started to fix it up six years ago.
Rebuilding it had taken him two years of scrounging for parts, bartering with Mike and a couple of other shop owners for training, and working backbreaking construction jobs for minimal cash. He’d learned to rebuild and fix the bikes mainly on his own, and had worked for Mike ever since.
He liked Mike. Liked the work. Of all the odd jobs he’d had over the years to support himself, he’d liked working for Mike the best. But his friend owned a small shop and couldn’t afford to be a man short. When Jace had heard his brother was trapped in a mining disaster, he had known Mike would have to replace him if he left. There were no regrets, just reality.
“You know my grandpa?” Katie’s voice came from just outside the open garage door and startled him. Jace froze and then silently cursed as her words registered. This was bad. He turned around, but stayed down on her level.
“Uh.” He frowned. “Yeah. How’d you know about that?” He was pretty certain Amy hadn’t told her.
“I heard you and Mama talking last night.” The little girl lowered her voice to a whisper. “She thinks I sleep when she goes to cook. But...it’s too hard. I worry ’bout her.”
Those last words sounded way too grown-up for a six-year-old. But he didn’t think she was just parroting some adult. His gut tightened. He was in way over his head. “Hey, didn’t your mom tell you to go straight home? She won’t be happy you’re here.” He hadn’t been around kids enough to know what the heck to do or say. He hoped he was doing this right.
“I don’t care.”
“Yes, you do.” He walked over to where Katie hugged the corner of the building. Her backpack dangled from her hand into the dusty desert dirt, and Jace hunkered down beside her. “You’re a good kid, Katie, and you’ve got a great mom here. Don’t ever forget that.” How could he get across to a six-year-old the value of home, of a mom who worked as hard as Amy did for her?
“She’s mean,” Katie mumbled.
“No, she’s not. She cares about you.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
Stunned, he let his tone sound harsher this time. “Now, you know better than that.”
“Is your mom nice?”
Pain knifed through Jace’s chest. He didn’t dare analyze that too deeply. What should he tell her? The truth, he knew, but how? “I...my mom died a while back. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
“Oh.”
The silence was long. Katie stood there, staring down at the toes of her shoes.
“I’ll make you a deal.” Jace reached out and tipped her chin up with his finger. “You go home like your mom wants you to, and I’ll come over to the store later for coffee. We can have a drink together then, okay? Maybe your mom will join us and we can get to know each other better.” He needed to see how Amy was today anyway, after all he’d said—and done—last night. Might as well get it over with.
The way Katie’s face lit up made Jace smile.
“Okay.” She turned and ran toward the grocery, her curls streaming out behind her and her backpack bouncing. “Mama!” she yelled as she pulled open the door and disappeared inside.
Jace was fairly certain Amy would soon start building a wall to keep him out of her store. He turned back to the bike, realizing he wouldn’t be taking it out on the road today, after all. Not if he intended to keep his promise to Katie.
He didn’t wait long to head down the street. Partially because he didn’t want Katie to think he’d forgotten her, and partially because he was curious about what kind of reception he’d get from Amy. For some reason, it mattered to him. He stopped thinking and stepped inside the dim store.
He waited for his eyes to adjust and looked around for Amy.
“Hi, Mr. Jace.” Katie sat at the tall coffee bar, waving wildly. “I saved you a seat.” She pointed at the stool next to her own.
Amy was behind the bar, very obviously not waving at him. He smiled at her and sat
Rebuilding it had taken him two years of scrounging for parts, bartering with Mike and a couple of other shop owners for training, and working backbreaking construction jobs for minimal cash. He’d learned to rebuild and fix the bikes mainly on his own, and had worked for Mike ever since.
He liked Mike. Liked the work. Of all the odd jobs he’d had over the years to support himself, he’d liked working for Mike the best. But his friend owned a small shop and couldn’t afford to be a man short. When Jace had heard his brother was trapped in a mining disaster, he had known Mike would have to replace him if he left. There were no regrets, just reality.
“You know my grandpa?” Katie’s voice came from just outside the open garage door and startled him. Jace froze and then silently cursed as her words registered. This was bad. He turned around, but stayed down on her level.
“Uh.” He frowned. “Yeah. How’d you know about that?” He was pretty certain Amy hadn’t told her.
“I heard you and Mama talking last night.” The little girl lowered her voice to a whisper. “She thinks I sleep when she goes to cook. But...it’s too hard. I worry ’bout her.”
Those last words sounded way too grown-up for a six-year-old. But he didn’t think she was just parroting some adult. His gut tightened. He was in way over his head. “Hey, didn’t your mom tell you to go straight home? She won’t be happy you’re here.” He hadn’t been around kids enough to know what the heck to do or say. He hoped he was doing this right.
“I don’t care.”
“Yes, you do.” He walked over to where Katie hugged the corner of the building. Her backpack dangled from her hand into the dusty desert dirt, and Jace hunkered down beside her. “You’re a good kid, Katie, and you’ve got a great mom here. Don’t ever forget that.” How could he get across to a six-year-old the value of home, of a mom who worked as hard as Amy did for her?
“She’s mean,” Katie mumbled.
“No, she’s not. She cares about you.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
Stunned, he let his tone sound harsher this time. “Now, you know better than that.”
“Is your mom nice?”
Pain knifed through Jace’s chest. He didn’t dare analyze that too deeply. What should he tell her? The truth, he knew, but how? “I...my mom died a while back. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
“Oh.”
The silence was long. Katie stood there, staring down at the toes of her shoes.
“I’ll make you a deal.” Jace reached out and tipped her chin up with his finger. “You go home like your mom wants you to, and I’ll come over to the store later for coffee. We can have a drink together then, okay? Maybe your mom will join us and we can get to know each other better.” He needed to see how Amy was today anyway, after all he’d said—and done—last night. Might as well get it over with.
The way Katie’s face lit up made Jace smile.
“Okay.” She turned and ran toward the grocery, her curls streaming out behind her and her backpack bouncing. “Mama!” she yelled as she pulled open the door and disappeared inside.
Jace was fairly certain Amy would soon start building a wall to keep him out of her store. He turned back to the bike, realizing he wouldn’t be taking it out on the road today, after all. Not if he intended to keep his promise to Katie.
He didn’t wait long to head down the street. Partially because he didn’t want Katie to think he’d forgotten her, and partially because he was curious about what kind of reception he’d get from Amy. For some reason, it mattered to him. He stopped thinking and stepped inside the dim store.
He waited for his eyes to adjust and looked around for Amy.
“Hi, Mr. Jace.” Katie sat at the tall coffee bar, waving wildly. “I saved you a seat.” She pointed at the stool next to her own.
Amy was behind the bar, very obviously not waving at him. He smiled at her and sat
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