I pushed on the wrench and the goddamn bolt wouldn’t move. I had been working it for five minutes. It was my own damn fault though. It was the time I should have been going to get Sadie and taking her to Lisa’s house. The whole routine thing was sadly a sense of comfort for me. Kept things steady and moving forward. Where was I moving forward to? I had no fucking clue. But forward was good. Forward was healing, or at least that’s what I had been told.

I released my grip on the wrench and backed up. I threw the thing to the bench and grabbed a rag, wiping my hands clean. I flexed my hand a few times as I stared forward outside the garage bay to the parking lot and beyond.

“Need help, boss?” Paul asked me as he put a coffee mug down that had a half naked woman that was chipped away from washing it too much.

“Nah,” I said. “Just not in it right now.”

“Thinking about your girl?”

“Huh?” I asked, picturing Emily.

“Your girl. Sadie. Your daughter.”

“Oh. Yeah. Yeah. Right.”

“I could handle the place,” Paul said. “If you need to go for a ride.”

“Thanks. I’m good. I’m good. Do me a favor though. Get the bolt loosened on the engine. Did you get those oil changes done?”

“All done. Oil, filters, wiped the exterior and vacuumed the interior.”

“Stickers on the window?”

“All of them, boss,” Paul said.

“Good job. Let me go make those calls quick. Then we’ll check this engine and that SUV off to the side probably needs brakes. Check and tell me. I’ll call them. He’s an old son of a gun who thinks we’re out to scam him.”

Paul laughed. “You got it, boss. I’m on this.”

“Paul, did you get anything to eat yet?” I asked.

“No. Why?”

“Get that bolt loose and then call and order some pizza. On me. I appreciate the help today.”

“Thanks, boss.”

I walked into the office and plopped down in Mickey’s seat. He was home, resting, and feeling better. He had a doctors appointment tomorrow and knowing him, he’d show up to the garage no matter what he was told.

I picked up my phone and stared at it.

No text yet.

I dropped the phone and ran my hands through my hair.

I had to trust her. I had to trust Emily. I didn’t want to text her and have her look away from the road, even for a split second.

A split second was the one thing that took Everly from me.

I stood back up and the chair shot back and slammed against the wall.

My phone started to ring.

I grabbed for it.

“Mickey?” I asked.

“Jake. How’s it going?”

“What the hell are you doing calling me? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Checking on the garage.”

“What garage?” I asked.

“Funny. Really funny. Mess with a guy’s head who has a concussion.”

“You don’t have a damn concussion, Mick. Your brain has always been rattled.”

“Well, when you live through the years I have…”

I walked around the desk and opened the office door to the main lobby area. It was as big as Mick’s office.

“Hey, Mick, you got a second for me?”

“I’m on my damn couch. I’ve got nothing but time. What do you need?”

“This has nothing to do with the garage,” I said. “And when we’re done talking you fucking forget about it.”

“Won’t be hard with my head right now,” Mickey said with a weak laugh.

“When Laura…”

I hesitated to say the word.

“Died,” Mickey said. “Just say it, Jake. When Laura died.”

“When Laura died… and everyone bothered you…”

“What are you asking me?”

“You ever date anyone else?”

“Date?”

“Yeah. Fall in love? Try?”

Mickey let out a sigh. “Coming to me for advice on this is bad, Jake. I don’t know the answers to your questions. I wish I did. You just have to go by your gut. Your heart. The worst thing that could happen with a date is you don’t like it. So you don’t do it again. I mean, you’re not asking someone to marry you, right?”

And goddamn if the second Mickey didn’t spout that last line did I look out of the window and see Emily’s car pulling into the parking lot.

“Hey, Mick, I gotta go,” I said. “Sorry. Sadie’s here.”

“Oh, hey, right. Jake?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t help you with advice because I never had any kids. You’ve got Sadie. She’s forever the number one thing in your life. But don’t forget, she’s missing someone in her life. More than you are and ever will. So if someone ever enters her life and can and wants to fill that void… I don’t know if you can keep her from that.”

I opened the door and watched as Emily climbed out of the driver’s seat. She opened the back door and put her hand out for Sadie to take. She grabbed Sadie’s bag, smiling, Sadie smiling right back at her.

My heart ached.

I felt my eyes fill with tears.

I stepped back and pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Mick, I really gotta go. Thank you.”

“Yeah. Do your thing.”

I ended the call and painted a smile on my face. I hurried out of the door and when Sadie saw me, she started running. I crouched down and remained there until she jumped into my arms. My nose was overtaken by the smell of Sadie. The fruity hand soap. The sugar from whatever snacks all the kids had at daycare.

I wrapped my arms around her.

“I missed you,” I whispered.

“I missed you too, Daddy.”

I stood up, taking Sadie with me.

Emily stood there. She had a brown paper lunch bag in her hand. She lifted it up.

“Dinner,” she said.

“Oh?”

“Sadie insisted we make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” Emily said.

“So you don’t go hungry, Daddy,” Sadie said.

“Wow,” I said. “That’s awesome. Thanks, sweetheart.”

I kissed Sadie’s cheek.

She giggled and wiggled, always hating when my scruff tickled her.

I looked at Emily.

She took the time to play into Sadie’s idea. To make me a sandwich. To drive it here.

I slid Sadie down to the ground. “Hey, sweetheart, why don’t you go play on Mickey’s chair for a second. I want to talk to Miss Emily.”

“Can I have your phone?” she asked.

I gave Sadie my phone.

She hurried away.

“Fifty bucks an hour and I get a PB and J?” I asked.

“Yeah, but it’s my PB and J.”

“That good, huh?”

“You be the judge.”

“Oh, I will,” I said.

Silence.

Seconds ticking by.

“She had a great day,” Emily said. “I figured from here I’d stop and grab something for dinner. Anything you don’t want her having?”

“She’s four,” I said. “As long as she’s not throwing back shots of whiskey at a bar, I’m okay.”

“Right. No whiskey.” Emily smirked.

“Funny,” I said.

“I’ll get her out of your hair,” Emily said. “She just wanted to swing by. I could tell she was getting nervous that she didn’t see you right when the day ended.”

“Thank you for that, Em.”

Em. Again? Really?

“Miss Emily,” I said.

“Don’t call me that. It’s weird.”

“Yeah?” I asked. “Why?”

“I don’t know. It just is.”

Emily took a step and my hand shot out. I touched her left hip to stop her. To keep her in place. I stared ahead, not looking at her. I felt my fingers tighten a little.

Dammit.

Slowly, I turned my head to the right. She turned her head to the right. We looked at each other.

“Thank you,” I said again. “Just know that. Whatever I say. Whatever I do. I appreciate this.”

“I know,” Emily said. “And I’m not trying to do anything funny here, Jake. I care. I’m helping. It’s giving me a sense of purpose again.”

I gave a little tug and Emily was no match for my strength. She stumbled closer to me. I leaned in more than I should have and I brushed my lips to her cheek.

Guilt rose but so did something else.

I felt her hand touch my hand and that’s when I pulled back.

A second later, Sadie called for me.

I walked away, but I realized something.

I wasn’t going to be able to get away from what I was starting to feel.