Free Shifting Gears by Audra North

Danny, their youngest mechanic, said something to Annabelle that made her throw back her head and laugh.
    Grady felt like growling. Because the thing was … he didn’t want anyone else to come on to her, either. But before he could process what he felt, a voice came over the PA in the office.
    â€œAnnabelle, please come up to my office.”
    Fogerty. The guy had been hanging around the office as part of his trial period, picking up some of the work on the cars before this coming weekend’s race, and while he hadn’t been in the way or done anything terrible, Grady still hadn’t been able to shake the irritation he felt whenever the man was around.
    Now, hearing Fogerty’s disembodied voice echoing throughout the building, Grady had another strange feeling. Almost like a warning that zapped him in the back of his neck and propelled him out of his office just in time to see Annabelle stepping into the office they’d given Fogerty for his temporary position. And then Grady did something that he never would have considered doing before that moment.
    He walked quietly down the hall to eavesdrop.
    â€œWhat do you need, Matt?”
    He came up on the doorway in time to hear Annabelle, noticing that her voice sounded clipped. Icy, almost. Strange. Annabelle got along really well with the rest of the team and she was tactfully direct. But somehow, with Fogerty, she was almost rude.
    â€œWe need to schedule some sessions at Blue’s shop on the dyno. I need a few hours for Lee’s truck this week and Kerri’s car next. We’ll be taking the car with us to Delaware this weekend, so schedule something for next Tuesday or Wednesday.”
    Grady waited a second, but Fogerty didn’t say anything else. Fine, so the weird, suspicious feeling Grady had gotten was unfounded. Maybe Grady didn’t like that Fogerty hadn’t said “please,” but it wasn’t as though he had the power to fire the guy over something like not having better manners.
    Damn. He was acting jealous and possessive, and over a woman he had no right to feel that way about.
    He turned to walk away, but Annabelle spoke, and he froze in place, too curious to leave. “About that … I was looking through the old dyno reports and—”
    Fogerty cut her off. “Why were you bothering with that? We’ve got new regulations now. None of the old stuff matters. Besides, what do you know about it? That’s not your job, honey.”
    Honey?
    Jerk. Grady wanted to pound the guy’s face in.
    But Annabelle didn’t acquiesce. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I know. But I think—”
    â€œYou’re not being paid to think.” Fogerty gave a snide chuckle. “I’m not even sure you do that off the clock. So be a good girl, get your pretty little ass in gear, and do what I’ve told you to.”
    Oh. Hell. No.
    Grady had heard enough. He turned back around and practically stomped into Fogerty’s office. Someone’s head was about to fly.
    *   *   *
    At first, Annabelle had planned to let it go. Fogerty was annoying and a chauvinistic asshole, but she’d only been working here for a couple of days. She didn’t want to rock that proverbial boat. But after his last insult, she’d had enough. The years of Donnie tearing her down, of her mother holding the very roof over her head hostage … they came to a fore when Fogerty sneered and said, Do what I’ve told you to.
    She didn’t even mind his comment about her pretty ass as much as she minded his command that she follow orders like a stupid, blind sheep. That was the inexcusable part. She was going to be the woman she wanted to be, damn it. Brave. Independent. She was going to stand up for herself.
    Across the desk between them, her eyes narrowed at Fogerty and she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind—
    When Grady thundered into the room