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things.”
    “Looks like it’s in capable hands,” she said with a hesitant
smile.
    “Was there something else on your mind besides small talk?”
    Her quiet laugh made his head fill with sexy recollections
of sweaty nights on his truck seat, skin that tasted like heaven under his
lips, the whispered words “don’t stop” sliding off her tongue.
    “You don’t miss much, do you?”
    “Not when it comes to you, I don’t.”
    She was so close now he caught the soft scent of her shampoo
or perfume. Whatever it was made his knees weak. No doubt he smelled like
grease and hard-earned sweat.
    “I also wanted to apologize for…everything, Fritz. For not
writing or calling enough after I left for college like I should have. Like I
promised I would.” She licked her lips. “For so many things that I did wrong.”
She looked down, scraping one toe back and forth across the concrete floor.
    The scar on his heart picked that moment to throb at the
reminder of the hurt she’d put him through. He wanted to forgive her, needed to
in order to shed the cloak of resentment that seemed to always be around his
shoulders where she was concerned. But there was also the small part of him
that wanted her to suffer like he had, as juvenile as that was. It was obvious
she hadn’t until now. Not until she moved back and had to face him and her
guilt. It was thatdemon who decided to rear its ugly head.
    She looked up, extending her hand toward his face. He caught
her wrist in his fingers, afraid to let her touch him.
    She frowned. “You have grease on your chin.”
    He swiped at his face with the rag in his free hand.
“Everything’s still the same as before you left though, isn’t it?”
    “What?”
    “Nothing’s changed,” he ground out.
    Confusion wrinkled her brow, and no wonder. He wasn’t making
much sense to himself. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
    He leaned closer. “You’re doing what Daddy and Mommy want
you to do. You’re living under their roof, spending his money, and I’d be
willing to bet my truck you’re going to work for Donnelly Motors.”
    A deep-pink flush crept into her cheeks. She snatched at her
arm but Fritz held tight, knowing he was hurting her, physically and
emotionally, but unable to let go. “You’re not being fair, Fritz. I just moved
back. Where am I supposed to go, the street?”
    “All those years away and you still haven’t managed to grow
a backbone.”
    “Why are you acting like this? I came out here to tell you I
was sorry, dammit. Isn’t that good enough?” Her voice cracked. She shook the
arm he held in a viselike grip. “Or do you want bruises too?”
    Seeing her blink back tears and her hand turning purple in
his tight hold jolted him out of the fog of anger. He released her and she
began rubbing her reddened, grease-smudged wrist. The hurt in her eyes cut
through him like broken glass but the mean, twisted bastard inside him stood
his ground. “What I want is for you to leave.”
    “Wish granted.” She spat the words out before spinning away.
He watched the back of her blonde head weave through the equipment in the barn
before the front door slammed so hard, the corrugated metal walls of the
building vibrated.
    Fritz sighed and kicked his tools, sending them scattering
and sliding across the barn floor.
    * * * * *
    Kai managed to hold it together until she pulled into her
parents’ four-car detached garage, then she dropped her forehead to the
steering wheel and let go, allowing herself a much needed pity cry. When her
tears dried up, she climbed out of her car and went inside but it was the last
place she wanted to be.
    She didn’t want to see her parents or Josh, didn’t feel like
watching TV or calling Grace. What she needed was to be alone for a while and
clear her head. She changed into her workout clothes and running shoes then
darted back out the door. A long run had always helped, so perhaps that would
do the trick.
    After stretching for a few