Page 129 of Ice Mechanic

I wipe my hands over my hair, hoping to clean up a bit. The move only brings her attention to the dirt under my nails and something inside me splits.

You’re just too much like the guys, April. Sometimes, you feel like one of the bros to me.That dark voice in my head amplifies my own desire to hide.

I tuck my hands behind my back. I should have gone home and changed before rushing to the airport. I smell and I’m too dirty…

She’s so beautiful that sometimes all I can do is stare.Chance’s words from the press conference wash over me.

I inhale deeply and remember why I’m here.

Chance believes in me. He believes in us.

I’ve never done something as impulsive as buying a plane ticket to visit a man, but I’ve also never met anyone I wanted to trust more.

Being with Chance for real will bring me face to face with my insecurities. I’ll be constantly placed under a microscope. Constantly having to defend why I’m ‘good enough’ to be with him. If he was brave enough to take that leap in front of the entire world, why can’t I make a decision within my own heart?

Lifting my chin, I stare the rude woman right in the eyes. “I was gapping spark plugs on a six-liter engine—that’s a big engine by the way—when I suddenly missed my boyfriend and wanted to see him. Hence why I’m here.” I set my elbow on the desk andshe leans back. “So can you please help me with that? Youarea customer service rep,aren’t you?”

I make sure to deliver the question in the same, condescending tone in which she’d given to me.

The woman nods tightly. “Of course. Can I have your ID?”

My heart thumps in a wild craze and my palms leak enough sweat to flood the desk. Yet, I feel looser than I have since the breakup with Evan.

I never used to care what people thought of me. But after Evan demolished my self-confidence—no, after IallowedEvan to demolish my self-confidence, things changed.

I miss the old April. I miss therealApril.

I want her back.

As I’m rummaging in my purse for my ID, my phone rings.

It’s Bobby.

“Hey, Miss April,” Bobby says in that good-natured drawl, “I really,reallyneed your help. The Zamboni’s gone in again and the children’s figure skating competition is coming up this weekend. I need that truck back on track. I can’t have the little ones getting hurt on uneven ice.”

“I’m a little tied up at the moment. Could you call Stewart Kinsey?”

“Kinsey’s not picking up the phone. I think he found out you fixed the Zamboni last time and now I’m on his ‘blocked’ list.”

I remain quiet.

Bobby presses, “If you can’t help me, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

I chew on my bottom lip. Although I want to see Chancenow,I can’t bear the thought of anyone’s precious son or daughter getting hurt when I could do something to prevent it.

“Alright.” I sigh. “I’ll be right there.”

“You won’t be flying with us today?” The clerk arches a brow smugly.

I debate buying a ticket for later today, but I don’t know when I’ll be done with the Zamboni. I thought I’d fixed it properly last time. If it’s broken down again, there might be a deeper, more complex issue that I can’t solve before the flight.

“No thank you.”

Turning away, I return to my car and drive to the stadium. On the way, I call Chance again but it goes straight to voicemail.

I back into the stadium’s parking lot. There’s a giant banner of the team hanging on the front of the stadium. Chance is slightly ahead and in the center of the group.

“Why aren’t you answering?” I grumble to the humongous image.

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