All that stuff she'd just put to rest over the past couple of days came rising back up again. He was doing too much. That she couldn't possibly repay him went without saying-she didn't want to owe him more than she could afford to give, because she feared those feelings of obligation. obligation. She didn't want him making decisions for her, taking over her life! She was afraid he'd begin to control her, isolate her. She didn't want him making decisions for her, taking over her life! She was afraid he'd begin to control her, isolate her.

Dory's old tapes were running in her head and she knew it, but it was impossible to stop. She kept hearing Trip's voice, not Clay's, even though Trip was never truly helpful-he was purely manipulative and domineering.

An ordinary woman without all her emotional baggage would be able to appreciate a nice man lending a hand now and then, and she so so wanted to be an ordinary woman. wanted to be an ordinary woman.

Not only was Dory wearing out that old lament, but she was also trying to figure out whether it was safe to take her own car to town, drop the kids off at school and go to a mechanic.

"You can't be doing that," she said. "You can't be making decisions for me!"

He seemed not to even hear her. He closed the hood. "I start a twenty-four-hour shift this morning at the firehouse. If you drop me off at work, you can use my car while yours is being worked on."

She shook her head. "You can't do that," she said sharply. "You can't tell me what to do, make my decisions for me like that."

"I'm just trying to help, Dory!"

"You're telling me what to do-and it's invasive, controlling and abusive!"

He stared at her in wide-eyed shock.

And Dory stood frozen. Watching his eyes. Thinking. Blushing Blushing at her outburst. Finally he smiled slightly. at her outburst. Finally he smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I overreacted."

"No kidding. I just bring out the best in you, don't I? I didn't mean to take away your freedom of choice and, for G.o.d's sake, I would never be abusive. You seem to be a little on edge or something."

"I have become wary of strange men bearing gifts...."

"Strange men? Come on!"

"Why would your mechanic friend fix my car on the cheap? I mean, that's suspicious!"

"Because I helped him move three times, landscape his last house and install a fancy hot tub-now, that was a huge huge pain! We moved these big friggin' boulders his wife had to have decorating her backyard. And I also babysat three kids over pain! We moved these big friggin' boulders his wife had to have decorating her backyard. And I also babysat three kids overnight so he and the wife could get away for their anniversary. One of the kids had the flu. The so he and the wife could get away for their anniversary. One of the kids had the flu. The stomach stomach flu. He has to fix about nine cars cheaply to get even with me!" flu. He has to fix about nine cars cheaply to get even with me!"

Suddenly she had to cover her mouth so he wouldn't see her laugh. Mr. Good-Looking Bachelor, wiping up kid puke. She bet that was worth the price of admission. She sobered. "Still. You're poking around in my car without being asked. Without asking."

"Because for some reason you won't let me be a good neighbor!" He took a breath and leaned on the hood of her car.

Sophie and Austin stood on the porch, watching. Clay saw them and softened his voice. "Dory, I'm in the safety business. I have a bunch of nieces and nephews. I'd get in my sisters' business if I thought there was a chance the vehicle they were taking the kids to school in might not be a hundred percent safe. Let's not fight about it."

"Well," she said, considering. "As long as you think of me as a sister and there's no more of that date business. Because I don't date."

"I thought we might have a good time, but I'm changing my mind about that. You're too angry about something, and I'm not interested infighting my way through the anger. And since your kids are fun and well-adjusted, I doubt you're angry all all the time-maybe it has something to do with me specifically. So how about if I just lend a hand when it's no trouble for me and you forget I ever asked you out? How about that? Can we start over then? I swear, I'll never ask you out again. Believe me, I've received your message loud and clear." the time-maybe it has something to do with me specifically. So how about if I just lend a hand when it's no trouble for me and you forget I ever asked you out? How about that? Can we start over then? I swear, I'll never ask you out again. Believe me, I've received your message loud and clear."

She was flooded with disappointment and relief.

"Besides," he said. "You're too busy to date."

"I am," she said. "I have my job, plus overtime when I can get it, and I volunteer for this nonprofit organization that helps single moms." She shrugged. "I have a vested interest there, obviously. Listen, I can't repay you for all your help."

"No one cares," he said.

She sighed heavily. She cleared her throat. "So you don't think I should drive my car?"

"It could be fine for a while longer, or maybe not. It doesn't make much sense to drive it if you suspect the transmission is failing. Would you drive it if the brakes weren't working so well?"

"How do you know it's the transmission?" she asked.

"It sounds like the transmission-it's running rough. It's having trouble with a gear." He shrugged. "I could be wrong-but it's a mechanic's call. Till then, my car will sit at the firehouse for twenty-four hours. You might as well use it. You'll have to pick me up tomorrow morning when I get off, but if you can't, let me know and I'll hitch a ride. You can return my car when you get home."

"What if you have to run an errand?"

"Not a problem-I have a whole crew with cars and trucks to borrow. I wouldn't have offered if it was inconvenient. Really, I haven't been trying to trick you. I was just trying to be a nice guy. The way I was raised, being nice is considered a positive thing."

She felt like crawling under the car. She was seeing a negative side to her determination to blaze her own trail, be in charge of her own life. "Clay, I'm sorry. Not just about the car, but about everything. I just want to be independent. I'm afraid of giving my will to anyone."

"Apology accepted. I don't want to take your will away. I wouldn't want to spend time with a woman who didn't want to willfully willfully spend time with me anyway." He picked up his small duffel. "What's it gonna be?" spend time with me anyway." He picked up his small duffel. "What's it gonna be?"

"Clay, may I borrow your car?" she asked, purposely not saying please. She'd have said please to any woman offering a favor, but she feared giving her power to any man, even the nicest man in the world.

"Yes, you may."

"What will happen to my car?"

"I'll have my buddy drive out to look at it, and, if need be, he'll take it in to his shop. Whatever happens next, it's going to happen with a mechanic, not me." He swung an arm wide toward his big SUV. "After you."

"Come on, kids," she said. "We're going to school in Clay's truck."

Sophie and Austin smiled, shouted hooray and dashed for the SUV. Dory removed the booster seats from the Pathfinder and followed them.

At her back she heard Clay say, "But you can't make me think of you as a sister."

CLAY WAS WORKING OUT in the weight room at the firehouse, straining against the weights. Staying fit and strong was part of his job, but today he'd been at it a little longer than necessary. He was doing biceps curls, concentrating on his breathing, grunting with the effort, pleased by the burn, because he was in a mood. in the weight room at the firehouse, straining against the weights. Staying fit and strong was part of his job, but today he'd been at it a little longer than necessary. He was doing biceps curls, concentrating on his breathing, grunting with the effort, pleased by the burn, because he was in a mood.

Then Charlie, one of his work buddies, sauntered over, sat on a bench and propped his feet up on the weight shelf. He sucked his big cola down past the ice, making that loud, annoying slurping noise, so as not to be ignored.

Clay let the barbell fall with a crash. "Do you mind? I can't concentrate with that going on!"

Charlie lifted his brows and said, "Girl trouble?"

"What? No!" He bent to lift the weights again.

"The little honey next door turn you down again?" Charlie asked casually.

Clay dropped the weights again and got in Charlie's face. "Do not not call her that! It would be a call her that! It would be a bad bad idea to call her that!" idea to call her that!"

"Whoa, Kennedy, get a grip, buddy. I don't think she heard me."

Clay backed off immediately, feeling stupid for almost losing his temper. He didn't have a temper! He was the most sweet-natured guy on the crew. He grabbed his towel and wiped off his neck. "Sorry," he muttered under his breath.

Charlie slurped through the straw again, making that irritating rattle against the ice at the bottom of his big plastic cup. Then he grinned at Clay's scowl. "Come on, tell Uncle Charlie what's wrong. Before you rip all your muscles apart."

In defeat, Clay sat on the opposite bench. "I did a stupid thing, but that doesn't mean I know what's wrong."

"I think you started the story in the middle there, bud," Charlie pointed out.

Clay shook his head and took a breath. "Her car's got mechanical issues. It's twelve years old and has a billion miles on it anyway, but I know she's gotta be on a tight budget-she's a grocery-store clerk with two kids. So I heard her pull in last night, because the thing was grinding and slipping. This morning I decided to take a look, see if I could see anything. She came out of her house and I was under the hood of her car. She didn't like that so much-that I was digging around in her car without talking to her, without asking her. But I thought I could fix her up with a good mechanic who works cheap-"

"Your buddy Stan?"

"Stan, yeah. He'd do it cheap for a friend of mine if-"

Charlie sat up straighter. "He never did it that cheap for me, and I'm a friend of yours!"

"You're not a broke woman with a couple of kids! Stan's got a family to feed, too, you know? You wanna hear this or not?"

"Yeah," Charlie said in a semi-pout. "Lay it on me."

"I said she shouldn't drive the car, especially if it's the transmission. And told her she could borrow mine. But you know how me doing her a favor always seems to be a big issue with her..."

"If I recall, you've done everything but paint her house and she won't go out with you, if that's what you mean by an issue," Charlie said.

Clay narrowed his eyes at his friend, but he continued. "So I suggested she use my car and I'd have Stan look at hers." He swallowed. "She went ballistic. Accused me of being controlling and abusive."

Charlie whistled. "What? You?"

Clay hung his towel around his neck. "Thinking about it later, I realized I should've knocked on the door, told her I had heard the engine and offered to help instead of just doing what I wanted."

"Ya think?"

"I just didn't want her taking any chances. And it seems like if the choice is between accepting a hand from me or taking a chance, she'll go with the chance."

Charlie shook his head. "You should brush up on your approach, my brother. The lady is not into you."

"I'm not going to ask her out again. I promised her that-it upsets her too much. I just wish she'd relax a little and let me be a friend."

Charlie pitched his empty cup halfway across the room and hit the trash. Then he sat forward, elbows on his knees. "Listen, I know you're used to good luck with the ladies, although I can't figure out why. But once in a while you pick out a smart one and get turned down. It doesn't usually put you all upside down."

"It's not me, Charlie. It's her. She's got no reason to keep me at such a distance-I haven't done or suggested anything that should put her guard up." He just shook his head. "But I've learned my lesson-I haven't seen a meltdown like that since my little sister Beth had a conniption fit because someone closed her romance novel and lost the page." He smiled. "And with four sisters, I come from experience with conniptions."

"What's your plan now?" Charlie asked. "Because for some reason you probably don't even know, you really like this girl. I don't think you've been out with anyone else since you moved next door to her."

Clay stood, tossing the towel and reaching for the weights. "I thought maybe I'd lie low, go slow and lift some weights."

DORY FOLLOWED THE directions Clay had given her and went to a hole-in-the-wall garage on the outskirts of Fortuna. She parked Clay's big SUV very carefully, away from the front of the garage, conscious that if she put one scratch on it, it would take forever to save enough to get it fixed. directions Clay had given her and went to a hole-in-the-wall garage on the outskirts of Fortuna. She parked Clay's big SUV very carefully, away from the front of the garage, conscious that if she put one scratch on it, it would take forever to save enough to get it fixed.

Before she even got to the opened doors of the garage a man was coming toward her. He was dressed in a gray, grease-stained jumpsuit, wiping his hands on a red rag. He also had grease on his face-a streak here and there-and he wore a grin. "You must be Dory."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "How'd you know?"

He nodded toward the SUV. "You're driving Clay's car."

"Oh. Of course. Well, then..." She cleared her throat.

The man held out his hand and said, "I'm Stan, by the way."

"Oh, nice to meet you," Dory said as she shook his hand. "Did you figure out what was wrong with my truck?"

"Yup. Transmission, like Clay thought. I put in a rebuilt one. I usually recommend a new one, but that Pathfinder's getting on in years and has almost two hundred thousand miles on it. She's still in good shape-you take good care of her-but sooner or later those miles are gonna catch up with you. Might want to think forward a little."

"Um, yeah. I'll think forward. What am I gonna owe you?"

"I'll have to write it up-we're not quite done in there yet. It should be ready by morning. I'll stay a little late if I have to. When you pick Clay up from work in the morning, you can swing by here and pick her up. Anyway, I'm just charging you for the part, so it's probably gonna be around fourteen hundred dollars...."

She gasped and her hand went to her heart.

"That's discounted, kiddo," Stan said. "And no labor." It took her a minute to catch her breath. And while she was trying to get a grip, he said, "Three-year warranty. Which, by the way, is a h.e.l.l of a deal."

She let out a breath. "I... ah... I..."

"There's no need to stress. You can pay me a little something every month if you need to," he said.

She tilted her head. "Why would you do that?"

He shrugged. "Clay asked me to. Said you were a next-door neighbor, a good friend, a single mom who didn't have a lot of money to throw around."

"And that's all he has to say to get a deal?"

"Well, Clay would do it for me. Plus he said something about you being a volunteer who helped out single moms who were down on their luck."

"Oh. That makes a difference?"

"Lots of people, like me and Clay, have family members who fall in that category."

"Is that so? Like..."

"Me and Clay both have sisters who are single moms." Stan chuckled. "Clay has sisters coming out his ears, but one is divorced. I hear support payments are spotty at best and she worries about calling in sick to her job if the kids need her. He looks out for her, and does his share of babysitting on his days off." The mechanic shrugged. "The whole family looks out for her, matter of fact. I have just the one sister, but she'd have a hard time getting by without me, my wife and our folks."

For just a second Dory was reminded she had no family and there were too many like her, with either no family or a family that couldn't or wouldn't help. "You both both have sisters who are single moms?" have sisters who are single moms?"

He made a face. "Who doesn't doesn't have a sister-or at least know someone-who's a single mom? The point being, it's relatively easy for our sisters, since they have us. And it's still hard for them, raising the kids alone, with little, if any, support from the fathers. They're weekend dads at best. When you get down to it, even the single moms in the greatest shape have it rough. I can't even imagine how hard it is for women without parents, brothers and sisters willing to help out." have a sister-or at least know someone-who's a single mom? The point being, it's relatively easy for our sisters, since they have us. And it's still hard for them, raising the kids alone, with little, if any, support from the fathers. They're weekend dads at best. When you get down to it, even the single moms in the greatest shape have it rough. I can't even imagine how hard it is for women without parents, brothers and sisters willing to help out."