“My father pushed hard for me to go to college, but I wasn’t into it. I was never great at school, and my grandfather tried to make him understand, but he didn’t get very far. I had worked at an auto shop while I was in high school, and I went full-time after graduation. I knew I didn’t want to be a mechanic forever, but I had no idea what I wanted to do, and my father rode my ass about it every day, which didn’t help his side of things.”

Her brows knitted. “Not everyone is meant to go to college.”

“He didn’t see it that way. The guy who owned the auto shop took me under his wing, teaching me everything he knew. A few years later he suggested I get my ASE certificate, and once I did, he told me I needed to move on.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“I didn’t think so either, but it did. He said I was too good to stick around and get paid peanuts, and he hooked me up with a guy who owned a shop in New Jersey servicing high-end cars. His friend offered me twice what I was earning. It was a no-brainer to head to Jersey and start to build my life.”

“How did your dad take it?”

“He wasted no time letting me know how much of a disappointment I was.”

“That’s awful. And Carrie?”

“It had been me and her against the world for so long. She wasn’t very happy about me moving away, but she understood, and she still had our grandfather nearby. But she made me promise to call her every week.”

Madigan smiled. “I’m glad she was supportive.”

“Me too. I kept my promise, and she’d come stay with me some weekends, which was cool. I’d been working in Jersey for about a year and a half when I met Kevin Arlo, the guy…” He couldn’t stomach saying The guy I killed.

“I know who he is.” She held his gaze, which was a lot more than his sister, father, or ex had done.