Page 105 of Detour

“I’m waiting.”

Blowing out a breath, he smooths his jeans before angling his body toward mine. My stomach constricts as my left knee starts to rock back and forth. “I didn’t want to do it like this.” Oh, shit. Has anything good ever followed that sentence? “I was going to tell you soon.” Oh my God! A million scenarios play through my mind as I pull into Creekwood’s entrance. “But we, the three of us, are opening a shop of our own.”

Parked in a spot alongside the Tahoe, the group falls silent. So, he’s not secretly married? And he doesn’t have a kid hidden away that he obviously never sees, making me have to break up with him for being such a horrible father?

I’m still playing catch-up when Beckett speaks again. “Tell her the best part.”

His child-like grin comes into view as I tune back in. He’s literally bouncing. Whatever Coty’s nervous to tell me is having the opposite effect on Beck. The guy is practically covering his own mouth to keep from spilling the beans. Marc is quiet though, giving nothing away.

“It’s not just a body shop, I mean we’ll be servicing everything with a motor, not just cars, but it’ll have a car wash, too. It’ll be built in on the side. Just one bay, but multiple electronic kiosks accepting payments, allowing for cars to go through faster.”

Three sets of eyes watch for my reaction. “Okay?”

“And I, well, we are wondering if you’d run it? The car wash portion.” My eyes widen and Coty rushes to add, “You know most of the positions anyway.” I raise a finger in Beckett’s face, silencing the remark undoubtedly perched on his tongue. “And since you’re going to school for business management, we thought you’d be the perfect person.” I open my mouth but he continues, “You’d call your own shots. We’d have a say over major decisions obviously, but mostly you’d be free to run the wash however you want. So, what do you think?”

I shake my head, calling over my shoulder as I climb out, “I think you’re insane.”

Huge arms lift me from behind. “Angie, did you hear that? You get to be your own boss. And you get to work with us every day. All your problems solved. Boom. You’re welcome.”

I smack his arms so he lowers me to my feet.

“You think that’ll solve my problems? Working for, not with, my neighbors? One is my, I don’t know, boyfriend or whatever.” I look to Coty for help, but he just scowls. “One is a giant man-baby, and the other barely even likes me,” I finish lamely.

“I like you as much as anyone.” Marc shrugs.

I throw my hands up. “You don’t like anybody.”

Beckett nodding, agrees, “She has a point.”

Snickering, I don’t dare look at Coty. I can feel his annoyance from here. He said it himself, we haven’t had much time to talk, so that leaves our current relationship without a label. If he thought differently, he should’ve informed me.

“Look, Coty’s my brother and if my boy loves you then I’m cool with you. We’re a package deal if you haven’t noticed. Just don’t fuck him over and we’ll be good.”

My head is shaking before he finishes. “He doesn’t-”

“Really?” Beckett interrupts, knocking his hand in Coty’s stomach. “Dude, you’re slacking.”

Coty ignores Beckett. “Angela.”

All eyes are on me again and it’s too much. The crazy job proposal. The L word. It’s all just too much, especially on sweltering concrete with boob sweat pooling beneath my bra. This is not how this conversation should’ve gone down. After an intense orgasm would’ve been much more preferable, at least the boob sweat wouldn’t be as embarrassing.

I turn for the stairs but Coty rushes forward, catching my hand. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“No, I’m not going anywhere.” I hate the doubt I see there. The doubt I put there.

Beckett interjects, “Angie, I get it, that was a lot. We could’ve handled that better.” I snort. Understatement of the year. “But it still doesn’t change anything. Coty’s crazy about you. The kid’s been head over heels since you moved in. And we want you working with us. You’re the perfect woman for the job. You’re smart, damn good at what you do, and don’t take shit from anyone. We’d be lucky to have you. Anyone would.”

I blink away the mist coating my eyes.

“Just…don’t disappear on us again. We won’t pressure you. You can say no and still be in our squad.”

A watery laugh escapes as I meet each boy’s eye, then Marc and Beckett excuse themselves to the Tahoe, giving me and Coty some privacy.

“What are you thinking?”

“That I need to figure out how I’m going to pay my bills.”

His arms snake around my back and I wrap mine around his neck.