Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

142 Chapter 142

Seraphina’s POV 1

“Ouch! Shit!”

The wrench slipped from my oily fingers and smacked me right in the shin. I hopped around on one foot like an idiot, clutching my leg.

“Language, city girl!” Caleb’s voice drifted out from under the truck hood, but I could hear him laughing.

“Oh, shut up!” I shot back, rubbing my bruised shin. “That actually hurt!”

“What hurt more? Your leg or your pride?”

I stuck my tongue out at the general direction of his voice, even though he couldn’t see me. “Both, thank you very much.”

Two weeks. Two whole weeks of grease under my fingernails, oil stains on my clothes, and tools that seemed determined to attack me.

My hands looked like I’d been wrestling with machinery–which, to be fair, I had been.

Gone were the perfectly manicured nails and soft skin. Now I had actual calluses. Real, honest–to–God calluses from real work. And

weirdly? I was kind of proud of them.

“Sera, you still alive over there?” Caleb poked his head out, blonde hair sticking up every which way, a smudge of black grease across his

cheek.

“Unfortunately.” I bent down to pick up the traitorous wrench. “This thing has it out for me, I swear.”

“The wrench isn’t the problem. You’re holding it wrong.”

“I am not!”

“Are too. He emerged fully from under the hood, wiping his hands on an already filthy rag. “Here, let me show you.”

Before I could protest, he was behind me, his arms coming around to guide my grip on the wrench. His chest pressed against my back,

warm and solid, and I caught a whiff of his scent–motor oil, soap, and something purely masculine.

“See? Like this, he murmured near my ear, his hands covering mine. “Don’t grip so tight. Let the tool do the work.”

My brain short–circuited for exactly three seconds. Then I jerked away from him like I’d been burned.

“Got it. Thanks. I’m good now.”

Caleb stepped back, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “You sure? Because your face is about as red as that fire engine we worked on

yesterday.”

“It’s hot in here,” I mumbled, turning back to the engine I’d been working on.

“Uh–huh.”

practically hear

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you have your own work to do?” I asked, not

with basic tools is way

grabbed a shop rag and threw it at

but I was

“Terribly charming, you mean.”

“Terribly full of yourself.”

our banter. I moved to answer

“Morrison’s Auto Repair.”

Is my car ready yet?”

time she came in. “Just finished up! Your oil’s been changed, and

your fluids.

I’ll be by this afternoon to pick

“Perfect. See you then!”

turned to find Caleb watching me with an

“What?”

quickly. “It’s just… you’re really good

It’s not exactly rocket

You remember everyone’s names,

old Mr. Jameson troubleshoot his truck over the phone and saved him a

self–conscious.

Caleb’s voice got softer. “You care. About the people, about doing good work. You belong

What was I supposed to say to

between us, warm and comfortable and terrifying all at once. Then the shop bell chimed,

said quickly, escaping

morning’s receipts when a wave of homesickness hit me so hard it took my

Adrian and Lily doing right

eating lunch with his friends, chattering about whatever five- year–olds chatted about. And Lily… God, Lily would be napping in her crib, or maybe playing with those colorful blocks

her.

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chest tightened. The numbers on the receipt blurred as

made this choice. They’re better

a coward who ran away instead of fighting for her family?

Caleb’s voice made me look up. He was standing in the doorway between the garage and office, concern written all over

“You okay?”

came out