Page 52 of Race to the Beach

When she made it back to her bedroom, she noticed her mother’s letters.They were scattered over the side of her bed and some had landed on the floor.She rushed over to them and scooped them up.She was relieved to see that none of them had been damaged.She never would have forgiven herself if anything had happened to them.

She moved to the little wooden desk in the corner of the room.She opened her laptop and crossed her fingers that she’d have a positive response to her inquiries for a radiator.The current one was damaged on the left side, so much so that it couldn’t be repaired.

Yet, when she checked her email, she was told that none were available, or they wouldn’t be able to get it to her until sometime the following week.Which meant that she was out of luck.Her chest tightened.No radiator meant no car for the race.

She headed to the garage to tell Owen the bad news.He was already there and hard at work.She felt bad he was wasting his time.

When he saw the look on her face, he dropped what he was doing and moved to her side.“What’s wrong?Is it about last night?Did I rush things?”

She shook her head.“It has nothing to do with that.”

He breathed a sigh of relief.“Okay.Just tell me, and we’ll deal with it.”

When she told him she couldn’t get a radiator in time for the race, he said, “I wasn’t able to find one that would be here in time either.”

He must have seen the devastated look on her face because the next thing she knew, he was giving her a hug.She relaxed in his arms.The tightness around her chest eased.

When she pulled away from him, she leaned back against the workbench.“We might as well quit now.”

“Not so fast.I have one last idea.”When she sent him a hopeful look, he said, “Don’t get your hopes up.This is a long shot.”He reached for his phone.

She tried to see what he was typing, but she was too far away.“What are you doing?”

“Just wait.”

Curiosity chewed away at her.She moved next to him and tried to see the phone screen.He glanced at her with a smile.“Impatient, aren’t we?”

She shrugged.“What are you doing?”

His fingers moved rapidly over the screen.It wasn’t until he put the phone back into his pocket that he looked at her.“I put up a post on Bluestar’s social circle.”

“And you think someone here on the island will have the right part?”Yeah.Right.Cars were outlawed on the island.There was no way any of them would have the part.Her hope fled her.

He shook his head.“No.But they might have a connection.Now get back to work.”When she didn’t move, he said, “You don’t want the right part to show up, and not have the car ready because you gave up.”

He did have a legitimate point.“Fine.”She moved to the toolbox.“But just so you know, I’m working at the carnival this evening.”

“I see how it is.You’re going to leave me to do all the work while you go have fun.”He sent her a teasing smile.

“You could come with me.”The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea.

He shook his head.“Until the bachelor auction is over, I’m keeping a low profile.”

She nodded.“I understand.But you will be missed.”

She got to work.There was still a lot to do.But with Owen helping her, she knew there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do together.

It was the day before the race.

Maxi was out of bed that morning before her alarm.In the dark, she stumbled over to the little desk and opened her laptop.While the computer booted, she yawned and stretched.Today was do or die time.

She scoured her emails.There was no news about the radiator.And now she was out of time.Feeling defeated, she closed the computer and went to sit on the bed.She sat back against the headboard and wrapped her arms around the pillow.This meant she wasn’t going to be able to help her aunt.Tears of frustration slipped down her cheeks.

Buzz.

She didn’t immediately reach for her phone, but when it went off again, she reached for it on the nightstand.Was it asking too much to hope it was good news?

She checked, and it was a text message.When she clicked on the icon, she found it was a note from Owen.He wanted to know if he should pick up a coffee for her that morning.

---