Part 1

"Is he dead?" 

"How am I supposed to know I'm not a doctor?" 

Glaring at his brother her rolled his eyes landing back on the fellow sprawled out on the road. 

"Let's go." 

"We just can't leave him here," the eldest of the two reasoned looking concerned. 

"And why not?" 

"Because it wouldn't be right." 

"What you know about....he's moving." 

"Come on lets get him to the doc, you get his legs I'll get his arms." 

***** 

The faint sound of music penetrated the walls of her room, she could hear the sad vocals of someone singing their loss of a loved one.  That was the last thing that Tyler Robben thought she'd ever wake up to, she hadn't even expected to wake up.  She felt her body she touched her head and groaned. 

"He's in here," she closed her eyes tight before she heard the door open, feet shuffled against the wooden floor.  She didn't know where she was or who these people were, the voices sounded masculine and she counted three different voices from where she was laying. 

Tyler felt a shift on the bed, someone had taken a seat beside her, and she didn't need to open her eyes to feel her space being violated.  Catching the hand that began to descend she opened her eyes, adjusting to the light of the room she made out the three men she'd heard talking. 

"Easy now fella'." 

"I told you we should have turned him into the sheriff had him deal with him." 

"Stop overreacting," the first man said without taking his eyes off Tyler. 

"How ya feeling?" her gaze turned to the man who's hand she had grabbed, "who are you?" she asked her voice husky from not using it. 

"Where am I, how did I get here?" 

"Slow down," the man said patiently as if he didn't have his hand in a desperate hand grip with a stranger he knew nothing about, "I'm Dr. Terrence Coltran and these two gentlemen behind me are the Madison brothers, on my left Carl and on my right Jason, they found you on the side of the road." 

"On the side of the road?" she repeated to herself 

"Jason and...Carl?" the doctor nodded, "found me." 

"Yeah we did." Carl looked at his brother with a shake of his head he was was ready to take the credit but he was the one that didn't want to take him in at all. 

"Do you know your name son?" 

She frowned trying to make sense of the situation, she looked down at her clothes and let go of the doctor retreating as if he were a snake.  Getting up from the bed she looked around the small room sparsely decorated with only a bed and a drawer and chair as furniture.  The outside of was bright too bright, she shielded her eyes looking around the room for something. 

"You lookin for anything in particular?" 

"My bag," Tyler answered distractedly, her memory coming back gradually, but the movement was helping her she felt like she was going to pass out.  Stormed by a wave of nausea she closed her eyes holding on to the wall beside her, "take it easy you've been through quite an ordeal." 

"How the fuck do you know what I've been through?" she glared at each man, but pointedly at Carl who stood taken aback by the venom in her voice and her guarded stance. 

"We're here to help is all," she adopted the same kind voice the doc had used earlier that seemed to calm her down just a beat, but some of the venom was still left behind.  'She would be a difficult one' he thought to himself looking the boy over with a speculative eye. 

"Tyler," the doctor decided to be more familiar making sure he knew that there was no threat here for the boy, "I need to finish examining you to make sure that you are alright, you could very well have a concussion and somethin as serious as that can't be ignored." 

For the first time since they'd entered the room she realized that their accents had a deep southern timbre that she was unused to.  "Where am I?" she asked again, her voice trying not to sound as frantic as she felt. 

"Savannah, Savannah Georgia," Jason sounded a little more than irritated that they were being questioned when they knew so little about this stranger.  "Where are you from, you don't sound like you belong around here," he pointed out in an accusing tone already making him a suspect of some rape or murder that had yet to exist. 

It was Tyler's nature to automatically not like anyone that crossed her path, it was a trained response after having to grow the bullshit that she did.  Bigots, relatives, her parents, had made her in the the mistrustful women she was today.  It wasn't in her nature to give herself to people and while she appreciated what they were doing for her she wouldn't be swayed by one good deed when there was still time to do damage and say hurting words. 

"I don't understand...." she whispered to herself mostly for her own benefit running her hand through her dreads.  A moment of concern and confusion passed when she looked at the compassionate eyes of the men that had for lack of a better word rescued her. 

She'd been running, running so hard and so fast she couldn't and wouldn't stop. 

"We can help you," the doc started, "but first you need to be examined," the last part wasn't left open to discussion. 

*****

"Belle! Savannah!" the patriarch of the Mathias Birkeland was a man to be reckoned with in and outside of the business world.  He ruled his home with an iron fist and when it came to family no man or woman could dispute the undying loyalty he had to them or the code of honor he and his brothers and father adopted so long ago.  During the summer and he and his family would reroute to the country leaving the city smells and tastes behind until they would have to return to their respective worlds.  These vacations were a bonding of family, which he took very seriously which was one of the reasons he sat at the head of the dinner table calling for his eldest daughters. 

"Mathias they're coming," his demure wife scolded him soundly, the Birkeland matriarch knew her husband's temper knowing exactly how and when to quell it.  While he loved his daughter's there was only so much time that could pass before his stomach overrode his love for his gems. 

The sound of both girls coming eased his tense shoulders, the smell of a home cooked meal wafting from the kitchen to his study was pure torture.  Melba Lyn knew just how he like his chicken and if anyone could, she was their summer cook he would have had her on full time but after a few weeks and having to deal with the ornery cook in the city he thought it would be better for all if she stayed as their summer cook.  He didn't think it wise to upset the woman who cooked his meals for him and Melba although loving and considerate had her limits to what she would do for this family. 

For generations her family and the Birkeland's had lived in harmony in a routine sixty years perfected in the relation of employer and employee. 

While they lived stereotypically the black cook and her white family their relationship was far from it, Melba Lyn was family.  A second mother to the children and a confidante for the parents sometimes caught up and needing a healthy dose of reality and sage advice that only a woman of her fifty two years could give out. 

"Sorry for keeping you father," Belle apologized first and then Savannah with another apology. 

"That's alright my gems, but next time try to be considerate of your father's appetite," Vivian began looking at her husband's stomach lovingly leaving the girls to giggle and their father good-naturedly glare at their mother. 

"They was probably talking about boys again," the youngest of the children stated looking from his parents to his sisters disgustedly. 

His mother looked at him knowing that one day he would be singing another tune, but until then they would all have to endure his newfound dislike of girls.  Belle on the other hand wasn't as understanding and glared at her little brother and Savannah did her trademark rising of the brow at her little brother, knowing what her mother already did. 

Savannah was the oldest out of the Birkeland children, in her early twenties, had already started college and to appease her mother and father's insecurities agreed on this family vacation.  She had an offer to go with some of her new found friends from college on a cross country trip, while traveling sounded exciting, her family was more important than a few days on the road.  Her father had succeeded in not only making her aggressive and independent he had also instilled his beliefs about family values inside her headstrong head. 

Belle was in her senior year of high school head over heels for boys, fashion, and a world that closely resembled that of her mothers.  While Savannah had been largely influenced by her father, Belle was more partial to her mother's world of debutantes and dinner parties and rich husbands.  At the age of five she had already had her wedding planned out and knew the boy who would be taking the leap with her.  Unlike adolescent fancies that kids sometimes fell out of, Belle had a determination that matched her own father's when it came to getting what she wanted. 

Marcus Lambrey was going to give it all to her, he was old money his father and his father's father and an even longer line of father's owned a textiles co. that seemed to blossom as the years went by.  With the new innovations and the world ever changing in favor for technology new blood would be a welcome change.  That's where her husband to be came in.  They'd been dating on and off for years, but there wasn't a doubt in Belle's mind that Marcus would be the man she'd spend the rest of her life with.  And after years of hard work and scheming and kissing she'd finally gotten him to pop the question she'd been wanting him to ask since they were children. 

To say the least her father wasn't pleased at the age and out of respect for her family and mostly adherence to her father the marriage was set for a later date.    

The most striking attribute of the Birkeland brood would be there lounge brown hair that grew light over the summer and their striking blue eyes.  They were intelligent children born of regular people with privileged lives, they weren't the smartest children, but they were just perfect and then some in the eyes of their parents.  Savannah and Belle had their lives mapped out the only one that hadn't was the youngest and the most unpredictable of the three, Collin Duane Birkeland.  His birth wasn't planned but it wasn't an unwelcome surprise either especially when Mathias heard that is was a boy. 

He knew his expectations in life were to be his father's son and he acted as such, getting on the nerves of much of the staff especially Melba Lyn.  While Mathias could be fair and ruled with as much authority and fairness as a businessman, it didn't extend to his role as a father.  The youngest of the Birkeland clan could get away with murder, or so Belle liked to phrase it.  Savannah could see how her sister could be feeling observing her father with his son, the sun and the moon rose and fell for the kid.  And her mother wasn't doing anything to stop her son being spoiled she was often a co-conspirator as well. 

Savannah remembered holding her sister back many a days and even the patient god fearing Melba Lyn when Collin made the mistake of using his firecrackers to play a practical joke on the older woman on April fool's day.  The Birkeland family wasn't even close to perfect, but to the outside eyes they were the family that everyone wanted to resemble. 

*****

"I'm telling you man all of this is an example of what is wrong with the world today," Tyler had been slowly recovering in the Madison home for a few weeks.  She never corrected the men who took her in when they called her son, or boy or fella she was use to it.   

Tyler a predominately boy name was a joke her father gave her when she was little, the drunk bastard was always looking for something to laugh about.  On the night that she was born he'd been as drunk as any other day and the nurse didn't have common sense or intelligence to realize that he was.  The name was promptly printed on the certificate and left as a permanent reminder of the evidence of stupidity that coursed through her veins. 

That same day her mother died leaving her alone in the nightmare that she lived in for nineteen years, sometimes she thought her mother died on purpose so that she wouldn't have to live with the asshole anymore.  That one theory made her resent ever being born and having such a weak mother, she hardly knew the woman but she looked at pictures.  Sometimes staring for hours trying to figure her out.  She looked like she'd blow away if the wind brushed against her just right. 

She walked talked and lived like a boy, it was easier on her when she got home from school when her father would just beat her for ever showing anything feminine about her.  He resented having a daughter just as much as having a dyke for a daughter.

"Son of a bitch in heat," Looking at the closed door she smirked flushing the toilet and washing her hands she started down the hall meeting Jason in the den.  From just observing them and living with them for a couple of weeks she could safely say that the two brother's were complete opposites.  Jason was more partial to cursing and spitting and drinking, than his brother who while he drank was more calm and collected and sometimes church going.  Both of them were in the den the old style decor was nothing near glamorous, but it had a homey feel that settled the restless soul. 

"I'm going down to Taylor's and giving him a piece of my mind," the gray head shook and he was beyond reasoning with, but Carl stood his ground trying to get his brother to calm down. 

"Something wrong guys?" Tyler came in frowning, Jason got mad easy over the smallest things, but this was a different kind of pissed than she'd ever seen him. 

"The truck broke down on the side of the road again." 

"But didn't you just pick it up," Tyler said slowly even more confused. 

"That's the damn point I paid one hundred dollars to get that truck purring again and not more than ten miles out it breaks down on me," Jason glared at everything and nothing in particular.  If the would be mechanic were here there was no doubt in Tyler and Carl's mind that the man would get more than physical.  For an old guy he was still in pretty good shape and not opposed to violent means to solve problems. 

"Taylor's already taken it back to the garage to get it fixed, I'm going down there to see what's going on," Carl explained then pinned his brother with a stare, "and your staying here to get dinner fixed for us when we get back." 

"Us?" Jason frowned. 

"We," I echoed. 

"Yea, I suspect Tyler's got a little bit of cabin fever from being cooped up here with us, so I'm taking him out to see the town besides I'm gonna need some help with getting some supplies."  Jason was thoroughly opposed to the idea and Tyler wasn't all sure herself but when Carl made up his mind it was best to follow suit, yet another thing that Tyler learned from living with both hard headed men. 

*****

"I love you you know that?"  

Stopping in her tracks Savannah looked at the handsome man she'd known ever since she'd put him on fire when they were kids playing with matches.  Ten years had changed them considerably since that summer, and both complimented each other in looks and in character.  Savannah knew this, her mother reminded her daily as did her father about her responsibilities as a woman needing a man in her life. 

She didn't fall in the category of her sister who yearned to be married, she didn't want to be tied down by a husband especially one like Robert Joshua Lee. 

"I know," she said sitting on the pier looking over the lake never taking her eyes off the water.  Her eyes tracing the outline of the reflection of the moon. 

"Then why don't you say yes, we'd be perfect together our parents expects us to be together the town expects it of us." 

Savannah curved her brow and sighed with a smirk on her face, "and what about what I want?" she leaned into him slightly. 

Savannah had her moments where she could be the kindest woman in the world, but when it came to men she played them like a harp.  The end result would be a man with a broken heart. 

Her virginity was still intact of course, but she played stroking and caressing and kissing until her victim was filled with the same fervor.  Then she would drop them after petting and caressing leaving them needing her in the end.  She thought about toying with Joshua, she hardly called him by his first name, he truly loved her she knew that.  He would do anything for her. 

Looking at his lips then into his eyes she saw him leaning closer she pulled away when he was only inches from her lips turning back to the lake.  "I don't love you Joshua." 

"You could learn," he said sounding so much like the boy that he'd once been, the only traces left of him were her memories and those soft blue green eyes she'd always loved. 

"He would, your the perfect son in law." 

"And I would be an even better husband if you just let me," he tried again.  They knew this dance well and Savannah had bent tempted to give in at one time, but not now.  She couldn't do that give herself up for something she never wanted in the first place life was too short.  And she would not live it under her father or mother's shadows. 

"I know you would." 

Ducking his head then looking back up to meet the beautiful blue that had the potential of shining bright if only she'd let him give her the reason for them to.  She could go back to her college life she didn't have to be the housewife if she didn't want to, all he wanted was her.  And he would dedicate this whole summer to showing her how much he loved her.  In his mind she would be his. 

Savannah looked over at her friend seeing the thoughtful look on his face, knowing that this would be a very long summer.  Most women would call him handsome clean shaven with blazing blue green eyes that had a flare for life.  A boyish smile that made women's knees melt and a body that many men envied and women drooled over. 

Turning slightly she looked at his lips again before she attacked them will all the passion and heat she was feeling at that moment. 

*****

Carl and Tyler walked through the garage doors to the blasting sound of hard core rock music, Tyler wasn't one to discriminate any of music but it was plain to see that Carl didn't exactly agree in that philosophy. 

The garage was a two story building  that looked like a one story, at the top there was the office and the floor was used for the cars.  Following the sound of the loud music Carl immediately turned it off in sighting the unseen figure under a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. 

"Hey!" sliding out from under the car he looked at Carl picking himself up, "hey Madison your brother was here earlier to pick up the truck," he wiped his hand down with a rag.  "Who's this?" he gestured to Tyler. 

"This is Tyler he's staying with us for a while helping us out on the farm and such, Tyler this here is one the best damn mechanics this side of Savannah Duncan Resse." 

They shook hands smiling politely. 

"Anyway I come by because I need you to pick up on the side of the road on the way to our farmhouse." 

Duncan didn't look surprised, "how far did it get out before a broke down?" 

"A couple of miles out," Carl explained. 

The man winced, "I know Jason wasn't a happy camper after that," he looked around before he continued, "it's the bosses nephew come down from Detroit claims he can fix any and everything." 

"Every car he's fixed so far has been having problems, we got a long list waiting for parts that suddenly don't work anymore," 

"Think somethin suspicious is going on?" Carl asked frowning, not liking the tactics taken to get more business, Duncan on shrugged. 

*****

"You want this to be a surprise for her...no... and not even the girls know....no no one else knows....alright....talk to you later."  Jim got up from his chair to look at his garage down below, seeing the stacks of paper on his desks with bills he decided he needed a break.  Descending the stairs he scanned the garage and started his way over to Matt and Ms. Jenkins a loyal customer when it came to her and her car. 

The lady looked perturbed, curiosity guided his legs to where he could hear the conversation and discovery what bothered the gray haired woman. 

Ms. Jenkins was the local librarian "it's been running kind of roughly lately, the car's been so reliable for my twenty eight years of driving it, I know don't know why it's acting up now." 

"Well ma'am I can assure you that we'll have this problem fixed, from what I've looked at the problem is probably the engine you might have make the whole replacement." 

"Hey Matt telephone," Matt looked up from under the hood and started to where the secretary was calling him then started for the phone leaving a very upset woman behind.  A librarian only made so much and what he was talking about would surely put a dent her finances.  'A whole engine?'  This Jim didn't miss. 

Tyler frowned Jim wasn't the only taking an interest in the car she looked it over, from what she'd heard about this guy from Detroit he didn't sound too honest.  It wouldn't hurt to take a quick look under the hood to see what's really going on with it.  She looked at the clock Carl and Duncan had left to pick up the truck, but she opted to stay behind. 

Not paying attention to the observing Jim she started toward the lady, "would you mind for a second opinion?" 

The woman who'd taken to leaning against her car in thought looked at Tyler, "I'm sure he knows what he's doing but you could."  

Tyler bent down looking it over.  After viewing the mechanics under the hood she looked up "could you start the engine miss?" she called out, after a few seconds she heard it start and listened before she told her to turn it off again. 

"I'll set up the bill now something like this could be a little pricey," Matt explained slowly if not condescendingly. 

"I think you need to check again," Tyler said from the other side of the car. 

"Excuse me?" Matt frowned. 

"I said I think you need to check again, the problem's not the engine she said it had been riding rough the problems probably the fuel system.  Replace the fuel filter and the only other problem is some leaking from your rear exhaust pipe which you can fix with an exhaust manifold gasket." 

Jim raised his eyebrows impressed, but he wasn't the only one Carl and Duncan had arrived just in time to hear her explain the problems with the 1993 Buick Century. 

"I didn't know you knew anything about mechanics," Carl spoke up. 

"I used to work in a garage through high school best grades I ever made were in shop," Tyler shrugged. 

"Good for you, but I'm the professional." 

"Duncan why don't you take a look at it to see what's wrong with Ms. Jenkins’s car," the owner of the garage suggested.  Looking under the hood like Tyler had done moments before he came up with the same problems as Tyler leaving a red faced Matt in the wake of his prognosis. 

"Well Ms. Jenkins not everyone’s perfect we'll have your bill ready for you and the car's problems will be dealt with so you can come back tomorrow afternoon to pick it up."  The older woman looked smiled brightly in hearing the news, whatever the changes were needed she was sure it was considerably cheaper than replacing an engine. 

After she left Matt was being properly reprimanded, but Duncan knew that he would be forgiven and given another chance.  After filling them in their car problems probably something with human intervention he said that the truck would be in most likely a couple of days.  The only set backs were the other cars that needed repairing he explained. 

"Sounds like you could use another pair of hands Jim," Carl’s wheels were already turning as he looked at Tyler pointedly. 

Tyler frowned opening her mouth to protest, but Jim looked Tyler over rubbing his chin the process, Jim always thought himself a fair man and from Tyler's display for scruples and knowing his way around the car he'd be an idiot if he didn't offer the boy a job.  Matt knew his uncle pretty well and knew that he would hire him, he was competent enough and his uncle would think that he owed him something.  The words that came out of his uncle's mouth proved him right. 

 "You've already proven you know your way around the car would you be interested?" 

Tyler looked between the two men and then at Duncan, who didn't look as if he was opposed to the idea, the only person she could see that it would really piss off was Matt. 

"When do I start?"

*****

Tyler didn't have a truck and didn't want to inconvenience either of the men that took her in so it was decided that Duncan would pick her up for work every morning. 

Sitting in Duncan's truck she realized she really knew nothing about the guy sitting beside her and he definitely didn't know anything about her, he didn't even know that she was a girl.  Living most of your life like a boy you learn a few tricks of the trade, her period had come on earlier that week she learned how to conceal the pads and the fact that it was her time of month to anyone.  She was good at hiding herself she'd done it for most of her life. 

Brought back to reality by the thunderous music that Duncan insisted on playing loudly she did realize she knew one thing about him, Duncan looked at his passenger and smiled turning the knob to lower the sound of music.  "You don't look like you're enjoying my music Tyler," Tyler craned her neck scowling but it was eased when she saw the good natured smile on his face. 

"I'm just not used to it is all." 

"So...where you come from." 

Tyler chose to ignore the question and seeing that Duncan changed the subject, "who taught you about cars?"  he opted after a few minutes of silence. 

"My dad," she said softly so softly that Duncan had to go over her words again before realizing what she'd said. 

"Not the best subject in the world I take it." 

"No," she thought that the conversation had been dropped but after a few more moments of silence Duncan regrouped, "my dad was a bastard too, I remember wanting to slit his throat everyday up until he drank himself to death." 

She hadn't expected that, but then again she was given a lot of things that she didn't expect to happen, but Duncan spoke what she'd been feeling all her life.  The homicidal bloodlust for her jackass of a father, she'd often had the same fantasies about her father that Duncan had about his and then some.   

*****

"Oh well look who's back in town," Belle and Savannah held in their groans and plastered practiced smiles on their faces as they received the approaching red haired woman.  Georgia Halley Savannah's age and as spoiled as she and her family were rich, Belle and Savannah knew each other because their mother's were good friends, but it showed that there was nothing that intimate about their relationship.  The mothers tolerated each other for show as much as the girls did. 

"Georgia," Belle managed through clenched teeth, while her sister could be seemingly tolerant of the irritating girl Belle hadn't mastered her feelings like Savannah obviously had.  Sometimes she envied her sister's control and then other times she was glad that she was a impetuous teenager about to be an adult. 

"You look fabulous," Savannah said taking the woman’s hand and allowing Belle to follow the same exchange with a forced smile, "I didn't think that you'd be down here Savannah you being an up and coming college girl." 

Belle hated her with a passion and hated the false niceties that she seemed to speak as easily as a man with diarrhea could shit. 

"You know the family always vacations here, just because Savannah's in college doesn't mean that she doesn't have time to for her family." 

Georgia opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Matt stepping towards them with a confidant gait, in many circle the man would seem handsomely brusque.  Belle was spoken for, but that didn't mean that she couldn't appreciate the male form after all she wasn't married nor was she dead, Savannah just smile politely taking in the handsome stranger while Georgia topped them both.  It was a game she liked to play even with the large diamond stud on her finger. 

"May I help you ladies?" Matt his tight jeans hugging him in all the right places with his shirting hiding a cut body underneath the gray uniform with his name on the side of it. 

"Matt," Georgia made it a point to look at the tag conveniently moving herself closer to the attractive man, "yes, I've been having some car problems it's right over here," she guided the eager man to her car, but after a few moments it was obvious that the conversation had taken a turn to playful flirtation. 

"That... that....that....." Belle strained to find the word to describe Georgia Halley 

"Calm down Belle." 

"She should be ashamed of the way she acts and he's a stranger no less." 

"And I'm sure your thoughts were totally devoid of anything remotely centered around appreciating him as an attractive man." 

Belle paused looking at her sensible sister wondering when a man would take his sister up and knock it all out because sometime her being sensible was very annoying.  "That's not the point." she sounded ending the conversation. 

"Uh huh." 

Parking in front of the garage Duncan smiled at Belle and Savannah, he got out the car smiling at them with his playboy smile knowing that the girls would be playfully receptive.  Tyler who'd watched the exchange shook her head at the way Duncan was acting and the smiling women that received so eagerly after their short reunion Duncan looked around and glared at the sight of Matt and Georgia together.  Belle followed his gaze. 

"She's already sunk her claws into another victim." Belle said looking at Matt not feeling the least bit sorry for him, and if anybody knew how deep those claws sunk it was definitely Matt. 

Savannah wasn't trained on the would-be couple instead she found her sights set on a darker and more mysterious subject that seemed to have taken an interest in her as well.  Brown and blue eyes trained on each other, Savannah smiled and Tyler a little more hesitant eventually smiled at one of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen.  Pushing her dreads out of the way she turned and almost ran into the wall behind her, Savannah giggled and Tyler turned in her direction smiling sheepishly before she entered the garage cursing under her breath. 

While the option of banging her head on the wall was tempting the boss had intervened and showed her around the small garage telling her where everything was.  Nodding her head at the appropriate times with the mandatory 'yes sirs' and 'oks' Jim went into his office to answer a phone call. 

The car that Savannah and Belle drove in was backed into the garage, popping the hood and looking under it "hey Tyler come here for a sec!" 

Both women looked at dark skinned individual walking towards them, Tyler was wearing loose jeans with a chain hanging from one side with an equally loose short sleeved t-shirt.  Smiling politely at the girls it wasn't lost on Belle the way her sister smiled broadly or that her eyes had wandered to this stranger’s derriere. 

Shoving her big sister she never knew her sister went for the dark meat, this would be interesting. 

"What's up?" she said leaning under the hood opposite of Duncan. 

"Hold that....thanks...alright you can let up now," 

"What are you guys doing to the car?" Belle asked watching both of them work, "we're doing a load test on the alternator," 

"What's wrong with the alternator," Duncan looked up slowly, "don't know yet."  While one mechanic could have done the load test Duncan hadn't missed the lingering gazes between either Savannah or Tyler and thought it might be a good thing warn him now about her. 

Lowering his voice so only Tyler could hear, "whatever your thinking it bury it and I don't mean the six feet under kind of bury I mean put a stick of dynamite in the ground and shovel your ass off until you don't even remember that it exists.  Savannah is off limits." 

Tyler was becoming more intrigued by the long legged debutante, "Duncan." 

"Well with the way you two are talking conspiracy like I'm wondering about the state of the car." 

"No need to worry ladies," he spared a glance at Tyler as he finished, "just making sure we were on the same page here." 

"You haven't even introduced your friend Duncan," Savannah pointed out. 

"Oh....forgive me this is a good friend of mine he's new in town his names Tyler." 

"Tyler this youngin' is Belle and this southern beauty over here is her older sister Savannah, they come down for the summer and grace us lowly folks with their presence." 

"If we didn't who would you strapping fella's looking to drool and fawn over," Bell played along sounding ever the southern woman.  Tyler nodded politely to both women lowering her head when it came to greeting Savannah. 

"Wherever you've come from I'm sure that it must have been something for you to relocate to this small sleepy town," Belle stated perusing the stranger. 

"Something like that," she said deepening her voice unconsciously but none noticed the change. 

 "Your going to need your alternator replaced which isn't too common for this year and brand of car." 

"Oh ok, how long is it going to take?" Belle asked. 

"We'll have to wait for the part and the alternator will probably cost you around 34 dollars chump change for you ladies  

"Well we should get going I suppose we could call the driver to drive us back home," Bell stated taking out her cellular phone. 

She walked away from the group waiting for someone to pick up "Duncan could I trouble you for a glass of water," her voice laced in honey, Duncan saw past that, he'd been around her long enough to know that she just wanted him out of the way.  Pursing his lips he exchanged looks with both Savannah and Tyler the only thing he could thing of was 'oh shit.'   

Tyler admired the shapely body moving upward to one of the most beautiful faces she'd ever seen.  She knew that she was attracted to women, she dated some women mostly for show but her father never knew.  He'd have beaten her to kingdom come if he knew how far she let the charade go on as to date other women. 

Savannah watched the mechanics eyes looking over her with interest but couldn't help playing with him by catching his chin and pushing it upward, "like what you see?" she drawled. 

Tyler gulped in response eliciting a sly smile from the woman before her. 

"Something like that," she repeated. 

Wiping the back of her neck she looked past the sultry debutante to who, Belle was still on the phone and Duncan had been pulled to the side by Matt for something. 

"Um..." Tyler pulled away and turned hitting her knee on the car she leaned over holding her knee "son of a..." turning around to see an amused southern lady she stopped short smiling sheepishly as before.  "I never knew somebody who could use their smiles so dangerously," Tyler joked. 

"I never knew they were," 

"They are to me." 

"Would you rather me not smile," she was playing. 

"I think my knee could survive a few more of your smiles and even if it doesn't I always have another." 

"Are you flirting with me?" Savannah sounded coy even if she wasn't feeling it in the least. 

Tyler smirked with feuding thoughts one saying to shut the fuck up and leave her be she's too good for you.  While the other wanted to take this southern beauty on top of her car here and now.  

"If you have to ask then I must not be flirting to the best of my ability," she grinned thumbing her belt under her t-shirt. 

"I know that smirk." 

"You do?" 

"Yes every man has it when they think they've succeeded in something." 

"I succeeded in making you smile it was unintended and clumsy but it made you smile." 

"I was amused," 

"Ah..ok." 

'Janie Bennet' she knew Savannah's game reminding her of a woman so long ago so similar to the woman that was looking her in the face now but with a different wrapping.  She'd already set it in her mind that she wasn't going to make that same mistake again. 

"It was nice meeting you Ms. Savannah," she said before turning fully away leaving a surprised but intrigued woman behind.

*****

The clear blue sky was the only reason both of them agreed that they'd be eating outside today and it could have helped that Matt was being an asshole and they didn't want to lose their lunches just being around them. 

"So Savannah likes you huh?" Duncan hinted, after both women had left Duncan looked at Tyler strangely before shaking his head and doing more work to the cars they already had in.  He was the one that suggested they go outside and chill for a while, biting another large piece from his home made sandwich with mayonnaise collecting on the sides of his mouth he waited to hear what Tyler had to say. 

She shrugged. 

"You guys didn't talk about anything when you were alone?" 

"We were flirting," she said nonchalantly. 

"Did you ask her out." 

"My life is fucked up already I don't need a woman like that complicating things." 

"Most guys fawn over women like her, when I first met her I thought she was the most beautiful woman I know and up until a couple of years I was trying my damnest to get to her." 

"What stopped you, the fact that you realized you were just a toy to get daddy mad?" 

"No, Savannah ain't like that sure she would tease but she wouldn't do it publicly she has respect for her father and her family and she wouldn't disgrace them like that, no, Savannah is a closet tease, he said thoughtfully missing the smirk on Tyler's face. 

"A closet tease?"

The man just nodded, Tyler found herself liking Duncan more and more.

 

TBC