Page 78 of Right Place, Right Time (Second Chances)
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Jay
“Whatcha doing there?”
Kate’s voice startles me, and I drop the wrench from my hand. “Where the hell did you come from?” I ask, rising from my seated position beside my bike and kissing her.
That never gets old.
“I was at my parents’ house,” she says, kicking a rock on the gravel driveway.
“I know that. How’d you get here?” I ask, looking around. “I didn’t hear your car?”
She looks down at her feet, and I lift her chin with my greasy fingers. If she wasn’t so distracted, she would have given me hell for that. Her big brown eyes look into mine, and she looks nervous…scared even.
“What’s going on, Sunshine?”
She takes a deep breath, then lets it out. “The conversation with them went about as well as to be expected. They think I’m crazy. I’m sure they’re disappointed. They told me…my mother said if I left I shouldn’t bother coming back.” She shrugs her shoulders and smiles a little. “I left the car in the driveway. I don’t want anything to remind me of their disapproval. I took a cab.”
I wrap my good arm around her shoulder and pull her into my chest. “I’m sorry they’re assholes. But I’m proud of you.”
I hear her sniffle, and for a moment, I think she’s crying. That is until she wiggles free and scrunches up her nose. She points her finger at me, “You stink! And you’re dirty.” She looks down at her white t-shirt and sure enough there are a few black and grey smudges from where she was pressed against me.
“You love me anyway,” I say, giving her a smile.
“Yeah…I do.” She takes a few small steps forward and leans into my chest. I put my arm around her again, careful not to club her with my cast. This…this right here is the stuff dreams are made of. I feel like I can be anything…do anything…as long as this girl is by my side.
A week ago, I was a mess. I’d been lying in a hospital bed feeling like my life was over. My best friend was gone. My girl was across the country. And, somehow, I was alive. Alive and alone. There were more than a few moments where I’d wished I could press the little red button long enough for a lethal dose of painkillers to come out…figures they’d moderate that shit. But it’s good that they do, because if I had offed myself…I wouldn’t have this right here.
“You okay?” I ask her, knowing it’s a silly question. If anyone is okay under duress, it’s Kate. She’s the most resilient person I know.
“Mm hmm.”
She pulls away, and I feel the loss. I’m complete mush as far as she’s concerned…if Sean could see me now, he’d probably be razzing me for it. Hell, he probably can see me now and is getting a good laugh at my expense. Or he’s up there smiling and thinking, “It’s about damn time.”
“I’m gonna need a new car,” Kate says. “Not anewcar, but a new-to-me car.”
I nod in agreement. “Let me put these tools away and then I’ll ask Mac if we can take his truck.”
Not only can I not ride my bike with my broken arm, but it also has some damage from the wreck. Most of it is surface stuff—scratches and dents—but a few parts need to be replaced. It’s probably good that I can’t ride it right now…gives me time to fix it.
Kate works beside me, helping me set the tools in my toolbox, and when we’re done, she carries the toolbox while I roll my bike into the garage. Then I take her hand in my good one, and we walk into the house.
While I’d been in prison, Mac had graduated from that rickety two bedroom apartment to a small, three bedroom ranch house in a nicer part of town. It’s plenty big enough for him, and he’s happy to have me and Kate here with him until we figure out our next move.
Things are…different between Mac and me now. Better, for sure. Sean’s death—though it’s only been a few days—has brought us closer together. Sean was Mac’s friend, too, and his death crushed him as much as it did me. I’d been so busy wallowing in my own self-pity that I hadn’t thought about that. We both felt like we lost a brother, but at least we still had each other.
When Kate and I enter the kitchen, Mac looks up from the paper. He smiles when he sees us hand-in-hand. “What are you two up to?” he asks.
“Jay’s gonna take me to get a new-to-me car,” Kate smiles back. She and Mac get along great. He gives her complete credit for pulling me out of my funk. I’m not sure where I’d be if he hadn’t called her, and she hadn’t come.
“What happened to your car?” he asks, sitting up straight.
I lean against the counter while Kate sits at the table, in the seat across from Mac. She picks up one of the muffins she’d baked this morning. “I left it at my parents’ house. Out with the old…new beginning…all that.”
While she’s picking at her muffin, Mac looks up at me and raises his eyebrow. I know he’s silently asking me if she’s okay. I give him a quick nod, and he relaxes back in his seat.
“Can we take your truck? We won’t be gone too long.”
