Page 83 of Call it Reckless

I looked up to see June standing in the doorway between the garage and the lobby. Her lines around her mouth were tight.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but could you please come in and explain to Mrs. Willoughby what was done with her car? She doesn’t believe me when I try.”

It was all I could do not to roll my eyes, but I nodded. “June, be sure to give Mrs. Smith the friends and family rate, okay?”

She winked and nodded, and I followed her into the lobby.

Mrs. Willoughby started in as soon as she saw me. “Bristol Allen, I only wanted my oil changed. What did this girl say you did to my tires? There was nothing wrong with them. I refuse to pay for it.”

I was glad the waiting room was nearly empty except for Mrs. Smith, and she was looking at me sympathetically. Mrs. Willoughby was hard of hearing, and she talked loudly to compensate for it. And everyone in the community knew that she and her husband were about as cheap as they could come. They didn’t believe in tipping waitresses because “it was their job to bring food to the table,” and she sure wasn’t going to pay for anything she considered “extra.”

I sighed. I knew June had been over this several times when she first arrived. “I understand, Mrs. Willoughby. We only charged you for your oil change. We rotated your tires as a first-time customer courtesy. It keeps them running more evenly and therefore more safely.”

She pointed a finger at me. “I know how you mechanics are. You’re always trying to trick people out of their money.”

I shook my head. It was a tale as old as time. There were a lot of dishonest mechanics, the same as there were shysters in any profession, but I hated being lumped in with them.

“We didn’t charge you.” I showed her the receipt. “It has a zero here. We won’t do it next time, I promise.” That would be an easy promise to keep.

“Fine, then.” She waved her hand dismissively, and then after giving me a hard time for making her wait longer than expected—she’d been thirty minutes late to her appointment—she was out the door.

Max signaled through the glass window that the car he was working on was done. June cashed out Mrs. Smith. “I hope we’ll see you back,” I said as June handed her the receipt.

She smiled and patted my cheek. “Definitely, sweetheart. I always knew you’d do wonderful things. Your grandparents, God rest their souls, were so proud of you, but this…” She paused and looked around. “This, they’d love. You’ve come back to your roots.”

Her words obliterated every crappy thing that happened today. I prided myself on being in control of my emotions, but her words got to me. I blinked hard. “Thank you, Mrs. Smith.”

“This is so much cleaner than Tanner’s Auto. I always feel like I need to put some kind of cover on their chairs before I sit down. And it was so nice to be able to enjoy some decent coffee. Maybe next time, I’ll schedule a manicure, too. This is really a great thing you’ve got going. I’ll be sure to tell my friends.”

“Thank you. We certainly appreciate word-of-mouth recommendations. I’ll let Paige know you’re my guest if you want a manicure. But be sure to book ahead so we can coordinate the appointments.” I sent her off with a to-go cup of coffee.

Finally, we were through with appointments and there was only a half hour to go for the day. I was about to tell the guys to start shutting down and cleaning up, but the lobby door opened.

“Excuse me?”

My head flew up at the softly spoken words. A tall man dressed in jeans and a white Henley that stretched across his chest and arms stood just inside the door. His closely cropped hair was so blond he almost looked bald.

“Can I help you? I’m sorry, but we’re closing for the day if you’re looking for car service.”

As he stepped closer, I noticed he had a slight limp. “No ma’am. But I was wondering if you had any job openings for a mechanic.”

Seriously?My faith in miracles moved a huge notch upward.

His voice had a soft laziness to it, but given how fit his body looked, I doubted the same could be said of his work ethic.

I sat up straighter. “Do you have experience?”

“Over ten years in the Marine Corps, ma’am. I’ve worked on just about every kind of truck before I switched to aviation. And before that, I helped my daddy with all kinds of farm equipment. Some folks might have been born with a silver spoon, but people always say I was born with a silver wrench. Never met an engine I couldn’t figure out.”

I smiled. “I guess the Corps explains thema’ampart. Thank you for your service.”

White teeth displayed a pleasant smile. He was extremely handsome. “That, and a strong mama before that.”

Standing, I held out my hand. “I don’t intend to stand on formality here. I’m Bristol Allen. I’m the co-owner, and I run the garage side of the business. My friend and business partner, Paige, runs the salon side.”

His handshake was strong, and I liked that he didn’t bat an eye that a woman was in charge. More than once, I’d been on the receiving end of surprise and hesitation. That was okay; it just made it easier to know who not to hire.

“Griffin Herzog, but my friends call me Griff.”

---