Page 69 of Enticing the Fixer

Kinsley

As we drive through the city toward the home where my dad last played poker, I stare at the everchanging landscape out of Leo’s window. We started the trip in the parking lot of my dad’s business. My business. When will I ever consider its mine? Probably never.

I sag into the seat. The expensive yards surrounding larger two- and three-story homes with perfectly manicured lawns are long gone. Now, we’re traveling past doors coated with taped-on plastic and vehicles with hoods up and motors on the ground. My dad came a long way from his beginnings.

“Are you okay?” Leo grabs my hand and clasps his over mine. Instantly peace settles over me. It shouldn’t happen that fast. And I shouldn’t have fallen in love this quickly. But I can’t change it.

His jaw flexes, showing off a faint five o’clock shadow. It makes him sexier than when he’s clean-shaven. Right. Like he needs anything else. Dark hair. Dark eyes. A tattoo pops on his forearm as he turns the steering wheel. And those piercings. I shiver even though they’re safely tucked inside his jeans and under his T-shirt.

“Babe,” he growls. “Stop staring at me and answer the question.”

I laugh at his strangled expression. “I’m fine. Because you’re with me.” His fingers squeeze mine. “I haven’t been to this part of town since the night my dad died. If I needed to go south of the river, I went around the city’s edge and back to where I needed to go. It didn’t matter if it took an extra forty-five minutes to get to my destination. It was worth it.” I sigh heavily.

While I’d rather be curled up in bed and let him hold me all day, today must be done.

“I’m sorry. I know this can’t be easy. I won’t pretend to understand what you’re going through because it’s not my life, but….” His eyes trail to mine and then back to the road. “I’m here for you with whatever you need. I’m here if you need someone to hold you when you cry. I’ll be there if you need someone to fight your battles.”

My heart swells bigger with each word he says. “You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met. After Jeffrey dumped me and remarried, I never thought I’d fall in love again. But that wasn’t real love. There’s no comparison between how I felt about him and how I feel about you. He would have run from my tears. Fight for me?” I shake my head. “He would have never gotten his hands dirty.”

I’ve seen the scars on Leo’s knuckles. If he needs to get physical, he will. Don’t think about watching him fight. We’re headed to meet my dad’s friend, not stopping somewhere to have sex.

Leo lifts my hand and places a kiss on it. “I take care of what’s mine.”

For fucks sake, where’s the nearest alley. Boxes of trash litter the sidewalk, along with broken pieces of metal and other items people dropped off when their appliances stopped working. Nope. Sex will have to wait until we get back to the office.

He lets go of my hand and grasps the steering wheel. “Tell me about your dad.”

“When my mom left, it was just us. He said we were the two amigos. It sounded funny, but I loved it. He took me everywhere he went. He never trusted someone else to watch me outside of school. I went with him to the office, and he started teaching me about drug interactions before I could multiply and divide.” I point to the sign in front of us. “Turn right at the next intersection.”

“Got it.” He nods. “When did your mom leave?”

“She left before I was a year old. Dad told me she left because he put work before them as a couple. I don’t know if that’s entirely true. She never came back to see me either, and I had nothing to do with his working too much.” I gnaw on my bottom lip.

It used to hurt when I thought about it. Abandonment issues and all that. But now that I lost my father, I know what it feels like to lose someone who cares. The pain of her leaving holds little impact now.

“Maybe she resented you because you were so close, and he was building his legacy for you.”

The stoplight turns green, and Leo zips through the intersection. That’s the first thing that makes sense. “You might be right. She didn’t show up for his funeral.”

“I’m sorry.” He shakes his head. “He sounds like a great guy. I wish I would have met him.”

“Yeah, me, too. He would have liked you.”

“He didn’t like your ex?” Leo taps his fingertips on the steering wheel.

“No. He didn’t.”

“Good. Now I like your dad that much more.”

I laugh at his attempt to lighten the mood. “He would have adored you.”

He winks. “I would have made sure that he did.”

Where did he come from? If I’d found a magic lamp and rubbed it, I couldn’t have done a better job of making my dreams come true.

“My ex-husband left for the same reason. He said I devoted too much of my time to the business.” Tension radiates in my neck. “When we first married, he wanted to start a family, and I wanted to wait. We’d taken on a couple of clients that needed TLC to ensure we kept them in the fold. He was frustrated but claimed he understood.”

I swipe the sweat off my palms onto my blue jeans. “When I was thirty, I told him I was ready. For the six months before that, I’d gotten weepy every time I saw a baby, but we weren’t at a place where I could step away from the business for any length of time.”

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