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“Do we have any watermelon?”
For all her bravado over Boone, Sarah is miserable. Both refuse to yield, and they’ve reached a point where listening is impossible.
If that’s true, maybe he’ll listen to me.
“Stay here, and I’ll go get you some.”
∞∞∞
The treadmill beeps and slows down. I grab a nearby towel to wipe the sweat off my neck and face.
Alone in the gym, a steady hour of cardio lets you zone enough for your mind to solve problems in the background while the more conscious part of you counts down the minutes.
Sarah arranged our big meeting withTop Rowto discuss a partnership. Bert shares her opinion that they’ll be glad to help with our manufacturing and production until we can take that over.
The part we aren’t discussing is thatTop Rowis three hours away, which means we need to move. It also means my crew, the mechanics and engineers who make everything possible, would need to.
It doesn’t feel right to ask them to move because of my ambition.
It would mean Sarah is leaving her family behind, even if they are in the middle of a cold war. I don’t want her to do that for me.
I take several swallows from my water bottle and dial.
She picks up on the second ring. “Maddie Bennett.”
Sarah had one of her friend’s business cards in her paperwork, so getting the number was easy. I considered sending a text message before remembering that a message can be ignored or the number blocked.
“It’s Jake.”
The line briefly goes dead until she realizes who I am. “Jake Knowles?”
“NASCAR’s most famous driver.” It’s probably not the most helpful answer. “Second most famous.”
She doesn’t respond either way. “What’s going on? Is Sarah okay?”
It’s probably a good sign that she immediately asks about her friend. “Not really, no,” I say. It’s best to be completely honest. “Look, you don’t know me very well, and hell, you may not like me, but we both care deeply about the same people.”
“You want to fix this?” She asks.
“That’s why I’m calling. I need help.”
“This isn’t a good time.”
Shit. That’s a brush-off. “Can you talk later?”
“Do you know where Java Joe’s is? I’m free in two hours.”
“I know the place. It has tacky decor and great coffee.” Also, by sheer coincidence, I’m suddenly free in two hours. “I’ll see you then, and thank you.”
∞∞∞
It’s even tackier than I remembered. Worn surfboards and crumbling sand castles decorate the outside. Kitschy fake driftwood art covers the inside’s pale blue walls. A large mural on one wall has a man with shining emerald eyes and blond hair holding a giant surfboard. Considering the nickname Boone Rivers gave me, the place feels incredibly forced, maybe even like it’s a subtle dig at me.
I arrived early, with Maddie Bennett coming only a few minutes later. I put in our coffee orders and some tiramisu to take home for Sarah later. Maddie notices it but doesn’tcomment.
Thankfully, we snag one of the few tables still available. Maddie isn’t petite; she’s short like her body randomly decided to stop growing one day. A conversation requiring me to stare down at her while begging for help would be awkward.
“Thank you for coming. I’m Jake Knowles, by the way.”
