I’m leaning over the motor of a 1976 Camaro I’m working on when the shop phone rings. I jump and smack the back of my head on the hood.

“Damn it,” I grumble as I rub the knot that’s left behind.

I wipe my hands on the dirty shop rag I had stuffed in my back pocket as I make my way over to the phone.

“Remington Auto Shop.”

“Hey, Jake. It’s Glenn. How you doing, man?”

I fall down into my chair that sets behind my flat metal desk. “Good. When you coming to pick up the El Camino I finished a week ago?” I ask, looking over at the shiny back vehicle that’s taking up space in my garage.

“That’s actually what I was calling about. I don’t think I’m going to make it down anytime soon. I’m swamped at work.”

I sit up suddenly. “I need this thing out of my shop, man.”

He takes a deep breath that I can hear over the phone. “I know. That’s why I called to ask if you could bring it to me. I’ll throw in a good tip for you.”

My hand absentmindedly runs through my thick, dark hair while I think it over. I wouldn’t mind getting the extra money, especially with a baby on the way. But that also means I would have to take a day off of work to do so. “How much of a tip are we talking? I have work here that needs to be finished.”

“How’s an extra grand sound?”

“One thousand dollars and I want the money back that I have to put in gas to get there.”

“Deal,” he agrees.

“All right. It’s still early, so I’ll bring it up now.”

“Perfect. You’re a lifesaver. I should be getting home from work around five this evening. What time do you think you’ll make it in?”

I look at my watch. It’s about a four-hour drive, and I’ll need to load my bike up in the back before I leave so I have a way home. “I should be there by then.”

I hear him clap his hands together, excited to have his car back. “Awesome, man. Thanks so much. See you soon.”

“No problem,” I say, hanging up the phone.

I back the El Camino out of the garage and turn it around so I can load up my bike. It takes me a good twenty minutes to get it loaded up and tied down. Before leaving, I head into the house to tell my future wife, Zoe, where I’ll be for the day.

I wander through the house until I find her in the kitchen, baking again. We’ve been together for four years now, and the woman couldn’t cook a damn thing. However, once she got pregnant, she’s done nothing but bake. Pies, cookies, cakes, you name it, she’s baked it. At one point, we had so many baked goods lying around that we had to take some over to my brother’s house by the basket full. Brooklyn loved the sugary treats, and so did the kids, but John wasn’t all that happy about it. He refuses to eat anything that Zoe cooks ever since he got food poisoning from the undercooked meatloaf she made one night at a family dinner.

“Baking again?” I ask as I come up behind her, wrapping my arms around her to cup her growing belly. I place my chin in the crook of her neck, pressing soft kisses to her jaw.

She giggles and tries wiggling away from me, but I’m not having any of that.

She pushes her blonde hair behind her ear as she spins around in my arms to face me. “These cravings are getting old. I keep baking what I think I want, but by the time it’s done cooking, I want something else.”

“I have to leave to deliver a car, but how about I fry up some of that fresh fish John and I caught for dinner?”

“Mmm, that sounds amazing actually. Oh, can we make fries and hush puppies too?”

I laugh. “Whatever you want,” I say, landing a firm kiss on her lips that makes her take a deep breath. Her growing chest pushes against mine, and suddenly, I forget what I should be doing.

My hands travel from her lower back, down to her ass. I squeeze slightly before pulling her even closer, causing a sweet groan to escape her lips.

She breaks the kiss with a playful smack to my chest. “I thought you had work to do. Plus, I’m going to burn my cookies if you keep distracting me like this.”

“All right, you’re right.” I take a step back. “I won’t be home until late, probably nine or ten tonight. Can you wait that long to have dinner?”

She nods. “You know I do nothing but eat anymore. How about I get everything ready. That way, when you come in, all you have to do is fry everything up.”

“Sounds perfect. Call me if you need anything.” I smack her on the ass as I walk by. I love having my hands on her anytime that I can.

I climb behind the wheel and hit the road a little faster than I should, but I want to hurry back to have dinner with Zoe, and maybe a little bedroom fun.

I make it to Glenn’s apartment building at five on the dot. I know he said he wouldn’t get off work until five, so I sit in the car and wait for him to pull up.

I watch the traffic that passes in front of me and notice when a black SUV drives into the parking lot. It pulls around behind me, and I look up into the rearview mirror out of curiosity.

I quickly take my eyes away when someone knocks on the driver’s side window. I look over to see Glenn.

Opening the door, I step out. “Hey, you made it,” he says, shaking my hand.

“Yeah, just in time.”

He begins walking around the car, running his hand on the hood. “How’s she run?”

“Purrs like a kitten,” I tell him.

He has a wide smile as he finishes his journey around the vehicle. He takes his place in the driver’s seat and twists the key. The car roars to life. I laugh when he hits the gas a few times, revving up the engine.

I’m about to move around to the back of the car to unload my bike when I hear the sound of gravel crunching behind me. I turn to look at whoever is approaching, but as soon as I do, I’m hit over the head.

My ears ring, and my vision blurs. Everything goes black.