Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“I know,” I say and reach out to pat his shoulder. “I know that. And I’ve let go of a lot of the anger. I can’t be a happy woman and raise a well-rounded son if I dwell on the bad things. I’ve had some therapy, and I am content with my life.”
“I’m glad,” Max says with a nod. “You’ve done a great job with your store. All of the women rave about it.”
“Thank you. I love it. It’s what I always wanted.”
Except you, I think. I don’t have Max. But I have so much.
“I’m really glad that I ran into you here,” I say with a smile. “I needed to apologize, and I need for things to not be awkward between us. We have the same friends, and we move in the same circles.”
“I was staying away from you because you told me that’s what you wanted,” he says with a shrug.
“Well, now we’ve cleared the air.”
The train whistle blows once more.
“I’ve always thought the whistle was Cary talking to me.”
Max’s lips twitch. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. Stupid, isn’t it?”
“No. No, it’s not stupid.”
***
“I’m cold,” Alex says a few days later as we sit in my dead car on the side of the highway.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry. The tow truck should be here anytime.”
“Why did the car die?” he asks.
Because the universe is out to get me today.
“I don’t know. We’ll have a mechanic look at it and fix it up.”
He sits back in the seat, hugging his coat to him. It’s dark outside, and I’m stranded on the side of the road with my almost-nine-year-old in a dead car. I don’t think I’ve ever been as scared as when the vehicle lost power, but at least I was able to guide it off the road and avoid an accident.
“Maybe that’s the tow truck,” Alex says as someone pulls up behind us.
Wouldn’t a tow truck pull up in front of me?
“Maybe,” I murmur, watching in the mirror as the vehicle’s lights cut off, and a man gets out of the SUV, walking to mine. “It’s Max.”
“He drives a tow truck?” Alex asks, excitement in his voice. Alex loves all vehicles. I swear, he might be a tow truck driver someday.
“No, he doesn’t.” Max knocks on my window, and I open the door. “Hi.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s dead. I’m waiting for the tow truck.”
“Come sit in my car,” he offers. “It’s warmer.”
I would decline, but my son is shivering, so I nod. “Thanks. Come on, buddy, Max is going to let us warm up in his car.”
“Awesome,” Alex says, immediately jumping out.
“Go get him,” I say in a panic, and Max is already gone, taking Alex by the hand and leading him to the back of his Mercedes SUV. “Thanks,” I say when I get in the passenger side.
“Wow!” Alex says, looking around the interior of the luxury SUV in awe. “Your car is super cool. Mom, look at all of the knobs!”
“I see them.” I smile over at Max, who’s just grinning at Alex’s enthusiasm.
“This car is way better than ours. We should get one,” Alex says, making me giggle with him.
“I think we’ll just get our car fixed,” I reply, not even wanting to think about how much the Mercedes costs. The boxy SUV is on my bucket list for when my store becomes a franchise.
A girl has to have goals.
Finally, the tow truck arrives, but when I move to climb out of the car, Max puts a hand on mine.
“You stay here and get warm. I can talk to him. Where do you want it towed?”
I give him the name of my mechanic, and he nods, then hops out and approaches the man. It’s begun to snow, of course, making it more difficult to see.
I’m exhausted. It’s been a long, long day. Alex came to the shop after school, and I had to help him with homework as I also assisted customers. My part-time help, Krista, quit on me. I’ve been battling a headache, and then my car died.
I just want to go home, get into my comfy clothes, and drink a trough of wine.
Max returns to the SUV and climbs in. “He’s good to go. Are you hungry?”
“I’m so hungry,” Alex says.
“Let me take you out to dinner. Pizza?”
“Pizza! Yes!” Alex says before I can politely decline.
“It’s kind of late to cook,” Max reminds me, and I nod.
“Pizza would be great.”
Max pulls out onto the highway, then turns around to head back into town.
“Are we interrupting your evening?” I ask.
“I was just headed home, and I saw you there, so I decided to rescue you.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I had a tow truck on the way.”
“And then what?” he asks.
“He would have given us a ride to his shop, and I would have called my mom.”