Page 24 of The Trouble With Attraction (Rock Canyon, Idaho 6)

“You! What, did you just want to see if you could get him again?” Eliza was coming at her with the bat, and Eric knew shit was going to go down before Gracie raised her arm and sprayed that stream of toxic sludge at Eliza’s face. Eliza screamed and dropped the bat, clawing at her face.

“That’s for my car, you crazy bitch!”

The sound of sirens coming up the road and the flash of blue and red lights against the trees told Eric that they were about to have a shit ton of company.

There was no way this was staying out of Small Town Scandals.

Chapter Eleven

Several weeks later, Gracie stood in Jose’s Garage with her keys, staring at her fixed Honda and a paid-in-full bill.

“I don’t understand. Who paid my bill?” she asked.

“I’m not supposed to tell you that. I’m just supposed to give you the keys and send you on your way.”

“Except you know me and I’m like a dog with a bone. No way I’m letting you squirm away without finding out who my benefactor was.”

Gracie had actually been waiting on a check from Eliza, since part of her plea deal had been to pay for the damages on her car, but she’d figured the witch would hold out on that as long as possible. No matter how many times she said nothing happened between Eric and her, Eliza still didn’t believe her.

Suddenly, a sneaky suspicion snaked into her mind. “It was Eric, wasn’t it?”

“I told you, I’m under penalty of death not to tell you. Just take it and go.”

Gracie gave up trying to twist it out of Jose and instead headed over to The Local Bean to get a roast beef sandwich and a large iced coffee. It was the least she could do after Eric fixed her car.

She pulled in front of Buck’s and banged on the door with one hand, balancing the food and drink in the other. When Grant answered the door, Gracie gave him a nod. “Hey, is your brother here?”

“Yeah, he’s in the back.

That for me?” Grant asked.

“No, it’s for him. Go get your own.”

“Damn, you’re mean. What did big brother do to get himself lunch?”

Gracie pushed past Grant and inside the quiet of Buck’s. “Why don’t you ask him?”

“Ask me what?”

Eric came from the storage room, looking sweaty despite the cold February chill outside.

Grant closed the door behind her with a thunk. “What you did to get a free sandwich and coffee.”

“I told him he had to ask you,” Gracie said.

Eric’s gaze swept over her offering, a slow smile stretching his full lips and sending a quiver straight through her body.

“I have no idea why I’m getting lunch.”

“You get lunch because you had my car fixed, even when it wasn’t your problem.”

“I think if I hadn’t dated the crazy chick, then your car wouldn’t have been totaled.”

Gracie laughed softly. “Fine, it was kind of your fault. You need better taste in women.”

Eric took the drink and sandwich from her, their hands brushing lightly. “My taste in women would be better if the woman I wanted gave me the time of day.”

Gracie’s heart flipped over, and as the air crackled between them, Grant took that moment to speak. “And on that note, I’m going to go on home and get showered.”

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