Page 30 of Whispers of Redemption

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Later, Ani and Cassie were in the Wainwright’s driveway. The hood of Ani’s car was up, and Cassie had her head buried deep in the engine. Angel lay napping in the shade of a large oak tree nearby. Cassie learned that Angel found a lot of comfort in being near her, even when Cassie wasn’t paying attention to her. It was a trait that Cassie found strangely endearing.

“That was pretty interesting hearing about Wade’s childhood, wasn’t it?” Ani said, handing Cassie the socket wrench she’d just asked for.

“I think it’s good now,” Cassie muttered, making a final adjustment. “You’re doing a good job of keeping your air and fuel filters clean, and your fluid levels are all good. This spark plug upgrade is going to improve your performance.” She stood upright and raised her arms over her head in a stretch, easing the strain on her lower back. “The next thing you might want to consider is new wheels,” Cassie continued. “If you upgrade to high performance tires, you can reduce your car’s weight and then it’s going to handle even better at higher speeds. You could drop like ten pounds or more per tire.”

“Cool,” Ani said, twirling the socket wrench Cassie handed back to her. Ani’s phone buzzed and she snatched it out of the back pocket of her shorts. A huge grin spread across her face, and her fingers flew in a rapid-fire staccato over her screen.

“What’s going on with you?” Cassie said, slamming the hood down. She wiped her grease-stained fingers on a rag. “You’re way more into your phone than usual.”

“Huh?” Ani looked up. “Oh! It’s just Hugo. He’s super excited because I liked one of his posts online. He is so funny!” Her face went back to her phone and she typed some more.

“You guys seem like you’ve really connected,” Cassie said.

“We have,” Ani said. “The fact that he was a foster himself when he was young helps him to understand what my life is like, ya’ know? Plus, he’s super open-minded for an old person. Like I’m teaching him all about social media and he actually likes it. And he’s teaching me Spanish! You know how my home life was before I got put into the system?”

Cassie nodded.

“So, I never actually learned to speak it. But Hugo thinks it’s important that I remember my culture.”

“That’s actually pretty cool,” Cassie said, putting her tools away.

Ani stuffed her phone back into her pocket and looked speculatively at Cassie. “So, back to what I said a minute ago. What did you think about everything Gretchen and J.P. said about Wade?”

“Nothing,” Cassie said, walking away to put her toolbox on a shelf in the garage.

“C’mon, Cass, Gretchen was hilarious,” she said, trailing after her. “And she was right. There’s definitely some chemistry going on between the two of you.” Ani held up her hands to frame an imaginary billboard. “The cop and the convict. The good boy and the naughty girl. Yes, folks, you can practically see sparks fly when the two of them—”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cassie cut in.

“Admit it,” Ani said. “Hearing all that stuff about his past—his mom dying, him taking care of his younger brothers—so sweet, right? It makes you think a little better of him, doesn’t it?

“The only thing I will admit is that for a cop, he’s not totally terrible.”

“Not totally terrible?” Ani shook her head. “I don’t know, Cassie. I mean, Wade may be a bit stiff, but you’re the perfect person to loosen him up. And Gretchen’s right, he is hot!”

Cassie took a swipe at Ani, who jumped out of the way, laughing. “Go home,” Cassie said. “I have homework to do.”

You sure study a lot for one class,” Ani commented.

“I really love what I’m learning in there. It’s all about people, how they think, their motivations, why they do what they do. The chapter I’m studying now shows how it all applies to criminal behavior. It’s fascinating.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.” Ani hopped into her car and started the engine, revving it a few times for fun. Cassie whistled for Angel, who jumped up and ran to her. She picked up the dog and began walking toward the apartment staircase. Then she paused and turned back, shouting over the thrum of the engine, “And by the way, I am not a convict!”

Ani’s laughter sailed through the air toward them as she backed out of the drive.

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