“You and Cooper…”
“Aren’t anything at all,” she says firmly. “Next topic, please.”
I laugh and reach for the radio.
We’ve made it onto the highway when we hear a thump-thump-thump. Jamie Beth grips onto the wheel hard.
“The steering…what the hell—it’s the tire!” she says. “We must have hit something.”
“Pull off to the side,” I suggest.
She eases the van over to the shoulder of the highway and puts it in Park.
We both get out on my side to avoid any passing cars and look at the tires.
Yep. The back right tire is blown.
Jamie Beth and I look at each other. “We’re going to be so late,” she says. “Roadside assistance could take ages to get here…”
“I know how to change a tire,” I say. “I’m not super-fast, but I can do it.”
“I knew you were my best friend for a reason.” She heads for the back of the van. “I think the spare is back here.”
* * *
Turns out Jamie Beth has no idea where her spare tire is. We finally locate it underneath the car, but in order to access the jack, we have to unload several boxes from the back of her van that are blocking the door to the compartment where it’s stored.
The entire sequence takes far longer than I’d like it to, and by the time we’ve jacked up the car and successfully changed out the tire, we’re extremely late for Declan’s game.
I text him, but I assume he’ll have no way of seeing that until after the game ends.
Add in the fact that we can’t drive as fast with her spare, and it’s midway through the first period before we’re inside the arena and heading for our section. The score is tied at zero.
As we approach our seats, I notice Luke and his brothers aren’t here yet. But Cam and Brayden are.
“How’s Savannah?” Jamie Beth asks Cam.
“Good. She’s so close to her due date that she wasn’t up for a big crowd,” Cam explains. “Leleila said she’d stay with her. I didn’t want to leave her, but I want to see Dec crush his old team.”
I smile at his enthusiasm. Cam and Declan are loyal to each other, a trait I find very endearing.
We’ve just settled into our seats when a security guard approaches me.
“Ma’am.” He tips his cap. “You must be Mrs. Wild.”
“Yes. Hello.”
He gestures to the ice. “Your husband has been worried about you.”
Cam chuckles from behind me. “That’s interesting.”
I glance out at the ice. Number twelve with Wild on the back of his jersey is skating toward the goal. He’s got the puck, but the opponent takes it away before he can get a shot off.
I frown. “Go, Wild!” I shout as loudly as I can.
A timeout is called, and all the players head toward the bench just a few feet in front of where Jamie Beth and I are sitting.
The security guard smiles at me, his dark eyes bright. “I’ll let him know you’ve arrived safely. I think it will help.”
