Welcome to Valley View (Valley View Book 1)

Chapter 4

I check the mirror for the five hundredth time when there is a knock at the door. I check my hair one more time before heading over to the front door. I've spent the last two hours repeating to myself that this isn't a date, hoping that if I say it enough it'll sink in.

Candy has been texting me non-stop to bug me about my date and I keep telling her that it isn't one. She doesn't seem to understand. The only thing she is good for right now if that she said I could go through her closet and borrow a top if I wanted to.

I take one more deep breath to calm my nerves and swing open the door to see Jimmy leaning against the bannister of the staircase. He's wearing well fitting dark denim jeans with a black t-shirt that fits his to a perfect t.

"Hey." My voice comes out about seven octaves higher than it normally it sounds and a little breathier as well.

He tilts his hat in my direction and gives me a small smile. "Hey to you too."

"You look really nice, did you change before coming here?"

"Let's just say that I wasn't looking very appropriate for the company after working under cars and trucks all day." He gives me a smirk and I'm pretty sure that I'm giving him my own version back. We get stuck in a moment where we're just staring at each other until the sound of a throat clearing behind him breaks up the silence.

"So are you two going to google at each other or take care of business? I don't mind either way, kind of cute watching the two of you."

"Hi Candy, how was work?" I try to get her to change the subject, but there is no use.

"It was food, but watching this sexual tension between the two of you is even better."

I can feel my face burning red so I quickly grab Jimmy's hand and we move past Candy and head our way down the stairs.

"You two behave yourselves." I hear her yell and laugh as we walk out the door to the sidewalk.

"Sorry, she's so....yeah.."

"You don't have to explain. I've known Candy forever, the things she says don't really surprise me anymore. I walked here, my shop is right down the street. I hope you don't mind?"

"I don't mind at all. It's a beautiful day out today." I casually remove my hand from his and grip my purse to keep from reaching out to him again. When we get into Jimmy's garage, my car is already hooked up to the back of his big truck with a tow hook.

"Oh Sunshine..." I rub my hand down the side of the car.

"Did you say, Sunshine?"

"Yeah, I named her because she was bright yellow. Don't you think it fits?"

He smiles and walks over near me, his scent invading my space and the heat from his body radiating. "You seem attached, how long have you had the car?"

"I got it when I graduated high school, a gift to myself."

"And how long ago was that?"

"Ten years ago, about."

He gives the top of the car a nice tap, "You realize that your girl was on the down curve of her life, right?"

"Yeah," I reply somberly, "but I needed a car and she was all I could afford. We've been through a lot of things together."

"I get having an attachment, I wish there was more I could do, but hey, she did you well, right?"

"Yeah, I guess it is time"

"Hopefully you can get enough that'll help you on your next step."

Jimmy leads me over to the passenger side of his large truck and opens the door. He holds out his hand to help boost me into the truck and I get buckled in while he gets into the driver's side. The truck starts with a nice rumble that I can feel through my entire body.