Chapter Ten

Trig

I’m sitting at my desk, eating lunch, when Jane rushes in. She practically never comes to the garage, so for her to show up, it’s something urgent. My heart jumps in my chest but I relax when I see a smile on her lips.

“Ooh, good timing,” she says.

I’m eating a sandwich from the deli and she snags the pickle before sitting down on the other side of my desk.

“What brings you here?”

“I was out running errands and wanted to ask you for a favor.”

“Sure.”

“The high school counselor called and wants to have a meeting with me tomorrow morning, but I remembered I have to take Thomas to the speech therapist. I wondered if you could go.”

I’m about to take a bite of my sandwich but her request surprises me. I set the sandwich down and sit back in my chair. “You want me to go?”

She shrugs. “I’m sure it’s nothing. He didn’t sound upset.”

“Maggie’s not in trouble? She didn’t get into a fight?”

Jane looks affronted, like the notion of Maggie getting into a fight is ridiculous.

“I’m sure that’s not what this is about.” She takes a bite of the pickle spear and frowns at me while she crunches.

I’d like to point out that the girl got into several scrapes at the beginning of the year. The first week she got called down to the principal’s office three times. That’s got to be some sort of record. But Jane wouldn’t take kindly to any one of her little chicks being criticized, so I keep my thoughts to myself.

“The counselor, Mr. Hendricks, left a message saying he had some things he needed to go over with Maggie’s family before the end of the year. I have can’t make it tomorrow and it’s the last day before the holidays. I’m sure it’s just paperwork or something.”

The counselor’s name takes me back to high school. Hendricks was the counselor then too and lost his shit when I told him I wanted to drop out of school. He didn’t care that I was leaving to run a business that netted a quarter million a year. He wanted me to keep playing sports, football especially, and to get a scholarship to some D1 school. Preferably UT Austin.

I wouldn’t mind seeing him again, catching up a little. While I’m at it, I can make sure my girl’s walking the straight and narrow. I’m fairly certain she’s behaving herself but it never hurts to make sure.

“What’s Maggie going to say about me stepping in for you?”

Jane smiles. “I’m sure she won’t mind a bit.”

I seriously doubt that but I’m happy to go with it. Ever since she got her license, she’s driven herself to school. Jane got a new mini-van and gave her old one to Maggie. Most girls would complain about driving a mom-car to school but not Maggie. She was so damn happy to have her own vehicle. First thing she did was clean it inside and out, joking that she needed a HazMat suit to handle the mess left by the boys.

A loud crash comes from the back of the shop, followed by cursing. Will, one of my mechanics, storms into my office.

“Gonna need the first-aid kit. Busted my motherfucking thumb.”

He holds up his thumb to show me a gash.

“In the bathroom. Watch your mouth. My sister-in-law’s here.”

Will jerks his head around Jane’s direction. “Sorry ma’am.”

“Oh, that’s fine, honey. Do you need help?”

“No, ma’am.”

He disappears down the hallway and a moment later I hear the water running.

I finish the last of my sandwich and toss the wrapper into the garbage. Jane’s been chit-chatting about Christmas and the boys and what a big help it is to have Maggie driving. As much as I love talking with Jane, I need to get back to work. The guy who runs my office is out for a month, visiting his daughter in Florida. I’m up to my ass in alligators without Mel answering the phone and scheduling clients and whatnot.

“What else can I do for you?” I ask, hoping not to sound too rude.

“You can give me a Christmas present.”

The look in her eye is calculating, and I have the feeling I’m about to walk into a very well-laid trap. Jane’s the kindest person in the world so it won’t be a trap that is too awful. Probably. Hopefully.

“I already got you something.”

Her lips thin. “Take it back. I want this more.”

“Come on, Jane. Just tell me, already.”

She leans forward and speaks in a hushed tone. “There’s a new neurologist in town. I spent the morning Googling him. He’s Mayo-trained.”

I push up from my chair. This conversation. Again. Jane’s relentless.

“Jane, I’m not having surgery. I’m fine. I have some pain a few times a month but it’s not anything I can’t handle.”

“I’d go with you. Help you every step of the way. Wes says he’d take time off to run the garage while you recuperate. Maggie would help too.”

I curl my hands into fists. “You told Maggie?”

She purses her lips at my show of irritation. My sister-in-law might look like an easy-going homemaker. Mild-mannered and all that, but under that soft exterior is a woman of steel.

“I know you want to save the world, Jane, but you don’t need to worry about me.”

She jumps to her feet, her eyes blazing. “You had one doc give you his opinion. A surgeon who had his license revoked.”

“What?”

“Dr. Wilson. I Googled him too.”

I shake my head and put my jacket back on. If I get into an argument with General Jane, I’ll get a headache and won’t be worth shit for the rest of the day.

“Tristan…”

Groaning, I rub the back of my neck. Jane only who calls me by my given name when she shifts into mother-bear mode and the only way to deal with it is to wait her out. Her eyes get big with a soft look that is sort of endearing unless it’s directed at you.

“I want you to have a normal life,” she says quietly. “A family of your own. Kids. All that.”

Her face flushes with emotion. She assumes that everyone wants what she wants. That I live some tragic existence. Just because I have this injury that gives me hell every so often doesn’t mean I’m miserable. She probably worries about it more than me.

“I’ll think about it,” I say.

She follows me out the door without reply. Her quiet doesn’t mean she’s giving up, it’s just her preparing for another round. Maybe not today, but someday.

“Tell Maggie that I’m coming to the school in your place,” I say, heading back into the shop.

“I’ll think about it.” Her response is clipped, with the tone she uses if she’s put out with one of the boys.