Page 45 of Unbreakable Love

“I didn’t need all this.” It didn’t make a lick of sense. “Did he call yesterday or something?” Maybe he was still trying to make up for Friday night, which had hurt, but this wasn’t necessary.

“Nope. He let me know on Friday when I had the car brought in.”

He had to know I’d learn this information and hadn’t said a thing to me about it on Friday. Why? So I didn’t argue about it? I would have, too, absolutely. There was no need for him to spend what had to be hundreds, if not closer to a thousand dollars on all of this for me.

There wasn’t a total on the sheet in my hand. Not a single price listed, so I didn’t know the cost.

I glanced up to find Ryken wiping a smirk off his face beneath his hand.

“I’d like to cover this instead. How much was it?”

“Don’t remember.” He shrugged. “Funny thing, isn’t it.”

“Why? I didn’t ask for this, and I don’t like the idea of it. I’d prefer to cover the cost and you can reimburse Gavin.”

“Can’t.” He shrugged. “I know better than to upset a Kelley in this town, and they’re generous people. Let him have this.”

The only thing I wanted Gavin to have now was a piece of my mind.

“Fine.” After all, my argument wasn’t with the mechanic who fixed my car, but the man who went behind my back and paid for it without discussing it with me. “Thank you, then, for your quick work. I appreciate it.”

“Like I said, it wasn’t a problem. Keys are in the cupholder, so it’s ready to go. But can I ask you a question?”

“Might as well.”

“Are you upset about his help because you’re offended by it or because you’re not interested?”

“Not interested?”

“In Gavin. My thought, he wouldn’t offer this up if he wasn’t interested in you, and I’m not one to get in the middle of something that might be happening.”

“Get in the middle of what?”

“You and Gavin.” He rocked back on his heels and as he did, his gaze dropped, slowly raking over my body in a way that was not at all uncomfortable. When he met my gaze again, there was warmth in his chocolate brown eyes.

“Are you… are you hitting on me?”

“Not if there’s something going on with you and Gavin.”

I shook my head, to clear it or to tell him absolutely not. Gavin wasn’t interested in me. He barely wanted to be friends with me. If anything, this was another one of his unnecessary apologies. And this man… what in the world was happening right now?

He was attractive, definitely. Older than me but only by a few years. And yet, did I want him flirting with me? Hitting on me? Getting in the middle of something that wasn’t there?

Maybe Maize was right. Maybe I needed to start taking some risks…

“I think I need to talk to Gavin.”

There wasn’t disappointment on the man’s face, only mild humor. “Figured you’d say that. It doesn’t work out, feel free to stop by someday and say hello.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“Take care of the car. She should be good to go now for a while.”

“Right,” I mumbled.

Ryken stepped back, giving me plenty of room to move around to the driver’s side door and as I opened it, he lifted an arm and waved. “Tell Gavin I said hello.”

I’d be saying several things to Gavin next time I saw him. Hello for Ryken wouldn’t be one of them.

---