Ethan grinned with absolute delight. Did it have tiny snacks? Daniel laughed before he could stop himself. It surprised him enough that he stood there for a second afterward, feeling the echo of it in his chest. "Yes," he admitted.
Tiny snacks were involved. Ethan looked deeply impressed. "That's how you know rich people are serious." Inside the house, Margaret sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and the expression of someone who had already decided Daniel was hiding at least half the story. She had known him since he was 21 and had never once mistaken silence for innocence.
So she asked calmly once Ethan disappeared upstairs to retrieve a science project he urgently needed to explain. What kind of trouble have you wandered into? Daniel dropped into the chair across from her and rubbed both hands over his face. I honestly don't know yet. And for the first time in a very long while, that answer frightened him.
Over the next week, life tried stubbornly to return to normal. The garage stayed busy. Customers came and went. Tony drank dangerous amounts of coffee and continued diagnosing engines with almost supernatural instincts. Ethan argued passionately about why marine biologists deserved more recognition than astronauts.
On the surface, everything remained the same, but underneath something had changed. Daniel noticed it most in the quiet moments. He would catch himself thinking about Victoria unexpectedly while replacing brake pads or balancing invoices at the front desk. The way she listened, the way she never interrupted unnecessarily, the rare moments when her composure slipped just enough to reveal exhaustion beneath it. He told himself it was curiosity and nothing more.
Then Thursday afternoon arrived and Victoria Hayes walked back into his garage wearing dark jeans instead of tailored slacks and carrying two coffees from the diner down the road. I come in peace, she announced as Tony nearly dropped an impact wrench from shock. Daniel stared at her. You know, there are probably easier places for someone like you to spend an afternoon. Probably," she admitted.
"But none of them involve your coffee machine. And for reasons I still don't understand, I feel emotionally invested in proving it's as terrible as you claim." Tony immediately disappeared into the back room with the expression of a man who understood gossip was about to become extremely valuable. Daniel leaned against the counter, trying not to notice how naturally Victoria seemed to fit into the space, despite everything about her belonging somewhere else. So, this is business?"
He asked carefully. "Officially?" She took a sip of coffee and grimaced slightly. "Officially, I'm evaluating whether Carter's auto might qualify for community investment support through one of my father's foundations." "And unofficially," Victoria looked at him over the rim of her cup.