Page 6 of Bullet

“Morning, Bullet. I saw the truck outside, and when you didn’t come to the door, I was wondering if you were waiting for me to come out,” Amelia says.

“Where are Puss and Boots this morning?”

She turns and points to the window, where the two cats have their noses against the pane, staring at us. “We girls rarely get visitors. I may have to put them in a room so that you and Crush can work in peace.” She chuckles.

Her laugh is soft and cute. Crush comes closer. “Hey,” Crush replies to her hello. “We’ll need to climb up on the roof and take a look around.”

“We’ll come down and give you an estimate then,” I add.

“Sure. I’m making some blueberry muffins. I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee,” Amelia says.

“You don’t have to feed us, ma’am,” Crush says politely.

Amelia’s face drops. “Oh, I’m sorry⁠—”

“But I’ll take you up on that because they’re my favorite,” Crush quickly jumps in. “We’d better get started.”

“Get inside, Amelia. Go see your girls,” I say with a grin. Her cheeks turn pink, but she hustles back inside while Crush and I get to work.

Four

Ham and Swiss on Rye

Amelia

Six of the dozen muffins I baked are gone. Crush wolfed down three and is working on his second cup of coffee. Bullet finished his second and has one in front of him, but he stops sipping when he notices I’m digesting the cost of a new roof. Seven thousand five hundred dollars for the water to stop pouring into my home on rainy nights. I’m seriously contemplating putting down rain barrels instead.

I know I’m kidding myself, and I have the money, but to dip further into my savings is going to hurt. Then again, the cost of rain barrels and the further damage the roof will sustain by waiting won’t be worth it.

The first bite of my muffin tastes like sawdust, and I make awesome muffins. I am mentally kicking my ass for getting the car repairs done. It could have waited another month…or two.

“Amelia, where are you?” Bullet’s voice penetrates my thoughts.

I blink and refocus. “Sorry,” I mumble.

“We can do a payment plan. Zero interest, and we’ll work out a monthly amount that’s affordable for you,” he suggests.

I hate having debt. “No way to repair just the spots that are leaking?” I’ve already asked them that, but I’m desperately hoping for a different answer this time.

“You’d be spending more in the long run,” Crush says. “The repairs would be a couple of thousand, then you’ll be patching until the whole roof is redone anyway.” He shrugs and suggests, “You can get another quote if that gives you peace of mind, but I would really be wary of anyone who would patch it and be done with it.”

I flit my gaze between the two men, shaking my head. “I don’t need another quote. I know you’re fair. Actually, I trust Izzy, so when she recommended your company for the school, and when I saw how hard you both worked to meet the very tight budget we have for repairs, I know you’re honest men.” I clasp my hands together on the table. “It’s just that I’ve had a lot of expenses lately. Moving, the car repairs, and then I went and bought this house.” I toss my hand out over the room. “I moved too fast. I should have taken more time, but I really wanted to put down roots. That isn’t your problem, though.” I let out a breath. “I’d like to work out a plan to get it paid off in six months. Does that work? I can give you twenty-five hundred now, and a thousand a month until it’s paid off.”

Bullet completely ignores my payment schedule and asks, “What car repairs?”

“When I came to town, I decided to get the car checked out. I need a decent vehicle to make sure I get to work each day. It was a long drive, and I decided I need a tune-up. I had no idea I had transmission and suspension issues. I’m lucky I made it here without breaking down.” I chuckle.

“Amelia, get me your keys,” Bullet orders.

Crush gives him a look, raising his brows. “What the hell, bro?” he mumbles.

“Huh?” I’m confused, but Bullet will not be deterred.

“Keys, babe,” Bullet insists.

I go to the counter, grab my keys, and hand them to him. “I have the receipt.”

“Good. Grab it for me, will you?” Bullet looks at Crush, and the silent message they’re sending one another is nothing I understand, but both men walk through the laundry room door that connects to the garage, while I go find my bill.