“Well,” he said after a beat. “You have to do what you think is best.”
“I know.” She exhaled and took another sip. “I just wish doing the right thing didn’t always feel like the hardest option.”
He squeezed her hand once more, steady and reassuring, and for a moment, that was enough.
CHAPTER 31
Mia sether coffee cup down and opened the pantry, exhaling. Damn. The ingredients she needed for the rosemary sea salt crackers were short.
Her chest tightened, just a little. She’d planned to send a small bag home with the potential clients. Nothing fancy. Just something warm and simple that saidthis is what I do.
She glanced at her watch. Just under an hour. Tight but doable. Thankfully, it was still early in the morning. A new client was coming to see the event barn. Things were looking up again.
She grabbed her keys and slid into the van. The fuel gauge hovered just above half. Good. One less thing to worry about. No stops. No room for delays.
The roads were quiet, with only a few cars out, and she was making good time. Her mind was busy planning a possible menu for the event. Rustic but elevated. Comfort food. The kind of thing that made people feel taken care of.
She turned onto the country road leading to town. No traffic. Just a line of cows staring at her as she passed.
The engine sputtered. Once. Then again.
Her stomach dipped.The battery.
“Come on,” she murmured, easing her foot off the gas. “Just get me to town. Ten minutes. I’ll baby you the whole way.”
Her hands tightened on the wheel, listening, feeling every vibration. She needed it to hold together just a little longer.
The engine coughed once more. Then everything went quiet.
The van lost power faster than she had expected. The steering wheel went heavy in her hands as the car drifted toward the edge of the road.
“No. No,” Mia said, pumping the brakes, trying to guide it back.
The tires slid over the gravel. The front bumper clipped a tree with a dull, jarring thud, solid enough to knock the breath from her lungs.
The van stopped. Silence rushed in.
Mia sat frozen, hands locked on the wheel, heart hammering against her ribs. She took a careful breath. Then another.Okay. I’m okay.
She laughed once. “Of course,” she whispered. Of course, it hit a tree.
Her phone was already in her hand when the familiar thought hit her again.I asked Roy to get the battery checked. She’d trusted it was done. Wrong again.
She thought about who to call. It was too early to call a garage. She didn’t have towing insurance. No easy fix.
Caleb.
Maybe he could help or at least give her a ride back. She tapped his name. The call rang once. Twice.
The phone flickered, battery flashing red, before going black.
“Seriously?” she muttered.
She dug the small portable charger out of her purse, plugged it into her phone and set it on the console. Then she stared through the windshield at the wall of trees. In the sunlight, theyshould’ve been beautiful. Instead, they felt like they were closing in on her.
She pressed her forehead to the steering wheel and let out a frustrated scream. It wasn’t just the van. Or the timing. It had been a string of things lately. One problem after another. She just couldn’t catch a break. Every step forward was yanked back.
When the phone finally powered up, she didn’t hesitate.
