Deck the Halls

“They sure do,” he drawled, ignoring her sarcastic tone.

“That’s not what I heard.”

“You heard wrong, then.”

He removed the leads, reconnected the clips and tucked everything back up under the dash. Then he rose and carried his equipment around to the front of the car again. Jolie joined him there, more curious than ever. He didn’t keep her waiting.

“You’ve got a sensor going out, and I’d guess that the alternator needs to be rebuilt, too.”

Dismay slammed through her. She covered it by rolling her eyes. “And what’s that going to cost?”

He shrugged. “Can’t say without checking a parts list.”

“More than a hundred?”

“Oh, yeah. Plus, you’ve got half a dozen hoses ready to spring leaks and at least one cracked battery mount that I can see. That’ll have to be replaced before your next inspection. And if I were you, I’d have the timing chain checked.”

She caught her breath, stomach roiling. How would she ever pay for all that? she wondered sickly.

“I’ve reset the sensor,” he went on, “so it should behave for a little while, and I’ll give you a jump to get you started, but you really ought to bring the car in soon as you can because this will happen again. Just a matter of time.”

Jolie bit her lip. Maybe he was just shilling for the garage. Maybe this would be all it took. Whatever, she had zero intention of taking the car in for repairs until she had no other option. She folded her arms again as he went back to the wrecker and returned with what looked like a battery on wheels.

“How much is today going to cost?” she wanted to know, not that she had much choice at the moment.

“This? Nada.”

Jolie blinked. “Nothing?”

“I can charge you if you want,” he said, mouth quirking at the corners.

She wrinkled her nose. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

He smiled knowingly, dimples wrinkling his lean cheeks. “Okay, then.”

With that he got busy hooking up everything. Finally he got in and started her car. The engine fired right off and settled into its usual, uneven rumble. Jolie almost dropped with relief.

“Thank goodness.”

He started disconnecting and packing away gear.

As he dropped the hood, she lost a short battle with herself and asked, “You won’t get in trouble with your boss, will you? For not charging me, I mean.”

Vince wiped his hands purposefully on a red cloth that he’d pulled from his hip pocket, holding her gaze.

“No problems there.”

“You’re sure?”

“Jolie, I am the boss.”

She felt a tiny shock, but she’d practiced nonchalance so long that it came easily to her.

“Well, if you say so.”

He folded the cloth and stuffed it back into his pocket with short, swift movements, saying, “Fact is, I own and operate three garages.”

She blinked, impressed, but of course that would never do.

“All by yourself?” she quipped blandly.

He chuckled. “Not exactly. I have twenty-two employees, not counting the outsourcing, of course.”

“Outsourcing,” she echoed dully.

“Um-hm, bookkeeping, billing, that sort of thing.”

“Ah.”

And here she’d figured him for a regular joe. Just goes to show you, she thought, eying his dusky-blue uniform with reluctant new interest.

“If you call the shop tomorrow,” he told her casually, “I can work you in.” She lifted her eyebrows skeptically, and he went on, prodding ever so gently. “You really ought to have that work done.”

Now she knew it was a scam. Soften up the mark with a little freebie, make her think you’re as honest as the day is long, then get her in the shop and soak her good. Resetting that sensor was probably all the car had ever needed.

“We’ll see.”

“Okay,” he said lightly. “Well, I’ll be seeing you.”

“Oh, really?” She tilted her head, studying him for signs of dishonesty. Had he somehow sabotaged her car so that she’d have to bring it to his shop?

He glanced away pointedly, his sculpted mouth thinning. “You know, not everyone in the automotive-repair business is a crook. In fact, despite our reputation for rip-offs, most mechanics are honest and highly trained.”

To her absolute disgust, color stained her cheeks. “I didn’t say you were a crook.”

He just looked at her, his smoky-blue eyes flat as stone. “No, but you were thinking it.”

Her chin rose defensively. “You have no idea what I was thinking.”

“Don’t I?”

He just stood there, staring at her, until she suddenly realized what he was waiting for. Her hauteur wilted in a pool of mortification. Still, she wasn’t about to apologize.

“Okay, maybe I was thinking it, but you don’t know how often someone like me gets ripped off.”

“Someone like you?” he echoed uncertainly. “And what makes you so different from the rest of us?”

“I’m a single woman, for one thing.”