Run.
Her eyes cast about for an exit route and she leans forward as if her soul is bolting and her body just hasn’t caught up yet.
I clear my throat and push the boy forward. “Before you take off, I think my friend here has something that belongs to you.”
Chapter Five
RILEY
He said ‘before you take off’.
Oh no.
Oh…
Oh dear.
Did he see me in the grocery store parking lot? Did he catch me staring at him earlier? Has he noticed that I’ve been running from him every time I so much as fall across his shadow?
I don’t know what’s more horrific—that I was avoiding Nathan Campbell in the first place or that he caught me doing it.
Nathan nudges the little boy forward. My attention immediately divests to the child holding the go-cart owner’s ratchet wrench against his chest. The kid is pushing out his bottom lip in petulant rebellion.
“Go on,” Nathan says in a calm voice.
The boy remains quiet. Not that it will stop Nathan. He’s generally easygoing, but he’s got a stubborn streak and if he decides he’s going to do something, well, it’s pretty much done.
“She’s waiting,” Nat prompts after a few seconds of silence.
I notice the tight grip the hockey player has on the little boy’s shoulder. The kid isn’t going anywhere until he completes the mission Nat assigned him.
“I’m sorry,” the little thief grumbles, handing the wrench back to me.
I accept the tool and drop to eye level with him. “These tools aren’t toys. They’re dangerous and could hurt you or other people. You shouldn’t run around with them.”
“Sorry,” he says again, with a little more sincerity this time.
Looking at him, my annoyance chips away. I’d been a bit curt when he was asking me all those questions earlier. I was roped into fixing the go-cart after one of the locals recognized me as the new manager of Stewart’s garage. I didn’t say no to the maintenance request, despite feeling great pressure that I was keeping Rebel and April waiting.
Maybe I took it out… just a teeny-weeny bit, on the kid.
I ruffle the boy’s hair. “If you want to learn more about the tools, ask your mom to bring you down to Stewart Kinsey’s old auto shop after school. I’ll teach you what each of those tools can do.”
The kid’s sullen expression disappears like a bubble bursting in the sun. “Really?”
“Mm-hm. And if you promise to be good to your mom and always do your homework, I’ll even teach you how to help your mom if her car ever breaks down. You’ll be a car-fixing hero.”
The kid nods enthusiastically.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Jay-jay.”
“Alright, Jay-jay. Do we have a deal?”
“Deal!” He grabs my hand and gives it a sweaty shake.
“Go on, Jay-jay,” Nat says. “And remember, a man keeps his word. I’ll ask the pretty lady to tell me if you break your promise later.”
