Secret Promises (Off Limits Duet, #1)

Chapter 2

Jillian

That morning, same as every morning, I woke up and made my way out to the shop. The giant keyring jingled in my hand as I neared the sunshine yellow building. "Yellow stands out against the backdrop. It's bright enough to notice from the road and ridiculous enough for the customers to remember when they need to come back for more repairs," my dad had said when I asked why in God's name he'd painted the building this awful hue. At the time, it seemed silly, but now I smile, having found a new appreciation for the color.

The smell of grease surrounded me, bringing me home, as I unlocked the heavy door and turned on the lights. The ancient computer churned to life with the touch of a button. It took forever to boot up making me wish, yet again, that we had money for an upgrade.

Percolating the coffee was next on my list of monotonous morning tasks. I counted out the scoops of grinds and checked the milk in the mini fridge below. A run to the store was in the near future, but there was enough to get us through the morning at least.

Once, I had complained about using this old percolator instead of a fancy Keurig machine, but AJ said it added to the charm of our business. Something about casting a nod to the olden days, much like the cars we were restoring.

A buzz overhead snapped my attention to the door just in time to see AJ come in. I had no idea what time he'd returned last night, but this morning the plate I'd left him in the microwave was empty and sitting in the sink. "Mornin', sis," he muttered as he came over to see if the coffee was ready yet.

"Hey, you. I just put the pot on so it's going to be a few minutes. I'll bring some back when it's ready. What time did you come in last night?"

He yawned and rubbed his eye, obviously still half-asleep. "I finished up around eleven."

"AJ, you are killing yourself here. We need to hire another mechanic. You can't continue like this." I peered at my brother's weary face. He was so handsome, just like our father. He had the same dark hair and stocky build, but his eyes were light hazel, instead of my father's deep brown. He used to be such a player in his late teens. The girls would practically throw themselves at him. I couldn't remember the last time he'd been on a date. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember the last time I'd been on a date either.

I had a boyfriend once, but I'm pretty sure I was more of a conquest than anything else. As soon as he realized I wasn't ready to give him what he wanted, he dumped me fast and moved on to the next girl. I can't say I was all that upset about it either. A few guys had asked me out since then, but relationships were a commodity I just didn't have the energy for. Between taking care of the shop, the house, and worrying about my brother constantly, who had time for anything else?

"We don't have the money to hire another person. People want health benefits, 401k plans, things we don't have the ability to offer. Plus, the added insurance would kill us. I'm fine. Dad handled the business, and so can I." That's where he's wrong. Dad did have help. Sporadic friends of his would come in from time to time when things got busy. And, in a pinch, he always had AJ.

"I just worry about you, is all. You should be able to enjoy this time in your life. You turned twenty-one and never even went out to celebrate. You never touch your drums anymore, and even though you pretend it doesn't bother you, we both know that it does. I don't want to be a harpy, but I don't want to see you go down the same road as Dad." AJ opened his mouth to reply when the unmistakable roar of a vintage engine interrupted us. "Well, Mr. Morello, your nine a.m. just arrived."

The engine purred as it idled in the lot, and AJ went out to take a look. Morning light cascaded through the blinds as I caught sight of the old Ford sitting in the lot. It was a sweet car. I had to admit, I had a thing for Mustangs —especially the vintage ones. This one wasn't exactly cherry, but it was close. Its silver smoke gray paint job gleamed in the summer sunshine, and the wheels were polished and clean. Whoever owned this car loved it, and it showed.