her eyes and dropped her face down. A blush covered her entire face and neck. He imagined her warm blush and freckles beneath all those pretty buttons of her blouse and sweater… and no! He had to stop fantasizing about her. Back to the present where she was busy insulting him.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
He shrugged. “I fix cars, tractors, and bikes, anything that has an engine, or uses electricity. Sometimes I even build a new ride. I work my own hours, ‘cause it’s my own shop.”
“Still, I had no right to assume anything about you, or not.”
She was really sorry and he sensed her regret. He held her gaze across the small glass table. There was something different about her. Maybe it was her sincerity in how she accepted her life: her job, her neighbors, herself, and now him. She was always genuine and honest in anything she said or did. He had to respect that because honestly, he lacked sincerity in almost everything he did.
“Hell, you aren’t too far off. I’m not even a fifth of how successful I could be. I half ass my shop. I could do a lot more and a lot better. So… it’s okay, really.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Why don’t I what?”
“Do a lot better if you can? Why wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t—” He almost said know . He truly didn’t know why he chose not to do more, or even try to make it better. Jack and Ian had been hounding him for a decade to do more, and make other improvements. Put in a full five days of work every week. Get more clients. Hire some workers. Run the damn business! Shane didn’t do anything but the bare minimum. “I just don’t. I prefer traveling. I don’t stay around town much.”
“But you always come back? You still have a business?”
“Yeah, I guess. I mean, sure.”
“Why own a business if you don’t want it? Why not make it a hobby? Or pay people under the table? Why pretend that it’s official if you’re not really interested in pursuing it?”
He had no damn answer. He never really thought it out in such a context before. “Just so Jack will stay off my ass.”
She stared him right in the eye, something not many people did. He shifted around and almost asked her, What? What did she see?
“You don’t kowtow to Jack. Or anyone else. I clearly know that about you. So that can’t be it.”
“Why would you say that?”
Her gaze leveled him and nearly had him squirming around in discomfort. No wonder she was a teacher. If she could make Shane fidget and twist while searching for lame excuses, imagine what she could do to little kids.
“Because you don’t give even an inch of yourself to anyone. Not to Celia. Or Jack. Or even Charlie. No one really gets past your charming, macho swagger. It’s a good cover, Shane. Really, it is. But it fails to mask your insistence on avoiding any lasting connections. Your shop being half-assed is probably just an extension of that. Live free or die trying. That seems to be your motto in life.”
He snorted. “Live free or die trying? Fuck, yeah, teacher. Who’d have guessed you could so clearly get me?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think there’s too much danger in that. I’m not the person who gets you. Nor you me. I mean, look at us. We’re like—” Her forehead wrinkled as she tried to pick a comparison.
He knew what she meant. “We’re like a kitten and a jaguar. Or a puppy and a wolf; or a teddy bear and a grizzly bear, or…”
She picked up her glass and swirled the contents before smiling. “Yes, like any of those. Me being the kitten, puppy, or teddy bear, of course.”
He grinned. “Of course. I’m too damn tough to be anything less than a grizzly.” He didn’t allow his hesitation to give him away. There was something about her cool tone of voice and her obvious intelligence that he found intimidating as hell. Somehow, he knew none of his usual tricks or lines would dupe her. Even if he tried to convince her, which he most definitely did not want to
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
He shrugged. “I fix cars, tractors, and bikes, anything that has an engine, or uses electricity. Sometimes I even build a new ride. I work my own hours, ‘cause it’s my own shop.”
“Still, I had no right to assume anything about you, or not.”
She was really sorry and he sensed her regret. He held her gaze across the small glass table. There was something different about her. Maybe it was her sincerity in how she accepted her life: her job, her neighbors, herself, and now him. She was always genuine and honest in anything she said or did. He had to respect that because honestly, he lacked sincerity in almost everything he did.
“Hell, you aren’t too far off. I’m not even a fifth of how successful I could be. I half ass my shop. I could do a lot more and a lot better. So… it’s okay, really.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Why don’t I what?”
“Do a lot better if you can? Why wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t—” He almost said know . He truly didn’t know why he chose not to do more, or even try to make it better. Jack and Ian had been hounding him for a decade to do more, and make other improvements. Put in a full five days of work every week. Get more clients. Hire some workers. Run the damn business! Shane didn’t do anything but the bare minimum. “I just don’t. I prefer traveling. I don’t stay around town much.”
“But you always come back? You still have a business?”
“Yeah, I guess. I mean, sure.”
“Why own a business if you don’t want it? Why not make it a hobby? Or pay people under the table? Why pretend that it’s official if you’re not really interested in pursuing it?”
He had no damn answer. He never really thought it out in such a context before. “Just so Jack will stay off my ass.”
She stared him right in the eye, something not many people did. He shifted around and almost asked her, What? What did she see?
“You don’t kowtow to Jack. Or anyone else. I clearly know that about you. So that can’t be it.”
“Why would you say that?”
Her gaze leveled him and nearly had him squirming around in discomfort. No wonder she was a teacher. If she could make Shane fidget and twist while searching for lame excuses, imagine what she could do to little kids.
“Because you don’t give even an inch of yourself to anyone. Not to Celia. Or Jack. Or even Charlie. No one really gets past your charming, macho swagger. It’s a good cover, Shane. Really, it is. But it fails to mask your insistence on avoiding any lasting connections. Your shop being half-assed is probably just an extension of that. Live free or die trying. That seems to be your motto in life.”
He snorted. “Live free or die trying? Fuck, yeah, teacher. Who’d have guessed you could so clearly get me?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think there’s too much danger in that. I’m not the person who gets you. Nor you me. I mean, look at us. We’re like—” Her forehead wrinkled as she tried to pick a comparison.
He knew what she meant. “We’re like a kitten and a jaguar. Or a puppy and a wolf; or a teddy bear and a grizzly bear, or…”
She picked up her glass and swirled the contents before smiling. “Yes, like any of those. Me being the kitten, puppy, or teddy bear, of course.”
He grinned. “Of course. I’m too damn tough to be anything less than a grizzly.” He didn’t allow his hesitation to give him away. There was something about her cool tone of voice and her obvious intelligence that he found intimidating as hell. Somehow, he knew none of his usual tricks or lines would dupe her. Even if he tried to convince her, which he most definitely did not want to
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