Carter jumped out the Mustang and walked over to Rose, his gait slow. Almost careful, like he didn’t want to spook her. He smiled at Rose, friendly and open. A smile that Melanie knew she wouldn’t have been able to resist, especially at seventeen. Forget seventeen, she couldn’t resist Carter at twenty-four.

However, Rose didn’t smile back. She held out her hand. “Three hundred for the Jeep, like we agreed on.” Then she swung a basket up. “I brought some eggs and strawberry jelly, too.”

Melanie blinked. Three hundred dollars for a Jeep?

Carter took both. “You drive a hard bargain, Rose. I can’t wait to get this jelly on some of my momma’s biscuits.”

A small smile graced the girl’s lips, then she listened as Carter went over the details of the Jeep. He showed Rose everything, treating her like a new car owner. Treating her like an equal.

“It’s going to be tempting to really let her go on the straight-away near your house, but unless you like getting pulled over by Sheriff Nelson, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“I’ll wait until tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Sheriff Nelson’s wife is going to go into labor tonight and he’ll spend all day at the hospital tomorrow. They’re having a girl,” Rose said and this time Melanie looked at her in amazement. No one knew what the Sheriff and his wife was having, and Layla wasn’t due for another three weeks. The hair on Melanie’s arm stood up.

Carter sliced his gaze to Melanie, his green eyes full of the amazement she felt. He cleared his throat and re-focused on Rose, handing her a set of keys. “Really could have used you on the racetrack with all that foresight.”

“Thank you, Carter.” Rose got into the Jeep, leaving as quickly as she came.

When Melanie could find her voice again, she asked, “Three hundred for the Jeep?”

“Yeah, couldn’t talk her into giving me less,” he said, a guilty tone to his voice. But for what? That Jeep had to have cost at least a couple grand. Her heart tumbled from her chest to her toes. Her knees went all shaky and she sighed.

No one else in the world was like Carter.

She glanced at the clock, then ran across the garage. Carter’s newest employee, Beau Montgomery, wasn’t due until three-thirty. Yet another positive sign that the man of her dreams was leaning toward staying in Holland Springs. Why go to all that trouble?

Stopping in front of Carter, she let her gaze travel up his body. His heart was good, sweet and kind, and when combined with the total package—heart-stopping. Or heart-stomping, if she wasn’t careful.

“Help you with something?”

Rising up on her toes, she let her lips brush against the lobe of his ear. “Instead of calling me to talk dirty, why don’t you come to my place and be dirty with me instead?” Then she whirled around and sashayed to the office, leaving him standing there.

Carter rarely regretted any decision he made, but as his newest employee walked in, giving Melanie a longer than was necessary once over, he was ready to throw the kid out on his ass.

Melanie wasn’t helping things, fussing over Beau like he was some sort of long-lost puppy. “Can I get you a snack, honey?” Carter heard her ask Beau. He rolled his eyes and shoved a box of rags into Honey’s chest.

“Follow me. You need to know what I need from you in order to get a paycheck,” Carter said. “Unless you’d rather have a nap after your snack.”

Beau glanced from Carter to Melanie. “Thank you for the offer, Miss Melanie, but I need to get to work.”

Her brown eyes got all soft, like melted chocolate. “Poor thing, working so hard after school. Did you know he’s helping his Uncle and Aunt out at home, too? All those cousins need looking after. You are such a sweetheart.”

Beau nodded. “It can be hard at times.”

Oh come on. The kid was so full of it. Carter crossed his arms and waited. “If you’re through blessing his heart, I’d really like to get to work on the Mustang.”

Now that got Beau’s attention. “I get to touch that on the first day?” He shifted the box in his arms, pushing his lip ring out with his tongue. “Hell, yeah.”

“No, you’ll be sorting through nuts and bolts. You learned that skill today in Kindergarten class, didn’t you?”

Beau mumbled something under his breath, but the kid didn’t complain. Thirty minutes later, Carter checked on him. Satisfied with the work Beau had done so far, Carter ambled to his office. He found Melanie sitting at the desk he’d bought and had delivered last week, a frown on her face as she looked at the computer screen.

“What’s wrong?”

“Louis came home this morning right before I left for Mr. Henry’s.”

“And?”

The frown grew deeper. “He said he got a job down in Baxterville, but…”

“What state?” He knew she was looking for casinos.

“Alabama.”

He moved to stand beside her, looking over her head to count all the casinos in a twenty-five mile radius of Baxterville. There were dozens of them. Heart aching for her, he settled his hands on top of her shoulders. “Maybe he’ll stay away this time.”

“It’s not a matter of staying away.” She placed a hand over his and squeezed. “It’s a matter of how much he’ll lose or win.”

Reminding Melanie of what an ass her dad was would only serve to make him feel better. Actually, finding a way to put Louis under house arrest would make him supremely happy. However, this wasn’t about Carter. This was about Melanie.

“Let me know what I can do to help,” he said. He meant it. Potential lover or not, he would always be there for Melanie. Whenever she needed him.

“I’m fine.”

He spun the chair around, bending at the knees to get level with her face. There was so much worry in her brown eyes, and all he wanted to do was make it go away. Permanently. “Hey. I mean it. Whatever you need.”

Her lower lip trembled before a smile formed on her mouth. “I know you do, but sometimes, a girl can’t be saved. Sometimes, a girl has to save herself.”

“By moving out.” She nodded and he leaned forward. “I know we’re on the clock right now, but I really need to kiss you.”

“I haven’t taken my afternoon break,” she said, inching closer.

“Off the clock,” he murmured right before he kissed her. Soft lips to his, tasting like sweet tea and the key lime pie he’d brought back from town just for her.

She sighed, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders, and he cupped her face, keeping his touch as light as his kisses. This wasn’t about lust, wasn’t about teasing her. This was about wanting to give without expecting anything in return. She wouldn’t take his money, she wouldn’t take his help, but his kisses…Yeah, he knew she’d take those. Because he would do the same.

Breaking their kiss, he caressed the side of her face and smiled. “Feeling a little better now?” he asked.

Returning his smile, she glanced up and then back at him. “Just a little,” she said with a wink.

“About tonight?” He traced the outline of his racing number on her sleeve. “I’m thinking along with the dirty, we should do something not-so-dirty.”

“Golden Girls marathon?”

Laughing, he rose to his feet. She knew him so well. “Followed by Glee.”

“Betty White and spontaneous singing all on the same night?” She placed a hand over her heart. “A man after my own heart.”

“That’s not all I’m after.”

Rolling her eyes, she said, “Men. You can’t just stop at the heart-melting stuff.”

Tires crunching over gravel had him checking the window of his office. A silver BMW slid in beside Melanie’s Honda.

What the hell was April doing here? The driver and passenger doors opened; April and mother getting out simultaneously. He clenched his jaw. Now that was his mother’s doing, not his ex.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Be nice,” Melanie called after him.

He met the two women in the middle of the garage, right beside Chase Montgomery’s Mustang. April leaned against it, the heavy chains on her purse dragging against it.

“Off the car, April,” he said and she slowly moved away, her nose in the air. He inspected the paint, relived to find it scratch free.

Leah’s eyes rounded. “That’s not how you greet visitors.”

“Neither one of you are visitors,” he pointed out, then crossed his arms. “What can I help you with? Oil change, tire rotation.”

Beau eyed them, his gaze returning to April again and again. Carter shook his head at the kid and motioned to the four foot tall shelf of endless drawers filled with nuts and bolts that Beau hadn’t finished sorting. With a roll of his eyes, he shoved a hand through messy bright green hair and returned to his work.

“Dinner—tonight, since you haven’t bothered showing up for dinner in forever,” his mother said. “‘No’ is not an option.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Melanie come to the door. His number across her chest, hot as hell shorts and boots that made him want to do very good bad things to her.

April cleared her throat. She shook her plastic cup of iced coffee. “I need a refill.” She stalked to his office, brushing past Melanie. Melanie stumbled back, catching herself on the door.

“I’ll be expecting you at six, Carter.” Leah hoisted her purse higher on her shoulder. “And I’ll expect you to be civil to April.”

“Just civil?”

“As a matter of fact, I’d like for the two of you to work things out.” Glancing around the garage, she lowered her voice. “I’m not getting any younger, and I would like to enjoy some grandchildren before y’all ship me off to the nursing home.”

He loved his mother. He really did, but this interference, this maneuver and attempt at manipulation? It didn’t sit well with him, and he knew he wasn’t the only one Leah did this to. Every one of the Ambrose siblings had to deal with her wants and wishes.

“No one’s shipping you off to the nursing home, Momma.”

She smiled, one full of win. “Such a sweet—”

“We’ll take you out back and put you out of your misery first,” he teased.

Stunned, Leah’s jaw dropped. “Carter Mason Ambrose! I—”

A woman’s squeal of surprise caught their attention, and they turned in time to find Melanie’s outfit covered in iced coffee. April stood beside her, a fake horrified look on her face.

Beau raced to Melanie with a clean towel in his hand. She flashed him a smile and began to wipe at the ever-spreading wet spot.

“I am soo sorry, Myrtle.” April threw her cup into the trash. “I’m sure Carter can buy you another shirt and maybe Goodwill has another pair of those unfortunate shorts.”

Melanie’s face turned bright red. He knew for a fact that she shopped at Goodwill. Hell, he still remembered all the times she would come over to his house to share her finds with his sister, making a big deal over second hand clothes, because she couldn’t afford Wal-Mart.

“Doubtful,” Melanie muttered, eyes downcast.

Carter stood there, not sure exactly what to say or do. He couldn’t yell at April, because he wasn’t sure if it was an accident, and Beau had beaten him to the punch with the towel.

Finally his mother spoke. “Melanie, you bring those to my house and I’ll get the stains out for you. No sense in throwing out good clothes.”

“If that doesn’t work, I’m sure April will be happy to replace them,” Carter said, with a pointed look at his ex. He walked to Melanie, not giving a shit what his April or his mother thought. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“It’s not your fault.” Eyes glistening, she dried off her hands and threw the towel on a nearby counter. “I’m fine. The coffee wasn’t hot.”

“I’ll do my best, but those hips of yours, Marsha...”April tsked and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “It’ll be hard to find that size where I shop.”

“God, I want to punch her,” Melanie muttered, which only made Carter feel worse.

He raised his brows at his ex and pointed at the door. “Out. Don’t come back either.”

“You can’t make—”

“Let’s go, April,” Leah said, her dark blue eyes narrowing. “I have errands to run.”

Stopping his mother as she turned, he said, “I’m not coming to dinner, not while she’s there. Understand me?” God he hated taking such a sharp tone with his mother, but this—this was unacceptable.

“Fine.” With that, Leah marched out of his garage, April on her heels.

“I’m going home.” Melanie disappeared into his office, reappearing two seconds later with her purse and keys.

He strode to her, blocking her path. “Are we still on for tonight?” His eyes dropped to her breasts, her nipples were hard against the wet material. “Looks like you got the dirty part all covered.”

She shot him a look of disbelief. “Are you serious?”

Letting his head fall back, he counted to ten. “I was teasing.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not in the mood.”

“For anything,” she added as she skirted around him.

***

Nothing like coming home to a cold, empty house. Louis must have forgotten to pay the propane bill. Again.

Sighing, Melanie pulled on her robe and headed to the kitchen in search of chocolate.