Page 82 of Rebel Secrets
“You want me to drive you home?”
Now the kid flushed bright red.“We live pretty far out.And…” his shoulders lifted and lowered awkwardly.“I don’t like being there alone.I’d rather wait for my mom at the library.I could walk, but I?—”
“Hell, no.You got too much stuff.”A whole list of questions began to tick off in my mind, but I wasn’t going to ask them now.The kid seemed embarrassed, and I wasn’t going to rub salt in a wound I couldn’t see.“I’m headed into town for dinner anyway.Hey, you wanna get some food?I could use the company.”
His head popped up and his eyes widened.“Really?Yeah, sure.I mean, if you really don’t mind?”
“I don’t.You’d be doing me a favor.I won’t look so pathetic.”
“Thanks, Coach.”
I snagged the kid’s bag off the floor while he grabbed his stick and trailed after me out the door.Where we found Ian, trying to start his deathtrap of a truck.He looked ready to start banging his head against the steering wheel until he caught sight of me.Then his face flamed bright red.Christ, the kid didn’t need to be embarrassed because he couldn’t pay to get his damn car fixed.I knew now that he was sending money to his sister in college so she didn’t have to work during school.But it left him short.I made a mental note to increase his salary for helping out at camp so he could fix the damn truck.
I stopped at the driver’s side and bent forward as he rolled down the window.
“Hey, Bay and I are heading into town for some dinner.You wanna come?”
I’d never had to live from one paycheck to the next, but my parents had raised us to believe it wasn’t the amount of money in your bank account that mattered.Only your character mattered.And Ian was one of the best people I knew.
“I can’t get the truck started.”
He looked so fucking frustrated and ashamed that I wanted to buy him a new fucking truck on the spot.But I knew that wasn’t the way to handle the situation.It’s not the way Pop would handle it.
“Lock it up and leave it.We’ll come back tomorrow and get it working or get it towed back to the house so we can take a look at it.Actually, Pop’s pretty good with engines.I’ll call him.He loves to fu—uh, play around with engines.It’s a hobby.”
And if Pop couldn’t fix it, then we’d figure it out.
The relief on his face told me I’d handled it the right way, and after Ian locked up his truck, the three of us headed into town in my truck to get something to eat.Ian and I had kept up a steady stream of conversation, mostly talking about hockey and Ian’s truck, which apparently held a lot of sentimental value since it came from his granddad.
Which meant I wouldn’t just be able to help him buy a new car.
“So, my dad works on old cars a lot.”Bay had been quiet since we got in the car, which was unusual for him, but he leaned forward to speak from the back seat.“He might be able to help with that.”
“I thought your dad worked at the lumber yard.”I glanced in the rearview to see Bay nod.“Yeah, but cars are his hobby.He likes to fix them up.”
And it probably pulled in extra money, which helped with a daughter in college.There was a local garage and a chain lube-oil business in town, but this was the first I’d heard about another mechanic.
“Sounds good.Ian, you can give him a call tomorrow.”
I glanced over to see Ian doing calculations in his head with his bank account.
“Sure, I can do that.”
But I heard the tone in his voice, and I knew the calculations weren’t in his favor.Shit.
We decided to go to Paolo’s for pizza.Bay had called his mom and told her what was going on.She’d wanted to talk to me, too, apologizing profusely for not being able to get Bay on time.I’d assured her it wasn’t a problem, and we were going to grab some food.
She released a quiet sigh.“Thank you, Rebel.I’ll put some money on his card?—”
“That’s not necessary.But I do have a favor to ask.Bay said your husband works on older model engines, and our assistant coach is having an issue with his truck.Would your husband?—”
“Oh, of course!Daniel was planning to take Bay to camp tomorrow.He could take a look at it then.Daniel loves to tinker, and he hasn’t had a new project lately.He’ll be thrilled.”
I thanked Mrs.Cunningham and handed the phone back to Bay, who looked a hell of a lot happier now.Even Ian’s expression looked a little lighter.And maybe I felt a little pleased with myself for solving the situation.
Dinner with Bay and Ian was the most relaxed I’d been in days.Talking hockey with them eased some of that tight knot in my chest, though not all.The situation with Erin still weighed on my mind.
The way she’d left the arena the other day… My back teeth ground together.I’d wrestled with the way we’d left it the other day, but I wasn’t sure how to fix it.And yeah, I knew I was the one who had the problem.
