I tilted my head at the one-word answer.

"So, it is going to be cheap to fix?" I concluded with a sigh of relief.

Stone shook his head once and sternly assured with a grumble "I'm not going to charge you."

"Why not?"

I peered over to Mike. I was shocked to see that the boss and the owner of the place did not interject about Stone not charging me for the repair of my car.

Mike was grinning from ear to ear as his gaze flicked between the large man and me.

"Don't you worry, Ella." The old man reassured "Stone is a fine mechanic. I trained him myself. Your car is in safe hands."

I turned back to Stone and questioned up at him "I thought you said you just moved to Santa Monica?"

"This is a new shop. My old shop was a good hour and a half away but this area had lower expenses, so I packed up and moved my business here." Mike was the one to answer when the other man in the room stayed silent "Stone would drive the distance to come and work before he moved here permanently."

I forced my gaze down the floor. I started picking at a strand of loose thread on my jeans as I avoided the dark eyes watching me closely.

"What is the catch for you fixing my car?" I queried before joking "Do I have to sit and listen to you sing Grease Lightening while you do it?"

The corner of Stone's lip hiked up for a second.

"You were right." Mike let out a laugh as he walked over and reached up to pat the large back of the giant "She is so cute."

My eyes widened once again as I looked between the two mechanics.

"I would have known it was your Ella sooner if she still had her green hair." Mike added, his grin still lighting up his wrinkly face.

I was stunned into silence.

"I was planning on getting my green back." I mentioned, choosing to ignore the other part of his stent ends "I was heading to get dye when Kermit threatened my life."

Stone's gravelly voice filled the air as he delivered authoritatively "I will take you."

"What?" I blurted out in surprise.

His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat before he rasped out "I will take you to the store and then home."

It was not a request. It was a command.

"That is okay." I quickly dismissed "I will just walk."

I took a step backwards away from him. He followed the movement with his narrowed eyes like he was glaring at the air between us.

His rough voice turned to a growl when he ordered "You are not walking."

"I am sure it's not that far."

He took one large step towards me so that his gruff words rumbled through my body "You are not walking."