“No, not at all. If anything, I think it’s more me that made him uncomfortable.” Her cheeks heat again, her gaze dropping.
Now I’m curious. “How so?”
“I was just… watching him fix the car. I think that made him uncomfortable. That’s why I left.”
“I see. Why were you watching him?”
“Because he couldn’t really explain what was wrong, so I figured I’d just watch and see for myself.”
I huff a quiet laugh. “He’s been fixing cars since he was a kid. If anyone knows what they’re doing, it’s him.”
“He’s a mechanic?”
“More like a handyman. He can fix anything. We call him whenever something breaks.”
“How much does he charge?”
“Well… nothing, of course.” She looks at me with surprise in her eyes. “He’s part-owner of this place along with Reid and me. I assumed you knew.”
Her eyes widen. “Seriously?”
“Yep. The three of us split it. Reid and I handle the front, Tal handles everything else. Like Batman.”
“Wow. I didn’t expect that.”
“That’s what makes him interesting. He’s got money, just doesn’t care about it. It sits there, untouched.”
“What do you mean?”
“He grew up here with his grandmother. This was his family’s land. They went into town maybe once a month. He got used to living with the bare minimum. No TV, no gadgets. His phone is something from the nineteen fifties. Five shirts, five pairs of pants, rotates them, washes them, done. He doesn’t need anything more.”
“Does he have friends?”
“Reid and I like to think so,” I say with a smirk. “There are a few people in town he tolerates, but he’s not exactly throwing parties or buying rounds at the bar. No yachts, no Ferraris. He’s… simple. In a good way.”
“Wow,” she says again, and there’s real fascination in her voice.
The cold plunge is just as brutal as always.
But watching Sierra squeal, jump in, jump out, and curse me under her breath makes it worth it.
She’s a riot.
And when she finally settles in, leaning back against the ceramic, she sighs. “This is actually kind of nice.”
“Told you. It’s just those first couple minutes that suck.”
Afterward, I offer to show her around town. No real excuse—I just like being around her, and I want to get her talking.
We head toward the back parking area when I spot Tal walking toward his truck.
Perfect.
I grin. Time to test my theory.
“Hey, Tal! We’re heading into town. You coming with us?”
CHAPTER 13