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Let me help you heal. I don’t type it.

The song changes to Marvin Gaye, and I want to sing it to him. I want to be secure in his arms, press my cheek to his chest. Ins

tead, I slide my finger over the screen, wishing it were his face.

Me: I’ll see you in the morning.

Gray: Night, Drew baby.

I don’t even realize I’m crying until my eyes close, and a hot tear hits my cheek.

Chapter 14

Gray

I manage to sleep without taking the pills. Texting with Drew wasn’t a trigger like I’d feared it might be. It actually soothed the ache in my chest and warmed my insides. It reminded me of better days, the days before the accident. When we were happy.

When I wake in the morning, I’m still in the bed—not face down on the floor in the living room or on the couch. I know it’s only baby steps, but at this point, I’m ready to take all the encouragement I can get.

Coffee made, I walk out to find Billy in the shop waiting, that knife and stick of wood in his hands.

“You drink coffee?” I ask, holding out the mug.

“Nah.” He shakes his head. “I just had a Coke before I came in.”

He’s digging that knife into the stick of wood, creating a line.

“What you got there?”

“It’s nothing.” He opens his hand, and I see the stick is now a smooth, yellow wooden carving of a whale.

One of those old-timey whales like Moby Dick, but still a whale. I’m actually impressed.

“That’s pretty damn good.” I hold out my hand, and he gives it to me. “Do you sell these or something?”

“Hell no.” Billy laughs, taking it back. “Nobody wants to buy this shit.”

“They might.” I take the shop cloth off the peg and tuck it into the back of my jeans. “How’d you learn to do that?”

“My old man.” He follows me to the key box where a few cars left overnight are waiting. “He was in some of the fighting along the border when I was a kid. Messed him up pretty bad.”

“That so?” I’m reading the work order on the envelopes containing the keys, but this catches my attention.

“Yeah, he’d have bad memories, dreams. It was the only thing that calmed him down.”

I take another look at the stick in his hand. “What do you use it for?”

“Just to pass the time, mostly.”

Nodding, I hand him two of the envelopes. “Bring these inside. Got an oil change and a brake job.”

Billy’s hand is on the envelopes when his eyes move to something over my shoulder. He mutters words in Spanish I don’t understand, but I understand the tone. It’s pure lust.

“Good morning, guys, who’s ready for breakfast?” The sultry voice causes me to turn, and Leslie is back again.

Today she’s wearing tight jeans and a shirt tied up so her stomach shows. Leslie always had a banging body, and in this getup, it’s practically on full display. In her hands is a plastic container.

“Hey, Leslie.” It’s pretty lame, but I’m not sure what to say. I didn’t ask her to bring us breakfast every day.