Page 54 of Tuned To Break
“Think she’ll be impressed?” he asks, checking his reflection in the side mirror.
“Mate, if showing up in a cherry-red Mustang doesn’t win her over, she’s not the girl for you.”
“You reckon?”
“I do. And if she is the girl for you, she’ll love that you made this happen.”
When we pull up to the café, I spot her—blonde, wearing a sundress, standing under the awning like she stepped out of a bloody rom-com. Her face lights up when she sees the car... and Logan.
“Is this your car?” she calls out.
Logan grins wider than I’ve ever seen. “It’s... complicated. But today, yeah. It’s mine.”
She laughs, looping her arm through his as they head inside. Before disappearing through the doors, he throws me a double thumbs-up like we’ve just won a grand final.
Mission: bloody accomplished.
Back at the shop, the crew’s waiting like I’ve just returned from war.
“How’d it go?” Chase asks.
“She was impressed. He’s in.”
The guys cheer. Parker fist-pumps. José does a little victory shimmy. Robert nods solemnly, proud to be part of the operation.
“Now Logan’s going to think he can borrow cars whenever he wants,” Stella says, arms crossed but smiling.
“Yeah, well,” I reply, sidling closer, “you did a good thing.”
“I did a crazy thing.”
“Sometimes the best things are crazy.”
Her gaze softens, but there’s still a guard there. I lower my voice so only she hears.
“Watching you boss everyone around and still have room for hopeless romantics? Sexy as hell.”
“Jake,” she warns, though her blush betrays her.
“What? I’m just saying—the woman who restructured an entire business also just helped a panicked bartender woo a Blakely. You’re part Wonder Woman, part fairy godmother.”
“I am not a fairy godmother.”
“No? Then why tell him to put the top down?”
She rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue. That blush is still blooming.
“You’re trouble, Jake Walsh.”
“And you bloody love it, Stella Lloyd.”
She doesn’t deny it—just walks back to her office. A few minutes later, I catch her glancing at her phone, trying to be subtle. I know that look—curious, hopeful, warm.
Sure enough, twenty minutes later, we both get a photo in the group chat: Logan and Julia, sharing a giant piece of cake, smiling like they’ve just won the lottery.
And right there in the middle of her office, Stella Lloyd—boss, planner, clipboard queen—does a tiny, happy dance she clearly thinks no one can see.
But I did.
