Page 147 of That Moment
Celeste waves that off. “You gave me something better, proof that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. "
That warmth I feel whenever I leave Celeste’s house follows me all the way out the door. I slide into my car and pull out my phone, tapping a message to Scotty, who’s waiting for me at the garage.
Me:On my way.
His reply comes instantly.
Scotty:Good, get your sexy little ass over here now.But don’t speed! Drive safe!
The bay doors are rolled up. Scotty’s got the hood propped, his forearms flexing as he tightens the last clamp. He looks up when I close my car door and start to walk toward him. “About time,” he drawls. “Thought you were gonna make me finish without my apprentice.”
I tug on a pair of gloves and come to stand next to him. “Please. I’m the brains of this operation. You’re just the muscle.”
“Good.” He winks, leaning down for a quick kiss. “I like being your muscle. Now let’s finish this girl up and take her for a spin.”
We work together for the next hour. I'm holding the light, and he's guiding my hand to the bolt I missed. He stepped aside, letting me take the ratchet and finish the last few turns. We double-check fluid levels. I slide into the driver’s seat to pump the accelerator while he listens at the engine bay.
“Moment of truth,” he says, his voice low.
My chest tightens. This car has so many memories I want to relive with Scotty and so many more left inside of her for us to create together. I twist the key. The Mustang coughs, shudders, then catches. The engine settles into a throaty rumble that vibrates through the seat and straight into my spine.
“Oh my God,” I whisper, grinning like a kid. “Listen to her purr!”
“I am,” he says, and he isn’t looking at the engine. He’s looking at me.
I kill the ignition and climb out, meeting him at the front of the car. He rests his hip on the bumper, wiping his hands on a rag. The sunlight hits his jaw and the day-old stubble there, and I swear my knees consider quitting.
“Come here,” he murmurs.
He cups the back of my neck and kisses me slowly, building heat with each pass of his mouth against mine, each flick of his tongue. My hands grip the edges of his T-shirt. When he pulls back, I’m breathless and probably smiling like an idiot.
He digs into his pocket, pulls out a small black leather fob, and a classic key loop with the chrome Mustang emblem shining. He takes the keys, putting the new keyring on them before closing my fingers around them. “Yours,” he says simply.
“Ours,” I correct, voice wobbling. “We did this together.”
He studies me, something raw moving through his eyes. Then his mouth quirks. “You gonna cry on me, counselor?”
“Shut up,” I mutter, laughing as I swipe a knuckle under one eye. “I’m allowed a moment.”
“I’m teasing,” he says, looping his arms around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder as he pulls me against him. “I get it, trust me. I’ve cried plenty over a few of my favorite cars.”
I clear my throat, straighten my shoulders. “Also, for the record, you fell right into my plan.”
“What plan?”
“Getting you to spend your Sundays with me by pretending I needed help with my car. Classic entrapment.”
He snorts. “You think I didn’t see that coming? You ain’t as slick as you think, Adrienne Slade.” He playfully swats at my ass.
“You knew?”
“Of course, I knew.” He leans in, drops his voice. “I was never gonna say no.”
“That’s because I’m irresistible.”
“That too,” he says, grinning as he hooks a finger in my belt loop and drags me closer. “C’mon. Let’s take her out.”
We roll the bay doors the rest of the way and climb in. I turn the key, and the motor roars to life again. I pump the gas a few times, listening to her rev. Scotty rests his forearm on the open window, one hand braced on the roof above me as he watches my leg work the pedals.
