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away from the tires and reached for the bags he’d set on the counter. As he strode past her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the outside.
    Delaney didn’t have any other option but to follow him. His big warm hand held hers tight, and she practically had to jog to keep up with him.
    “Where are we going?” she managed to ask as he pulled her around the side of the garage that overlooked a ravine and led down to a small creek.
    “Here,” he said, as he stopped in a shady spot that had a decent size patch of grass. He turned and surveyed the area and decided it would do. He set the bags down and then looked at her expectantly.
    Not totally sure what he wanted, she guessed and sank to her bottom on the ground. He followed suit and started unloading the bags.
    “Sorry, this is better, don’t you think?” He tried to cover for his abruptness.
    “Sure, I haven’t had a picnic since I was a kid. I used to love them. I’d tell my mom that food tasted better outside, and she’d make my lunch in a paper bag so I could sit outside on the porch and eat it.” Delaney smiled at the memory. It was a sense memory that she often replayed in her mind. The sun beating down on her face, the condensation on the outside of her juice box. The buzz of bees trying to get to the grape jam in her sandwich. She knew that her mom was watching her from the kitchen window while she ate. Sometimes she would come out and sit with her. They would talk and giggle. It was some of her happiest memories.
    “I’d like to meet your mom,” Will said. He’d paused his unpacking to listen to her; his gaze focused on her.
    “She’s gone. Passed away, I mean. When I was younger.” Delaney hadn’t had to say that in a while. Everyone in town knew her parents and knew her mom had died.
    Shit, he wasn’t expecting that. “I’m sorry. That must have been tough.”
    “It was a long time ago. It’s much easier talking about her now. I can remember all the happy times; that’s what makes it easier.”
    “So it was just you and your dad?” Will kept unloading the food and setting it out. His hands and eyes were on the food, but every cell of him was tuned into her.
    “Yup. I ended up spending most of my time in the garage after school. I was around cars all the time so becoming a gear head was kind of a given. But I do love cars, motorcycles too. Anything with an engine really. I was the only girl in auto shop in school. But since I was head of the class, I didn’t have to put up with too much crap for long,” she said and gave a small laugh.
    Will didn’t like the idea of anyone picking on her just because she was good at something. “Well, it looks like you are well respected around here.”
    “Now, sure. It took a while for people to figure out that my dad has a basic knowledge of car repair. He’s much better sitting around waiting for a tow call. Honestly, since my mom died, he hasn’t really been very motivated. I mean, he took good care of me. Well, the best he could, but we’re a little isolated out here. There weren’t other kids to play with and no neighbors that weren’t a long drive away. So it was just me and him. I think if you look up tomboy in the dictionary, there is a picture of me.”
    “Tomboy or not, you are a beautiful woman, Delaney.” Damn that felt good to say. Will wanted to go on about every detail of what he thought was gorgeous about her, but he tried to hold himself back.
    Delaney blushed, she felt the heat on her cheeks. Ducking her head, she said, “Thank you, but I own a mirror you know. I probably still have grease stains on my cheeks. I always forget and rub my hand across my face.”
    “Doesn’t change the beauty underneath,” he said gruffly.

Chapter Eight
    “ E rm , well thanks.” Delaney didn’t know how to take a compliment like that. Especially coming from a man like him. What was his deal? Was he looking for a vacation hookup? She didn’t know if that was something she was