Winter Love (Seasons of Love Series)

By Merri Hiatt

WINTER LOVE (Seasons of Love Series)
Winter Montgomery has been a tomboy as long as she can remember. Working as a mechanic at Charlie's Garage hasn't helped her shed the title. From the moment Rory Walters pulls his custom convertible into the bay, she dislikes the man. He is over-confident, filthy rich and has a swagger that sets her teeth on edge. If he didn't have the sexiest deep blue eyes, she'd almost be able to forget him. Almost.
Books in the Seasons of Love Series may be read in any order.
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SEASONS OF LOVE SERIES:
SPRING LOVE (Seasons of Love Series)
Spring McDonald is an observer. While she's active in behind-the-scenes church activities, she finds it easier to blend into the wallpaper than draw attention to herself. Having Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of nineteen altered her dreams. An unexpected encounter brings hope that maybe one of her dreams can come true, finding someone who looks past her illness to discover the woman that lies within.

SUMMER LOVE (Seasons of Love Series)
Summer Lansing is used to reading about love in books, keeping her at a safe distance from heartbreak. Mike Duncan doesn't know the meaning of the word safe. He's spontaneous and thrives on taking risks. When the duo cross paths, searing kisses soon follow and Summer finds a real-world passion she never knew existed.

AUTUMN LOVE (Seasons of Love Series)
Autumn Fieldstone works as a receptionist at a radio station during the day, singing at weddings, birthday parties and any paying gig she can get during her off hours. When she enters a country singing contest, putting her in direct competition with the love of her life, she finds out love and music don't always mix.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Merri Hiatt
• Release date: Aug 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476479521

Merri Hiatt

Merri Hiatt grew up in a small town near Shasta Valley in Northern California. Upon moving to the Pacific Northwest in Washington state, Merri fell in love with the mountains, ocean, rain and lush greenery. Merri credits her high school creative writing teacher with giving her the nudge to pursue writing. BOOKS WRITTEN BY MERRI HIATT: PROPOSAL SERIES: Sweet Proposal, Jaded Proposal (coming soon!), Midnight Proposal (coming soon!); LOVE IN THE AIR TRILOGY: Runway Romance, Love on the Fly (Passion at 30,000 Feet coming soon); SEASONS OF LOVE SERIES: Summer Love, Autumn Love, Winter Love, Spring Love; CELEBRATING LOVE TRILOGY: 14 Love Letter Lane, 21 Romance Way, 28 Passion Boulevard; EMBRACING LOVE TRILOGY: When Love's at Work, When Love's at Home, When Love's at Play, When Love's on Vacation (Sequel one), When Love's Gone Country (Sequel two); MANGADARTH TRILOGY: Marayah's Return, City Reborn, My Mother's Eyes; Kat Burglar, a romance novella; Mama Lives in My Hair, a short story about life and death; Sarah and the Magic Beans, a short story about magic and hope; The Magical Christmas Cookies, a short story about hope; Santa Hates Seattle, a short story about hope and second chances; Puddle of Poetry (sixty-two poems from sassy to sensitive to serious); Food So Good, You'll Never Know It's Good For You, 11 Recipes and Tips; and Potato Chip Princess, a young adult short story. Visit Merri's website at http://merrihiatt.com Merri states: "I am a lover of all emotions. They swim and spin around my head with abandon. What fun to let the words these feelings bring forth play along my tongue and whisper into the still of the night. When I capture them on paper, it is a joy and one of my favorite ways to spend time."

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Winter Love

Seasons of Love Series

By Merri Hiatt

Copyright 2012 Merri Hiatt

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

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Cover image credit: altafulla /Shutterstock.com

Visit Merri Hiatt’s website! http://merrihiatt.com

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Chapter One

Placing the box-end wrench onto the stained shop rag, Winter Montgomery finished loosening the drain plug by hand, making sure the catchpan was positioned directly underneath.

It was only seven-thirty and her fingernails already looked like they’d been soaking in a bucket of dirty oil. Such a glamorous life I lead.

Phone call, Winter, Grady Michaels said.

I’m a little busy here. Take a message.

I’m not your personal assistant.

Just take the damn message. I’d do it for you.

I’ll take a message, John Bronson said, hitting the flashing button on the phone inside the shop.

She’d taken messages for the guys whenever they were busy, yet she still had to fight to get them to do the same. Some days she wondered if they’d ever accept a woman as a co-worker.

Watching the oil fill the catchpan, she rolled out on the creeper, grabbing a clean rag from her pocket and wiping off her hands. She headed toward John, reaching for the hand cleaner and another fresh rag.

What’s up, John?

Violet Chandler wants you to come get her car and give it a tune-up.

Damn it, Winter, are you still doing that? I told you our insurance doesn’t cover you gallivanting all over town driving customer vehicles, Charlie Mattson grumbled.

I only do it for her because she’s seventy-nine years old. Trust me, you don’t want her driving that behemoth she calls a car. She can’t even see over the dashboard.

Why does she want it tuned up then? Grady asked.

She’s owned that car the better part of the last twenty years. She doesn’t have the money to ever buy another one, so she wants to make sure it stays in good running condition. She gets it tuned up twice a year.

You aren’t doing it and that’s final, Charlie said. Before Winter could protest further, he added, And I don’t want to hear another word about it. Case closed. He turned and walked back into his office.

Grady smirked.

Wipe that stupid grin off your face. You think it’s good business to deny an older woman good car maintenance? Violet Chandler has friends; friends with money. It’s ridiculous to act like a jerk and turn away customers because of ego.

Charlie said it was because of insurance.

If he’d been the one to bring in business, you can bet your ass he wouldn’t have such high moral integrity.

A car pulled into the garage with Autumn Fieldstone behind the wheel. Winter headed over to see what she needed.

Hey, Winter.

Hi, Autumn. Having car trouble?

I’m not sure. The temperature gauge is in the red.

Pull into the fourth bay. I’ll take a look.

Thanks. Sorry to just drop by.

No worries.

Winter!

Yes, Charlie.

You finished with Mr. Barton’s oil change?

Not yet.

What in the hell’s taking you so long? Get on it!

Want me to finish it up? Doyle Murphy asked.

Do you have time?

Yeah. My load’s lighter than yours.

Thanks.

Doyle had been hired at Charlie’s Garage two weeks ago. So far, he was the only person who seemed to have her back. She was used to it, having grown up with three older brothers. But every once in a while it was nice to have someone around you could count on.

Winter popped Autumn’s hood and began a routine check, starting with the radiator.

Autumn hovered, not knowing a carburetor from a dipstick.

When’s the last time you put water in your radiator?

Am I supposed to do that?

Winter shook her head. It’s a wonder you’re not in here every week. It’s bone dry. That’s why your car overheated.

Winter added water, along with antifreeze.

What’s that stuff?

Keeps the water from freezing during the cold winter months.

It can freeze?

Yes. When it begins to thaw it can crack your radiator.

That sounds bad.

It is bad.

Winter used a hydrometer to test the liquid. You’re good to twenty below.

It won’t freeze unless it’s that cold outside?

Yep.

It never gets that cold here.

Then you’re all set.

How do you know all this stuff?

I took classes, and spent most of my time as a kid in the garage with Pop and my brothers.

Thank you for saving me, once again.

No problem.

Will you be at book club tonight?

Wouldn’t miss it. Spring’s bringing her famous sweet potato pie in honor of Miss Marsha Billowsky’s engagement to Mr. Alistair Fitzpatrick.

We should have chosen something with a Christmas theme to read.

Christmas is overrated.

Kirk isn’t coming home again this year?

None of them are. Jeff’s somewhere in England with another new girlfriend and Scott’s going skiing with a bunch of friends. It’s just going to be me and Pop.

Having a quiet Christmas with just the two of you might be a good change.

Nice try. I’ve been feeling a bit… I don’t even know how to describe it…

Winter!

I have to get back to work. I’ll see you tonight.

I want to talk about this some more.

Later.

I’m going to hold you to that.

Doyle was just sliding out from underneath Mr. Barton’s car when Winter passed by.

You’re all set, he said.

Thanks, again. Charlie’s favorite pastime is bellowing at me.

I’ve noticed.

His bark is worse than his bite.

I don’t think I’d like to test that theory.

A cherry red convertible pulled into the first bay with a dark-haired man behind the wheel talking on his cell phone.

Winter scowled. What kind of idiot couldn’t hang up there phone when they pulled into a garage?

Charlie nodded in her direction and then at the car, indicating she should go talk with the rude gentleman. Winter approached the car. What seems to be the problem?

The man put up a finger in a motion that told her to wait while he finished his call.

If you want us to look at your car, you’d better hang up. You have until the count of three. One, two, three. Winter turned her back on the man and went into the office area.

Five minutes later the man followed her steps. Is someone going to look at my car?

Someone was ready and willing to look at your car, but you were too busy talking to be interrupted.

The call was important.

That was almost an apology for your rude behavior. Care to try it again?

Who are you?

Winter Montgomery. Who are you?

Rory Walters, of the Manchester Walters.

Is that supposed to impress me?

I suppose it wouldn’t impress someone of your… stature.

Winter’s back stiffened and she stood taller. She’d give him stature! She opened her mouth to reply when Charlie interceded. Rory, good to see you. How are Jennifer and Marcus?

Good to see you, Charlie. They’re good. Going to Aspen for Christmas.

What about you?

I’m playing host this year for the Christmas Eve party. Thought I’d hold down the fort for the folks while they’re gone.

The ladies in Port Townsend will be glad to hear the news. Celeste Mankin moved back last May.

Not all of them, Winter thought.

I see you’ve met Winter. She’ll be working on your convertible. Come on, let’s go outside and take a look under the hood.

Chapter Two

The two men discussed the grinding sound Rory’s car had begun to make as if Winter was invisible. If it had been the first time Charlie had acted like a giant boob, she would have forgiven him. It wasn’t.

Watching them eye the car and gesture with their hands brought visions of two monkeys trying to figure out how to open a coconut; one banging it on a rock and the other trying to hit it with a branch.

Charlie knew his way around a car all right, but he had gotten lazy with age, as well as greedy. He’d try to fast talk Rory Walters into the most expensive repairs he could make sound believable. Winter often dreamed of buying Charlie out and taking over leadership of the garage. Only one thing stood in her way. Money.

Did you get all that, Winter? Charlie asked.

The grinding sound started this morning after you ended up high center over a single curb in a parking lot.

Yes, though you neglected to mention that I avoided hitting the two children who ran in front of my car.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Rory’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. You’re saying I should have hit the kids?

I’m saying the only reason you told us that part of the story was to make yourself look good. It doesn’t matter how your car ended up where it did. What matters is what damage occurred from the impact.

How do you manage to work alongside such a cheery gal?

Charlie cast a sour look in Winter’s direction. Don’t mind her. You know women. She’s probably got some hormones flarin’ up.

Her hands balled into fists. If Charlie Mattson wanted skyrocketing hormones, she’d gladly give them to him. Putting on her best southern belle accent, she said, "Why, I do declare, I’m about to pass out in here from the fragrance of all these dirty engines. It’s enough to make a girl swoon right into her sweet iced tea.

If ya’ll will excuse me, I need to lie down for a spell. The vapors seem to be coming on strong at the moment. Why, I fear I might just lose consciousness right here and now."

Winter turned abruptly and headed through the open bay door and down the slight incline.

Winter! You get back here!

She ignored his pleas, unzipping her coveralls and stepping out of them once she reached the corner. Madison Park was only a couple blocks away. She rolled up the material and tucked it under her arm as she continued walking.

I need to quit. Five years is too damn long to put up with his shit. I’ve proven time and again that I’m the best mechanic in town and it’s still not good enough for that low-life weasel.

Winter had a good head of steam on and her pace had quickened to match it. She passed several people on the street. They turned to watch her as she continued talking to herself, paying them no attention.

Just once could he say, ‘Nice job, Winter’ or ‘I appreciate your hard work’? Of course not! He knows I bring in the bulk of business to the garage and I’m the fastest worker he’s got. So why make my life a living hell?

When she reached the park,