Drive Me Crazy by Marquita Valentine Page A

he sound all Hallmark-like.
    Frowning, he dug his hands into his jean pockets.
    “ I know what you’re thinking.”
    He couldn’t be that easy to read. “I’m all ears.”
    “ That maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. That a single woman shouldn’t buy a house, because what if she meets a man—”
    Pressing a finger to her lips, he gave her a look. “If I thought all of that, what kind of man would I be?” He grabbed her hips, pulling her close. “I find female home-ownership very sexy.”
    A little smile pulled up the corners of her mouth. “Oh you do, do you?”
    “ Yeah,” he said, his voice low.
    “ Sure you’re not saying that to get in my panties?”
    “ Please.” He rolled his eyes. “Lines aren’t my MO.” Melanie laughed, her joy contagious and he found himself laughing with her. “You are the sweetest thing, Melanie Ann Smith. And I’m mighty proud of you.”
    Brown eyes widened. “I am? You are?”
    Instead of answering, he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her in the afternoon sun. Her arms wound around him as she pressed her body to his. In that moment, something inside of him shifted and all he could think was it was a damn shame he wouldn’t be that man for Melanie.

Chapter Ten
    Carter drove home, pushing the car to speeds she would never dare to go, but she didn’t feel afraid. This was Carter and he would never put her in harm’s way.
    Carter said something, but she couldn’t make it out over the music blaring.
    “ What?” she yelled.
    Glancing at her, he began again, “I said—” The bass hit, drowning out the rest of his words.
    Squinting at him, she mouthed, “Can’t hear you.”
    “ Turn down the radio.”
    Good grief. Why couldn’t he turn it down himself, if it was so darn important? “Men,” she sighed, turning down the music.
    “ Spend the next couple of nights with me?” he asked.
    “ Like dates or a sleepover?”
    He pulled the car into his garage and cut the engine. Silence permeated the air, until he finally said, “A little of both.”
    She faced him, smiling so big that her face felt like it was going to split. “I’d love that.”
    ***
    The rest of the week passed by in a blur. Melanie had never been so happy in her life. So happy that she barely had any time to dwell of the fact that her dad still hadn’t come home.
    Or the phone call she’d overheard Carter having with his Uncle John this morning about his Aunt Raylene leaving John a note about going out to one of those spas on Hilton Head.
    “ Don’t know why people tell me their problems,” he had grumbled, then moved into his garage.
    She heard a series of crashes, and tools falling. “What in the world?”
    “ Son of a bitch,” Carter shouted and she went running into the garage.
    “ Oh my God,” she gasped, skidding to a stop.
    Beau’s eyes widened but wisely he said nothing. Instead he grabbed some cleaning supplies and went to work cleaning up the mess. Melanie hadn’t been too sure about him when he started. All tough edges on the outside, but inside, where it counted, that boy was softer than the cotton in a field.
    “ Oh my God is right.” Carter was covered from head to toe in oil and grease.    “I’m going to kill Heath when I see him.”
    “ Why do you think he did,”—she pointed to the overturned containers.—“this?”
    Wiping his face with a paper towel, he said, “Because he was the last one to use my tools to change his oil. Who else would think it was good idea to set an opened oil container on top of old boxes?”
    Carter did have a point about his brother. Heath wasn't the most responsible college kid on the planet. “How about you go get in the shower and I’ll help Beau clean up this mess.” Kneeling in the floor, she grabbed a wad of paper towel and began blotting up the oil. 
    Beau watched them with round eyes as he rushed back and forth, bringing more cleaning supplies.
    “ Leave it, Melanie. That’s what I pay Beau to do.”