seth and Noah doing?” I asked at last.
Maddox didn’t look up from his work, his head still under the hood as he carried on what he was doing. “Better, I think. After this weekend they seem a bit closer. Seth and I went out with a couple of my friends for a few drinks yesterday while Noah was at his friend’s place. He said they had fun choosing stuff for Noah’s room and decorating it.”
“Ah, that’s good. It still can’t be easy.”
“So many changes for them both in such a short time. I can only imagine what Noah’s been through.”
“Mmmm.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say that wouldn’t incriminate me, so I stood there in silence, watching Maddox work. Thankfully, Seth returned in less than five minutes.
He got out of the car, shaking his head. “Can’t hear a thing. Sounds exactly the same as when I worked on it before.”
Now Maddox’s comment about history made sense. He didn’t know anything about Saturday night. Seth had fixed my car when I first arrived in Cali Cross, so he would know if something was wrong. But I was sure there was a problem, and I wasn’t taking no for an answer. I stalked over to him and swiped the keys out of his hand.
“Get in the passenger seat,” I demanded. I pulled off the seat cover, balled it up and threw it on the floor, then got in and adjusted the seat to my preferred position.
“There’s no noise.” Seth spread his hands wide.
“Humor her,” Maddox called.
Reluctantly, Seth got into the car and buckled up. I set off and started to drive, making sure there were plenty of opportunities to stop and start.
“There!” I crowed triumphantly, as I stopped sharply, and a bang came from behind us. “That’s the noise I was talking about.”
Seth’s mouth twitched, like he was trying not to laugh. “Are you sure?”
“Yes! It’s driving me crazy trying to work out what it is.” I huffed out a breath. “Is it going to cost a lot to fix?”
He shook his head and let out a whistle between his teeth. “It might. It’s probably going to take me a long time to sort it.”
My shoulders sagged. Not only did I worry about the cost, but the time I would be without a car again.
“Let’s go back to the garage and see what we can sort out.”
We drove back in silence, apart from the occasional bang. I got out first, Seth following suit. I dumped the keys into his open palm. “How long do you think you’ll need it for?”
“That depends.” He went around to the trunk and unlocked it. Opening the tiny space, he reached inside and pulled out the multipack tins of tuna I’d picked up yesterday when Lyla and I had gone grocery shopping. “I think you’re good to go now.” Seth shoved the plastic-wrapped tins in my direction.
Heat flooded my cheeks. How could I have been so stupid? They must have fallen out of the bag, and somehow I’d missed them when taking everything inside the apartment. And with me braking hard and being a little crazy going around corners, it would have been rolling around in the trunk making the noises I thought were going to be expensive. “You must think I’m a real idiot,” I confessed.
His smile widened as he nodded but said “no” at the same time. “I might not know how to fix Noah, but I’m pretty good with cars.”
I tilted my head to one side. “Oh, I don’t know, I think you’re pretty good with Noah too.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you in a rush to get home? I could show you what we did to the apartment?” He glanced over at Maddox who jerked his chin in approval.
“I’ve got time.” I followed him up the stairs to the apartment, watching the way his shoulder muscles moved under his tank. What I wouldn’t give to know what they looked like without coverage. Mentally, I shook myself and brought myself back to the moment. I was meant to be there looking at his decorating skills.
Walking into the living area, the difference struck me. When I’d last been there, boxes had lined the walls, and there had been a lot of teenage paraphernalia lying around. Now, the sofa looked like a sofa, and there was what looked like a small wardrobe and chest of drawers where the boxes had been.
“Looks nice, yeah?” Seth asked. “Wait until you see Noah’s pad.” He stepped purposefully towards the door.
Hesitation slowed me down from trailing after him. Being in what had once been his bedroom filled me with a mix of nerves and excitement. Which was crazy. At no point had Seth shown any indication he harbored feelings for me, or he was interested in me that way. He was simply showing me he’d taken on board my suggestion of giving his son his own space.
