“What?” I ask, completely startled.

“Emily’s trying to buckle down this last year of school and she just hasn’t been able to stay on top of my stuff that she had been helping me with. We’ve been talking about me hiring someone to take over for her. Now seems as good a time as any, I guess.”

I cock an eyebrow at him. “Wait a minute... just five minutes ago you were questioning Rowan’s integrity. You’ve never met her, you don’t even know if she can do the job. Why are you offering this?”

Nix gives me a smile and shakes his head with amusement. “Because I know you, dude. And if you tell me she’s solid, then she’s solid.”

I push away from the truck and take a step toward Nix, holding my hand out. He grasps it in a hard shake and then pulls me into a quick half-hug, clapping me on the back.

“Thanks, Nix. That really means a lot. I’ll call Rowan tonight and tell her. Although, she’ll probably bitch about this being a handout. The girl has maybe a bit too much pride.”

“That means she’ll work hard. I like it.”

“That she will. When do you want her to start?”

“When does your shift end?”

“Tomorrow is my last day.”

“Probably the day after that. Give me a call when you get home and we’ll iron out the details.”

After Nix leaves, I head into the kitchen to get something to eat. I think how I’m going to approach this with Rowan, because she won’t like that I had a hand in getting her a job. I just hope she’s not too stubborn to accept this help.

13

I stare out the passenger window at the tree-lined street. It’s weird... because I haven’t stepped foot out of the city in five years. I’m used to the concrete jungle, not this fall oasis where the leaves are just starting to get a touch of color and the air is refreshingly crisp in the morning.

Flynn is driving me to his cousin’s house in Englewood, New Jersey. I’m apparently starting a new job today, brought about by the generosity of Nix and Flynn Caldwell. I’m torn, because on the one hand, I want to be elated that I’ll have a way to make money. But on the other hand, I’m feeling like a failure that this job was sort of handed to me.

Flynn’s line—beggars can’t be choosers—flits through my mind and I sigh inwardly. I suppose I need to swallow a bit of my pride and go ahead and look at the bright side of things. So I’m telling the new Rowan to suck it up and be nothing but appreciative of this job.

The old Rowan still exists though, because Flynn and I had a knock-down, drag-out fight last night about him driving me here. I insisted I could take public transit. I even showed him on the computer a nice little route that, between the bus and subway, I could make it in just a little over an hour and a half. Flynn then promptly pulled up driving directions on Google Maps and showed me how he could have me there in about forty-five minutes by his car. Then we got into a major pissing contest about it, but he eventually won by telling me he wanted to visit his parents while Nix showed me the ropes.

“Are you still pissed at me?” Flynn asks with a good-natured attitude.

“Yup. Leave me alone.” I try to sound harsh but truth be told, I’m really not pissed at him anymore. I find it very difficult to hold strong against his wit and charm.

Flynn reaches over and tugs on the end of my hair. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

I lean my head to the right, dislodging his hand from my hair. Not because I’m mad, but because his touch affects me too much.

“Am not mad.”

“Are, too. Admit it. You don’t like the fact I won our argument.”

I turn my head toward him and he takes his eyes off the road for a second to return my gaze. I shoot him my best fuck-off glare but he only laughs at me. His dimple pops out, his eyes crinkle up at the corners, and I think he may be the most gorgeous man alive.

Seriously.

I turn my head to look back out the passenger window, not because I’m mad, but because of the smile that is involuntarily creeping onto my face.

Damn that Flynn Caldwell and his devious charm.


Nix’s fiancée greets us at the door, telling us that Nix is doing some welding in his shop and that she’ll be teaching me the ropes. Emily Burnham is a pretty cool chick. She clearly comes from money, and I make that snap judgment based on the designer clothes she’s wearing and the expensive salon cut of her hair. I had those same things once upon a time, and I can honestly say I don’t miss it. The price that came with having those luxuries just wasn’t worth it to me.

Still, the one thing Emily Burnham is not, is snobbish. She immediately hugs me when Flynn introduces us, then coos over me like a mother hen for the ordeal I’d been through recently. Once that is out of the way, she eagerly takes me out back to show me Nix’s shop, and I throw a casual wave to Flynn as he gets back in his car to go visit his mom and dad.

I follow Emily to a workshop in the backyard. We enter and I immediately take in the surroundings. It’s lit with bright overhead, fluorescent bulbs and it’s neatly organized. The walls sport shelving stacked with various tools and implements that I have no idea what they do. In the corner, there is a tattered recliner and a mini-fridge. In another corner, there is a desk with a laptop, and I’m guessing it’s Emily’s workspace because it’s adorned with framed photos of her and Nix, as well as a vase of flowers. She girled the space up a bit.