“I’ll let you know what I decide.”
Curiosity, and something else she couldn’t quite identify, made her start walking. She didn’t remember hanging up the phone. She didn’t lock the front door of the store. She didn’t really care right now.
But she most certainly cared about Jace’s explanation.
This had better be good.
* * *
T HE AFTERNOON SUN blistered the desert, but here in Rick’s garage, a huge fan helped move the ungodly heat. Jace rummaged around in the toolbox, trying to focus on the task at hand. Easier said than done.
He kept forcing himself not to look down the street at the store, wondering what Amy was thinking about this morning’s conversation.
The loud snap of the screen door still rang in his ears. What had he expected, telling her about Mac like that? The idea that Amy wouldn’t want to know about her father had never crossed his mind, though it probably should have. He thought of his own dad. He still missed him. If someone came to tell him about his father, he’d take everything they had to offer.
He could tell her about the money. And what? Buy her interest in Mac? No, that wasn’t why he’d come here. If that were the case, he could have sent her the safety deposit box key with a note, or maybe simply a check, and been done with it.
No, he’d come here to finish Mac’s dream. Jace wanted her to know the Mac he’d known.
He’d been tempted to follow her through the open door, but he’d hesitated long enough for a bit of common sense and self-preservation to take hold. He’d go back later. Give her time to digest the knowledge that her father hadn’t forgotten her.
Jace looked down the street at the store again. When was later?
Rick appeared in the doorway just then, thankfully distracting him.
“Hey. You hear anything from Gilcrest?” Jace asked.
“Yeah. Clyde’s coming over here to see Gavin. He’s the sheriff over there, and Lonnie, who owns the parts store, stuck ’em in the squad car. Clyde’ll drop ’em off in the next half hour or so.”
Only in a small town. Some things never changed. “Great. Thanks.” He headed to the bike and knelt down beside it. Time to remove the busted parts to make room for the new.
“You need any help?” Rick stepped closer.
“Not yet, but I can probably use another pair of hands later.”
“Sure, just holler.”
Rick moved away, but Jace could tell he wanted to ask questions. Since it was his garage, Jace couldn’t exactly ask him to leave, so he kept working and waited. He crouched beside the bike, trying to get to the spark plugs, which wasn’t an easy task. Finally, Rick went back into the office.
“Whatcha doin’?”
The little girl’s voice behind him startled Jace. He smacked a knuckle and bit back a curse before glancing over his shoulder. Katie stood in the doorway.
“Fixing the motor.” He didn’t think she was really looking for details. He didn’t know too many six-year-old girls who were interested in fixing an engine, but you never knew.
“Did you break it?”
“Uh, not intentionally.” He fought back a smile. Life with this kid must be a real treat. “I should have fixed it sooner, though.”
“Is Mr. Rick helping you?”
“Yeah. Hey, hand me that wrench over there.”
“This one?”
“No, the next one over.”
The girl scooted over the grease-coated floor on her knees to the pile of wrenches. Jace cringed, hoping her mother wouldn’t kill him for the state of her pink jeans. Maybe he’d better not ask her to get anything else.
He took the wrench and wedged it into the narrow space.
“You like riding a motorcycle?”
“Yeah. It’s fun.”
“I don’t think Mama would let me ride it.”
Jace grinned at the engine. “My mom didn’t like me riding them, either.”
“Really? How come she lets you now?”
Jace sucked in a breath. What was that saying about “out of the mouths of babes”? “I’m grown-up now. I don’t have to do what my mom says.” That
Curiosity, and something else she couldn’t quite identify, made her start walking. She didn’t remember hanging up the phone. She didn’t lock the front door of the store. She didn’t really care right now.
But she most certainly cared about Jace’s explanation.
This had better be good.
* * *
T HE AFTERNOON SUN blistered the desert, but here in Rick’s garage, a huge fan helped move the ungodly heat. Jace rummaged around in the toolbox, trying to focus on the task at hand. Easier said than done.
He kept forcing himself not to look down the street at the store, wondering what Amy was thinking about this morning’s conversation.
The loud snap of the screen door still rang in his ears. What had he expected, telling her about Mac like that? The idea that Amy wouldn’t want to know about her father had never crossed his mind, though it probably should have. He thought of his own dad. He still missed him. If someone came to tell him about his father, he’d take everything they had to offer.
He could tell her about the money. And what? Buy her interest in Mac? No, that wasn’t why he’d come here. If that were the case, he could have sent her the safety deposit box key with a note, or maybe simply a check, and been done with it.
No, he’d come here to finish Mac’s dream. Jace wanted her to know the Mac he’d known.
He’d been tempted to follow her through the open door, but he’d hesitated long enough for a bit of common sense and self-preservation to take hold. He’d go back later. Give her time to digest the knowledge that her father hadn’t forgotten her.
Jace looked down the street at the store again. When was later?
Rick appeared in the doorway just then, thankfully distracting him.
“Hey. You hear anything from Gilcrest?” Jace asked.
“Yeah. Clyde’s coming over here to see Gavin. He’s the sheriff over there, and Lonnie, who owns the parts store, stuck ’em in the squad car. Clyde’ll drop ’em off in the next half hour or so.”
Only in a small town. Some things never changed. “Great. Thanks.” He headed to the bike and knelt down beside it. Time to remove the busted parts to make room for the new.
“You need any help?” Rick stepped closer.
“Not yet, but I can probably use another pair of hands later.”
“Sure, just holler.”
Rick moved away, but Jace could tell he wanted to ask questions. Since it was his garage, Jace couldn’t exactly ask him to leave, so he kept working and waited. He crouched beside the bike, trying to get to the spark plugs, which wasn’t an easy task. Finally, Rick went back into the office.
“Whatcha doin’?”
The little girl’s voice behind him startled Jace. He smacked a knuckle and bit back a curse before glancing over his shoulder. Katie stood in the doorway.
“Fixing the motor.” He didn’t think she was really looking for details. He didn’t know too many six-year-old girls who were interested in fixing an engine, but you never knew.
“Did you break it?”
“Uh, not intentionally.” He fought back a smile. Life with this kid must be a real treat. “I should have fixed it sooner, though.”
“Is Mr. Rick helping you?”
“Yeah. Hey, hand me that wrench over there.”
“This one?”
“No, the next one over.”
The girl scooted over the grease-coated floor on her knees to the pile of wrenches. Jace cringed, hoping her mother wouldn’t kill him for the state of her pink jeans. Maybe he’d better not ask her to get anything else.
He took the wrench and wedged it into the narrow space.
“You like riding a motorcycle?”
“Yeah. It’s fun.”
“I don’t think Mama would let me ride it.”
Jace grinned at the engine. “My mom didn’t like me riding them, either.”
“Really? How come she lets you now?”
Jace sucked in a breath. What was that saying about “out of the mouths of babes”? “I’m grown-up now. I don’t have to do what my mom says.” That
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