Page 92 of One Impossible Moment
"So now," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "you'll be Finn Clark."
"Yeah," he murmured."Finn Clark."
She settled against him again, her hand resting over his heart, feeling his steady heartbeat beneath her palm.Despite her hesitation about him getting a job, she trusted that what they were building was real.Nobody could take him away from her.
Chapter 36
Finn
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The oil and exhaustfumes of the motorcycle shop brought back a sense of familiarity Finn hadn't realized he'd missed until he stepped through the door.The shop was larger than he'd expected from the outside.Rows of bikes in various states of repair lined the space, rollaway toolboxes littered the area, air hoses strung overhead, and the low hum of music from a radio in the corner.
Carl, the owner, walked beside Finn with a clipboard tucked under one arm.He was a thick-shouldered man in his fifties with a beard that looked like it had seen more engines than razors.He had the easy confidence of someone who'd spent his whole life around machines.
"So," Carl said as they walked past a row of newer models, "you said you've done some mechanic work before?"
Finn nodded, keeping his expression neutral."Yeah.A long time ago."
Probably before Carl was born.While he couldn't share his real age, he had more experience than anyone in the shop with the right motorcycles.But these newer models were going to be a problem.
"How long?"Carl glanced at him.
Finn hesitated.The truth wasn't an option."Long enough to know my way around an engine."
Carl grunted, not quite satisfied."These bikes aren't what they used to be.There's a lot more electronics on them now.A lot more computer work.You comfortable with that?"
Finn swallowed.The motorcycles he'd ridden with the club, the ones he'd fixed with his own hands, were simpler.These new ones looked like they needed an engineering degree just to change the oil.
But Kallie had told him she'd help him learn anything he didn't know.She'd said it with that fierce, unwavering confidence in him.It made him believe he could do anything.
"What I don't know, I'm a quick learner," Finn said.
There were signs that the shop was owned by a club.He hoped he was right and that, when it came down to it, he could get the job with a handshake.
Carl studied him for a moment, then nodded and continued the tour.They walked past the service bays, the parts counter, and the small office in the back.Finn listened carefully, absorbing every detail, every expectation.He needed this.He needed to prove he could build a life here, for Kallie's sake as much as his own.
