Chapitre 11: Chapter 11: Building a Business

Brad laughed. “That’s just a foot in the door. It’s my effort that will make this business fly. Besides this house is as much mine as it is Chelsea’s. Dad’s been dead for six years.”

She put her hands up. “I give up. We’ve had this conversation many times.” She yawned. “I’m going home.”

He bridged the distance between them and enveloped her in his arms. “I love you, Melissa.”

His mouth found hers and captured her lips in a kiss.

“I love you, too,” she said.

“Sleep tight.”

She smiled. He watched her walk back to her car before he turned to admire his handiwork. Pride threatened to choke him. “You’d be proud, Dad.”

James Auto Body would be a name to reckon with.

***

Chelsea knocked on Sarah O’Malley’s front door, a casserole in one hand. Penny, who thought of everything, dug the casserole out of the deep freeze. Chelsea tried to forget most everything in order to distance herself from the emotional trauma of riding with the squad. She’d been doing it for a long time.