Page 23 of Hard Luck (Blackstone House)

“Nope.”

“Could be a fuel problem. A faulty fuel pump or clogged filter. We’ll get her going again; don’t worry.”

“Do you need a ride home?” Cole asked her.

“No, it’s fine. Your lunch break must be nearly over by now.”

“It won’t matter if I’m a few minutes late.”

There were perks to owning the company. Not many, but some. And the longer he could avoid Mrs. Lassiter, the better. She was probably making herself at home in the presidential suite by now.

“I’ll call a cab.”

“Hey, I can drop you off,” the tow truck driver offered. “I mean, you’re one of our best customers. And you’re only over in?—”

Bella squeezed Cole’s arm. “Actually, a ride would be great, as long as you won’t get into trouble with your boss.”

“He’s a pretty reasonable guy.”

They watched as Thelma was hoisted up onto the bed of the truck and strapped securely in place. She really was a stunning car, mechanical issues excepted, and now that Cole had begun getting to know Bella, he saw they suited each other. Both were quirky, fine to look at, and a little wild. And definitely more fun than a Prius.

He helped Bella back into the passenger seat and slid behind the wheel.

“Where to?”

“Any chance of making a quick stop at the grocery store? That was the next task on my list before Thelma broke down, and I’m out of milk, butter, and granola. And bread. And pasta. Basically everything. With the cast on, it’s not so easy to get around, and I’ve turned into a virtual hermit.”

“Sure, we can make a stop. You been managing to work?”

“A broken leg doesn’t affect my ability to type. Not much, anyway. I was zonked out on painkillers for a day, so one of the girls in my writing group helped out. Luckily, the client was understanding.”

“Must be nice to have folks you can rely on,” he said without thinking.

“You don’t have a good team?”

How was he meant to answer that? It wasn’t that the team was bad—they were friendly and tried hard—but Uncle Mike had spent years micromanaging everything from the menus to the room allocations to the gaming tables, and now that he was gone, nobody really knew what to do. Including Cole.

“Good people, but they lack direction. Just because someone’s a nice guy doesn’t make them a good manager.”

“That’s true, but if someone’s a shitty person, they’re usually a shitty manager too.”

Bella’s phone buzzed, and she tapped out a message, frowning.

“More man trouble?”

“If there’s trouble, a man’s usually at the root of it.” She glanced across as he started the engine. “No offence. Just my experience.”

She wasn’t entirely wrong. Uncle Mike was the cause of Cole’s current problems, quite an achievement from the afterlife. And even though Gretchen had broken his heart as well as breaking off their engagement, what had hurt the most was Marcus’s betrayal. They’d grown up together. Cole had defended him from bullies in elementary school, helped him with assignments in high school, and let him sleep on the couch when his stepfather kicked him out. And how had Marcus repaid him? By stealing his fiancée.

“Yeah, we’re mostly assholes,” Cole agreed. “Walmart okay?”

“You mind if we go to Happy Valley Grocery?”

It was ten minutes farther, but that was an extra ten minutes he got to spend with Bella.

“I don’t mind at all.”

CHAPTER 9

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