Page 160 of It's Always Us

“Ok. Again!” Slade yells from the rear passenger side fender.

I press the brake pedal to the floorboard and hold it. Bleeding brakes is the one thing I’m still capable of doing.

“Let it up!” he yells over the impact gun Trigger is using to tighten lug nuts as if he’s training for a pit crew.

I release the pedal.

“Again!”

It’s been a week since Mark left, and he’s been blowing up my phone with the most ridiculous houses. Homes that cost millions of dollars but don’t look like they belong to a family. He’s a kid in a toy store, but it’s not about the house. It’s about us becoming a family.

When he gets back from camp, we’ll talk to Bree. Moving will be a big deal for her. The two of them have spent the evenings laughing on the phone together, and I think Mark is exactly what she needs. We hope to get her into the same school Shane’s family attends. She’ll have the summer to spend with them, and get to know her giant family.

She’s asked about her mom, and I know her heart breaks a little more each time trying to make sense of what happened. She writes letters, and it takes weeks to get one in return. The social worker agrees that visiting Linda in this state would only do more harm than good.

Bree doesn’t understand, and she needs to be with Mark. He’s the only one who knows exactly what she’s feeling and can help her through it. Years separate them, but they relate to each other in a way no one else will.

“Ok! Let up!” Slade yells. “Let me move to the other side.”

“Who will you get to do this when you own the shop?” I ask as he attaches the hose on my side.

“Anyone I want. They’ll do it if I say so,” he grumbles while I wait for him to fit the hose onto the bleeder screw.

“Ha. We aren’t going to listen to you any more than we listen to Cal,” Carson tosses out.

“And we like him,” Wind adds from the bench, filling out an invoice.

I laugh, and Slade lays out a string of curses under his breath. When he’s ready, I press the pedal down and hold.

This shop was my dream for so long. It hurts to think about it being handed over to anyone other than me, but I see now that Grandpa was right. I wasn’t supposed to stay here forever.

I bring the phone to my mouth to dictate a message to Mark. “Stop sending mansions, but we need a room for Grandpa.” I see three dots.

SEXY BABIES’ DADDY: *Voice message*So, two double wides and a warehouse in the back?

Slade hollers, and I press and release the pedal a few more times while Carson and Wind bicker over who’s patching a tire.

When Slade finishes, I hoist my legs out of the car first and then reach for the handle, but he sticks his hand out to help me. He pulls me to a stand and then—

Uh, oh. Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.A trickle of warm liquid fills my underwear and proceeds down my legs. I would wonder if it’s pee, but this is way too much when I just went.

When I don’t move or let go of Slade’s hand, his brow creases. Then he peers down at the pool collecting on the floor between my feet.

“Um . . . is that?” He starts to back away like it might be corrosive or contagious.

The shop is quiet, and I realize my guys have gathered around the growing pool of bodily fluid.

“Shit. What do we do?” Carson asks as if any of them have the answer. I don’t either, because I wouldn’t let Markreadthis part of the book to me.

“Grab an oil pan and some shop rags,” Slade barks, risking it and taking my arm again.

Trig and Wind dart around like they’re lost in a maze, while I try to think and all that’s coming to mind is I need Mark.

Wind is back with a roll of rags in hand and starts ripping them off and tossing them to the ground like I might leak an ocean.

There’s a stench that creeps up my nostrils that has me horrified.

“Shit! Alex, what the hell?” Slade shoves his wrist to his nose, about to gag, and if I could focus, I’d likely join him.

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