Page 28 of Fall Over You

“You and Ellie don’t pay.” I smirk. “But if you bring your girlfriend, Kristen, full price for her. She loves her Big Daddy too much, that grumpy DILF vibe you’ve got going.”

He rolls his eyes. “You gonna get out my truck, or do I have to boot your ass out?”

“I’d like to see you try,” I say with a big grin. “Call me when my truck’s ready, Big Daddy.”

“You’d better not call me that,” he warns, but there’s no heat behind it.

“Why? What would you do to me, Big Daddy?” I bite my lip and delight to find his cheeks turning pink. He fidgets with his ballcap again.

“You don’t want to know,” he mumbles.

“What was that?” I ask while unbuckling my seat belt and shimmying out of his jacket. “I hope you have a good day, Big Daddy. Thanks for the jacket.”

I lean over and wiggle the bill of his ballcap before scooting out the door.

He sounds so hassled, but I hear the amusement in his voice when my boots hit the gravel. “Bye, Reba.”

ELEVEN

TYLER

I text customers every day to tell them their cars are ready. I don’t give it a second thought.

I have given this a second, third, and perhaps ninth thought, typing and deleting several things to Becca.

And why is that? Am I afraid she’ll tease me into oblivion? Worse, that I’ll like it? I realize I’ve been tugging the collar of the jacket she borrowed up to my nose. It still smells like her.

I shake my head at myself and get back to the text. I settle on the basics.

TYLER

Truck’s ready

BECCA

Who is this?

TYLER

Funny

BECCA

What is the truck ready for, Funny? A comedy act?

TYLER

Please just tell me if you need a ride to come get it

BECCA

From where? Big Daddy Auto?

Big Daddy Auto’s the only man I trust with my needs

TYLER

So you do or don’t need a ride?