time we got out of here.”
Zach didn’t know if she’d taken the other man’s hand on purpose, but it made the hurt in his gut quadruple, and the regrets multiply a hundredfold. Why couldn’t he get this right? Why did he keep screwing up the one relationship that mattered to him?
He watched them get into the car, and pull away from the curb. She was gone.
And it was all his fault.
SIX
The bad news came first. “It’ll be about two grand to fix her,” Harvey said. Harvey was the lone mechanic on Fortune’s Island, a big, burly guy with a good heart and a knack for knowing what was wrong with a car just by listening to it for a few seconds. He’d been Sylvia’s engine doctor for several years now, and Jillian trusted him implicitly.
“Two thousand? Dollars?” Jillian’s chest tightened.
She’d walked into the garage this morning in a good mood. Last night—until Zach showed up—had been wonderful. Ethan had dropped her off at home and kissed her one more time, a sweet, quick kiss. He hadn’t wanted to talk about what Zach had done, so she let the subject drop. Just before she fell asleep, Ethan had sent a goodnight text and another this morning, telling her good morning. That had been nice. Very, very nice.
Zach sent her a long apology by text. He wanted to see her today to talk, but she was afraid if she did that, her resolve would weaken and before she knew it, she’d be letting him back into her life. All he’d done with that craziness last night was confuse the issue even further. If Zach was that jealous about her dating someone else, and that upset by the sight of someone else kissing her, then why hadn’t he fought harder to keep her when he’d had the chance?
She sighed. She had no answer for any of the questions in her head.
“I know, I know, but this car is old and needs some major TLC,” Harvey said, probably thinking the sigh was for the car.
The car was a problem that needed more than just a sigh. Jillian had no idea how she was going to afford these repairs. Between tuition and rent, there wasn’t much money left in the end of her months.
“I don’t have two grand. I don’t even have one grand. Come on, isn’t there a way to…” She waved at the jumble of engine parts before her, “I don’t know, tape it together until my tax refund comes in?”
“Jillian, it’s September. Tax refunds are months away.” Harvey propped his hands on either side of the engine and peered into the dark morass. “I could maybe switch out the alternator to a used one, but those pistons—”
“Just give me the used alternator. Please, Harvey? If it’ll get me back and forth for the next few weeks”— or months , she thought—“that’ll be good enough.”
Harvey scratched his chin and gave her a doubt-it look. “You really should think about getting another car.”
“I don’t have the money. Yet.” Story of her life. Almost all of her income went across the bay, and what little she had leftover at the end of the week was just enough for rent and groceries. She knew she could ask her parents for a loan, but the last thing Jillian wanted to do was run to them. She was supposed to be an adult and fully capable of living on her own and budgeting for the unexpected. She’d mastered one of those two. “Please? Help out a starving waitress?”
Harvey sighed. “Okay, I’ll patch her together best I can, then say a prayer or two.” He gave Sylvia another dubious glance. “Or ten.”
“Thank you, Harvey.” She put a hand on his back. “I appreciate it. You’re the best.”
He just nodded, a little shy as always with praise and gratitude. “Hey, uh, how’s Zach’s Mustang running? That is a gorgeous car.”
“Fine, I guess. I haven’t really seen him lately.”
“I don’t get too many of those kinds of cars in here. Tell him to come by next time he needs an oil change.”
“Yeah, sure.” Though she had no intention of talking to Zach about his car or oil
Zach didn’t know if she’d taken the other man’s hand on purpose, but it made the hurt in his gut quadruple, and the regrets multiply a hundredfold. Why couldn’t he get this right? Why did he keep screwing up the one relationship that mattered to him?
He watched them get into the car, and pull away from the curb. She was gone.
And it was all his fault.
SIX
The bad news came first. “It’ll be about two grand to fix her,” Harvey said. Harvey was the lone mechanic on Fortune’s Island, a big, burly guy with a good heart and a knack for knowing what was wrong with a car just by listening to it for a few seconds. He’d been Sylvia’s engine doctor for several years now, and Jillian trusted him implicitly.
“Two thousand? Dollars?” Jillian’s chest tightened.
She’d walked into the garage this morning in a good mood. Last night—until Zach showed up—had been wonderful. Ethan had dropped her off at home and kissed her one more time, a sweet, quick kiss. He hadn’t wanted to talk about what Zach had done, so she let the subject drop. Just before she fell asleep, Ethan had sent a goodnight text and another this morning, telling her good morning. That had been nice. Very, very nice.
Zach sent her a long apology by text. He wanted to see her today to talk, but she was afraid if she did that, her resolve would weaken and before she knew it, she’d be letting him back into her life. All he’d done with that craziness last night was confuse the issue even further. If Zach was that jealous about her dating someone else, and that upset by the sight of someone else kissing her, then why hadn’t he fought harder to keep her when he’d had the chance?
She sighed. She had no answer for any of the questions in her head.
“I know, I know, but this car is old and needs some major TLC,” Harvey said, probably thinking the sigh was for the car.
The car was a problem that needed more than just a sigh. Jillian had no idea how she was going to afford these repairs. Between tuition and rent, there wasn’t much money left in the end of her months.
“I don’t have two grand. I don’t even have one grand. Come on, isn’t there a way to…” She waved at the jumble of engine parts before her, “I don’t know, tape it together until my tax refund comes in?”
“Jillian, it’s September. Tax refunds are months away.” Harvey propped his hands on either side of the engine and peered into the dark morass. “I could maybe switch out the alternator to a used one, but those pistons—”
“Just give me the used alternator. Please, Harvey? If it’ll get me back and forth for the next few weeks”— or months , she thought—“that’ll be good enough.”
Harvey scratched his chin and gave her a doubt-it look. “You really should think about getting another car.”
“I don’t have the money. Yet.” Story of her life. Almost all of her income went across the bay, and what little she had leftover at the end of the week was just enough for rent and groceries. She knew she could ask her parents for a loan, but the last thing Jillian wanted to do was run to them. She was supposed to be an adult and fully capable of living on her own and budgeting for the unexpected. She’d mastered one of those two. “Please? Help out a starving waitress?”
Harvey sighed. “Okay, I’ll patch her together best I can, then say a prayer or two.” He gave Sylvia another dubious glance. “Or ten.”
“Thank you, Harvey.” She put a hand on his back. “I appreciate it. You’re the best.”
He just nodded, a little shy as always with praise and gratitude. “Hey, uh, how’s Zach’s Mustang running? That is a gorgeous car.”
“Fine, I guess. I haven’t really seen him lately.”
“I don’t get too many of those kinds of cars in here. Tell him to come by next time he needs an oil change.”
“Yeah, sure.” Though she had no intention of talking to Zach about his car or oil
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