“Yeah, and so do you, but I’m sure Rylee called and told you what happened with Lucy earlier today.”
“Actually, Lucy did.” My head spins in his direction, waiting for him to continue with his story. “She called in a panic when you weren’t home. Apparently, she ran out of the house to come see you, but you weren’t there. Lucky for her you have no life, so if you weren’t at home, I knew you were here.”
“Thanks, asshole,” I grumble before grabbing the tools I need to put the engine back together.
“Didn’t you hear me? Lucy is waiting for you.”
“I heard you, but I have to finish this. You have a race coming up. I don’t want you to throw a rod during the race and not have a reliable back up.” I bend over the side of the car and get to work connecting the engine to the transmission. Once that is finished, I pop in new spark plugs and then grab the box of spark plug wires off the floor and connect them.
“That’s it? You have one minor disagreement and you will turn your back on her again?”
“I didn’t turn my back on her in the first place. You know I had no choice but to leave her, but I had a choice to not stay away for so long.” I stand up and look at my friend. Colton has everything he has ever wanted with Rylee. They have had their ups and downs but he always had her in his corner. I ruined the best thing that ever happened to me all on my own.
“She has a better life now and a little boy to take care of. I should have stayed away.”
“You are dumber than I thought.” Colton walks over and leans against the car beside me. “You left to get your life together. It’s not like you left to go hang out on a tropical island somewhere.”
“I know that and now so does she, that’s the problem. I didn’t mean to tell her how I did, but it just came out. All she did was yell at me for leaving her, as if I had another choice.”
“How is knowing the truth ever a bad thing?” Colton walks around the car, bumping me with his shoulder. “Last time I checked, you being in rehab was the big elephant in the room.”
“It was until Colt asked me if I would be his dad. Everything has changed now. I didn’t realize it but I have fallen in love with that kid. I would do anything to have been his father, to be a man he could look up to when he grows up.”
“And you still can.” Colton pulls the wrench out of my hand and gives me a small shove toward the garage exit. “Stop worrying about all the reasons you aren’t good enough and remember the most important one.”
“And what is that?”
“That you love her, you ass. Now get the hell out of my garage and don’t come back without your girl. I’ll shoot her a text to let her know I sent you her way.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll never be able to repay you for everything you have done for me over the years.”
“That’s what friends are for.” Colton gives me another shove toward the exit before shutting off the lights and heading toward the door.
“Shouldn’t we clean that up?”
“I’m the boss. I pay people for those things.” We both chuckle as we shut the door behind us. I’m a man on a mission. It’s time to finally prove to my girl I’m here to stay.
Colton taps the roof of my car as I step inside. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That doesn’t leave much. Be safe,” I call out of the window as I pull out of the lot and head toward home. A million different scenarios run through my head as I drive home.
I have no idea why Lucy came to see me in the first place, but I’m sure it has to be important for her to leave Colt. Hopefully, we can talk things out and she and I can go on the date she promised me.
Quicker than expected, I’m pulling into my drive as I catch sight of Lucy sitting on the steps leading to my front door.
I turn the car off and take a deep breath before opening the door and heading in her direction. Thankfully, I had the forethought to turn the porch light on or she would have been sitting here waiting in the dark.
“I hope you weren’t waiting here long. Sorry I wasn’t here when you stopped by earlier, but I needed to finish up on that engine for Colton. Figured it was as good of a time as any to finish up.”
“No problem. Sorry to show up uninvited and for calling Colton in a panic looking for you. I knew it would be the Spanish Inquisition if I called Rylee and asked.”
I chuckle. “Those two are worse than old women. I would put money on the fact he called her as soon as you hung up the phone.” I reach past her and open the screen door, gently brushing her shoulder with mine.
“That’s true. She texted me not ten minutes after I got off the phone telling me to wait here until you showed up.” Lucy takes a step to the side so I can slide in and open the front door.
I push the door open and motion for her to head in first, reaching inside to flick on the light switch. Thankfully, I picked up the place before I went to the track.
Lucy steps inside and looks around, placing her bag on the small dining room table. Suddenly embarrassed about my lack of furniture and decor, I step between her and the rest of the house.
“I know it’s not much, but I didn’t
