Chapter 24: Chapter 24 — HARRIET

ENGINE OIL IS my new favorite scent. Right up there with jasmine and sea breeze.

"I completed my assignment." My chin lifts another notch. The pride in my voice rings as loud as the wrench clanking against metal.

Doc freezes, one hand on the tool and the other braced atop the hood. Dark eyes swing from the engine to me. They widen for a second. Just a flash of mild disbelief. Then they narrow in unspoken approval.

It feels like getting a high five from my father. Dad appreciated bloody knuckles when the blood wasn't mine. He liked broken noses that needed ice. The comfort and apologies I brought to those I felled. He liked the underdog. Defeating someone outside of my weight class. A hint of a smirk. A sprinkle of I knew you could do it matched with a dose of relief.

I blink and the image of my father is gone. This is Doc.

And Doc is… different.