“Good, thanks. You?”
“Wonderful. Excited to see them start camp today. Will you be able to stick around and watch?”
It was an innocent question, but it was also a dagger to the chest because I couldn’t stick around for more than a handful of minutes. I had to meet a supplier at the bakery. It felt like I was always missing things. Moments. Ones I’d never get back.
“Not today, but later this week,” I informed Evelyn.
She pressed her lips together but nodded.
I felt the disapproval. I didn’t need another reason to feel like one of the items I was currently juggling had fallen to the ground. So, I turned and moved toward the back hatch where Luca was bouncing up and down.
I couldn’t help the small laugh that left my lips. I loved seeing that excitement, the life coursing through him. Lifting the hatch, I grabbed his bag. “Ready, Superstar?”
“I’m gonna smash ‘em into the boards just like The Reaper!” he cheered.
A wave of nausea slid through me, but I forced a smile. “Or you could just practice skatingreallyfast.”
Luca shrugged. “That, too.”
“Sutton,” Evelyn called from around the side of my SUV.
I tried not to cringe and forced a smile as I hoisted the bag over my shoulder. “Yes?”
She sent me a pitying look. “Your tire.” She pointed at the rear wheel. “Looks like it’s going flat.”
My gaze snapped to the tire. It was almost completely deflated. A burn lit behind my eyes as I stared at the vehicle. It wouldn’t be just one I’d have to replace; it would be all four. I’d worked so hard to get an all-wheel-drive SUV since Sparrow Falls saw its share of snow, but that meant when one tire went, you had to replace them all.
I closed my eyes for the briefest moment, trying to do the mental math on what this would cost me. I’d emptied out most of my savings to get Luca set up for this camp. This would completely wipe out my emergency fund.
“Mom?”
Luca’s voice cut into my swirling thoughts, and I forced my smile wider as I turned my gaze to my kid. “Everything’s okay. I just need to change this tire real quick.”
“I have AAA,” Evelyn offered.
“That’s okay,” I said, my cheeks burning. “I’ve got it.”
“Here,” she said. “Give me Luca’s gear bag. I can get them all checked in while you handle this.”
My chest tightened, but I nodded and handed her the bag. “Thank you.” I turned to Luca. “You gonna be okay?”
He just grinned and nodded. “Daniel and I are going to dominate!”
I wanted to laugh but couldn’t quite get myself there. “I’ll be inside in just a minute. Have fun dominating until then.”
Evelyn gave me a little wave as she guided the boys toward the rink. Everything hurt. It felt like I was holding my life together with duct tape and a prayer and had just run out of both. But I couldn’t stop now. I had to keep pushing on.
Heading to the rear of the SUV, I pulled open the panel that revealed the emergency tire. One that stated it was good for only sixty miles. I sighed. I’d have to go to the mechanic’s on my way home. I tugged my lip between my teeth, doing a silent equation for how long that would take and praying I’d make it back in time for the supplier meeting.
I heaved out the tire and jack, along with the instruction manual. After a thorough read, I got the jack in place and began cranking. As if I needed one more failure reminder today, I was panting within seconds. Workouts had been another thing that had fallen by the wayside. At least my arm muscles were strong from everything I did at the bakery.
My hands slipped from the jack crank. “Mother frickin’ son of a biscuit-eating grandma.”
A low chuckle sounded behind me, and I froze. There was something about the tenor of it. The way it spread like smoke and coated my skin in a pleasant shiver.
Crap on a cracker.
I tried to hold on to my mad as I sought out the source, but that failed the moment I took the man in. He stood in athletic joggers and a tee that pulled taut over a broad chest. It took my eyes a few seconds to reach his face because he was so damn tall. Everything about him was finely honed muscle. Like a work of art or a weapon.
