Page 28 of Ice Mechanic

“Thanks?” Chance scratches the back of his head.

“What’d you have to lose, big sis?” May coos. “Didn’t you say you’d doanythingto beat the Kinseys?”

Eyes narrowing, I glower at both May and Rebel.

Neither of them back down.

Chance starts looking hopeful.

With a giant sigh, I point to the bicycle that’s propped against the side of the garage. “Time out, you two. Let’s talk in private.”

“What’s there to talk about?” May tilts her head cheekily. “I say hand me a contract.”

Rebel nods eagerly.

Steam coming out of my ears, I stalk toward my sister and best friend, wondering when the two closest people to me turned into traitors.

CHAPTER

NINE

CHANCE

I kick a rock downhill,staying close enough to overhear the ladies’ conversation.

“Why were you spying on me?”April hisses.

“You guys were standing outside yelling for the world to hear. I thought you wanted me to listen!”

“April, you should consider the offer.”

“No, I’ll find another way to drum up business for our shop.”

April plants both hands on her hips. Today, she’s wearing a blue tank top and a jumpsuit that’s peeled down to her waist. The outfit is fully utilitarian and yet seeing that contrast of her peaches and cream skin against the blue shirt and the way the tied sleeves emphasizes her tiny waist has me biting down on my bottom lip.

“How? We’ve been open for weeks and we can only fix the cars people sneak in at night. No one wants to go against the Kinseys.”

“We’ll prove ourselves eventually. We just need time.”

“We don’t have time. If we keep going like this, we’ll forfeit on our loan and neither of us can afford that.”

I wonder how much of a bad spot the shop is in. I could easily offer to pay the mortgage off but, I know, just as sure as the grass is green and the sky is blue, that April would beat me to a pulp with that wrench of hers if I tried.

“We don’t even know that guy!”April hisses.“What if he’s a psychopath? Would you sleep well at night knowing you sold me off to a psychopath?”

April calling me ‘that guy’ is only slightly less offensive than her thinking I could be a psychopath. She’s right that we’ve only known each other for a day, but what about my behavior yesterday screamed I’d kidnap her and keep her in a basement?

Given how much you’ve been looking forward to fake-dating her, she may have a point.

Hm.

“He’s a famous, well… infamous hockey player. The entire world has their eyes on him. What can he do right now?”

“It’s the ones who’ve hit rock bottom that you have to watch out for.”April fires back.

I snort out a laugh.

All the ladies stop and glare at me. I feel like a lone elephant in a pack of hunting lionesses. Shifting my expression into a respectful frown, I take a step back.

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