Page 9 of It's Going to Be a Chrome Christmas
She nodded again. “Sure. I’ll text Joey now so he can remind me.”
Cayden’s spine stiffened as his fist tightened around his fork. Who the fuck was Joey?
Post dinner was interesting, to say the least. Trixie and Peggy were sitting in the living room while Cayden, Geordi, Paul, Greg, and the rest of the men cleaned up the kitchen. Peggy had given Cayden an out because he’d helped her cook dinner, but Cayden hadn’t taken it. Trixie was glad about that. She needed some time away from him.
The man smelled too delicious for his own good—or rather forherown good. He was as tempting as a perfectly ripe strawberry waiting to be devoured. And his mismatched eyes drew her in like a moth to the flame.
Damn it. She did not need this right now.
Peggy reached forward to take her hand. It was only then that Trixie realized she was staring in the direction of the kitchen. Shit. Had she been hoping to catch a glimpse of him? Yeah, probably.
“He’s a real sweetheart.”
Trixie flinched. That was not what she needed to hear. Why couldn’t Peggy have said he was a bastard of the first degree, selfish, and liked to kick puppies? But even if she had, would Trixie have believed it? She’d seen how sweet he’d been with Geordi.
Trixie purposefully repositioned herself on the couch so she was facing Peggy with her back to the kitchen. “Geordiis a sweetheart,” she stubbornly corrected.
Unfortunately, she didn’t fool Peggy. Instead, her surrogate aunt gave her a knowing look. “I’m worried about you, honey. You’ve closed yourself off from the world. All you do is work on those cars.”
“That’s my job,Tìa.” But she knew Peggy was right. Cars made sense to her in a way that people never had, and never would. She could make an engine purr like a kitten on catnip, but she couldn’t get a man to call her for a second date. She didn’t know if that was ironic, but it certainly was sad. Borderline pathetic.
Peggy squeezed the hand she held. “I know it’s been hard since AJ?—”
“Don’t.” Trixie ripped her hand out from under Peggy’s. “I don’t want to talk about AJ.” She stood up to put distance between Peggy and her, and made sure to keep her back to the kitchen too. “How about we talk about you? You’ve got eight guys staying here. That must be a handful.”
Peggy let out a low sigh before standing up from the couch and approaching her. Damn it. Why couldn’t she have just stayed on the damn couch? That way, at least the coffee table was between them.
“I know someone else who’s been having a hard time.” Peggy gripped her by the shoulders and, with a strength the older woman shouldn’t have possessed, turned Trixie in the direction of the kitchen. Peggy was nearly six inches shorter than Trixie, so she looped her arm around her waist instead of her shoulders. It was the way she hugged Trixie since she’d hit her growth spurt. “Baby, someone just needs to give that boy a chance.” Her arm tightened slightly as she added, “What if it was AJ in there? What if he needed justone personto give him a fighting chance? Wouldn’t you want someone to give it to him?”
Trixie wanted to flinch. She wanted to deny the desire to help him. She wanted to leave this place and forget about Cayden Russo and his sexy mismatched eyes. So why was she standing there, staring into the doorway of the kitchen, praying he’d come into her view?
Geordi was putting away a dish in a tall cabinet, saw her, and waved like a little kid seeing his best friend. Trixie couldn’t not wave back.
Biting the inside of her lip, she turned towards Peggy. “That’s a low blow, and you know it.”
The woman grinned despite Trixie’s frustration at her. “Baby, of course it was. How else was I going to get you to agree to take him on?”
Trixie dropped her head into her hand. “I don’t even know if I have a position for him. And is it even legal? I mean, with his parole?”
She wasn’t looking at her, but she imagined Peggy nodding based on her next words. “It is. I checked with his rehabilitation officer. He can work on the cars, but he can’t handle monetary transactions or drive the vehicles. His license was suspended for the duration of his parole.”
Trixie scowled. “You’re driving me nuts here.”
Peggy encircled Trix into her arms. “I know, baby. It’s like the icing on the cake that has been my day.”
Trixie snorted, giggled, and then laughed. She dropped her hand from her face to embrace Peggy back. Resting her chin on top of Peggy’s head, she said, “I can’t believe you used AJ against me.”
Peggy tightened her grip. “Never, baby. I just wanted you to look at Cayden from a different perspective.” She stepped back and placed a hand on Trixie’s cheek. “AJ’s not coming back, sweetheart. It’s sad, but it’s the truth. You and Addy both need to understand that and move on. You can’t put your lives on hold for him.”
Trixie closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. “I know you’re right. I just…”
“I know, baby.” Peggy reached forward to take her back into her arms.
Having been raised by herpapá, abuelo, and olderhermanos, Peggy’s hugs had always been special to her. She’d been the mother Trixie wished she’d had growing up. When herpapáhad chickened out of her period and sex talks, it had been Peggy who’d stepped up to talk to Trixie. She might call herself Trixie’s surrogate aunt, but she was in fact the mother of Trixie’s heart.
“He is hot.”
Trixie nearly busted a lung laughing at Peggy’s truthful statement.
