Lonely Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

savings account had a meager balance.
    Though I put in the work, I was in no hurry to leave my uncle without support. The other mechanics were just that…mechanics. His sons didn’t care. My aunt knew nothing about the business. Without me, the shop would fail.
    My family was too important to walk away from, even for my own dreams.
    Forty-five minutes later, my cell rang again. I couldn’t avoid answering any longer.
    “Gina, I’m working.”
    “Amor mio, you’re always working.” Her sigh was loud on the phone.
    “That’s what people do for a living.” I tried my best to keep sarcasm out of my voice.
    “You’re cancelling on me again?”
    “Damn.” I’d forgotten about our plans for the evening. “Gina, lo siento. I’ve got some things to do here and another car to finish. It’ll be late by the time I’m done.”
    “¿Que? I’m all dressed up in this sexy number I know you’ll like. Antonio, I don’t know why I put up with you. Maybe it’s because you’re so damn cute.”
    An image of what she could possibly be wearing came to mind. One thing about Gina, she knew how to seduce. “Look, I promise to make it up to you, but this time, I’ll call when I know I’m free.” A few minutes later, we disconnected.
    Gina. We’d dated for two years, but known each other since childhood. She was my sister Adrianna’s best friend, and had a crush on me for as long as I could remember.
    As a teenager, I ignored her. She was three years younger and at the time my interest went to women my age. After graduation, my attention was on cars and earning my mechanic’s license.
    Gina, on the other hand, grew up and went to college. She left looking like my sister’s best friend but returned a full blown woman. It didn’t take long for her to find me, and an even shorter time for us to sleep together. Since then, we dated, but with my hectic schedule, the frequency of our dates had diminished. I cared for her, but she wanted too much. For the past two months, the ‘M’ and ‘K’ words slipped into too many conversations. The idea of marriage didn’t scare me. It was the concept of kids that did. Gina wanted five.
    I loved kids, even enjoyed spending time with my six-year-old nephew. The idea of raising kids of my own is one I refused to entertain. I couldn’t become my father. After watching him grieve the death of my mother and spend fourteen years struggling to raise us, that was a future I refused to entertain. Though my sister and I helped out as much as we could, there were times when he was alone and depressed. Only recently had he started dating again.
    I wanted a relationship. I wanted a wife. I just couldn’t have kids.
    One of these days I would let Gina know. I’m pretty sure our time spent together would end the moment she found out.
    I closed the books and filed them away before heading back into the garage. All the mechanics were gone for the day, so I closed the bay doors, turned on the radio - which my uncle hated - and started working on Kaitlyn’s car.
    Kaitlyn.
    Kaity Lynn.
    I wondered what her story was. A single white woman with the cutest button nose and long blond hair. Her eyes were a shade of green that…
    What the hell was I doing thinking about her eyes?
    I ran my thumb across my forehead and focused on the task at hand.
    By the time I was done, it was too late to take her car over. Tomorrow was Sunday. I’d do it in the morning before visiting my Abuelita.
     
    ****
     
    “Good morning, did I wake you?”
    Kaitlyn’s sister, Tiffany, rubbed her eyes and shot me a dirty look. I hid my smile. “Is Kaity up?”
    She stepped aside and waved me into the apartment. I averted my eyes, trying to ignore the bare legs that stopped at the edge of the nightshirt she wore which, barely covered her body.
    “Kaity Lynn! You’ve got company.” She put emphasis on Lynn, then disappeared into a room down the hall.
    Since I hadn’t been asked to sit, I stood near the door and scanned the