Page 82 of Hero Mine

“Why don’t you take my truck and head back to Oak Creek?” Bear suggested, tossing Amari his keys. “I’ll finish helping here and catch a ride in the truck.”

Amari caught the keys with a grateful smile and turned to Joy. “You sure?”

“Absolutely. You saved my ass today. Go home, take a hot shower, crash in my guest room.”

After Amari left, Joy and Bear finished cleaning in comfortable silence. The festival grounds had emptied quickly, leaving just the food truck vendors packing up their equipment.

“I still can’t believe you drove all the way here,” Joy said, closing the refrigerator after a final wipe-down.

Bear shrugged. “I wanted to see you in your element.”

“And? What did you think?”

He crossed the small space to where she stood, backing her gently against the counter. “I think you’re incredible.” His hands settled on her waist. “I think this truck is incredible. And I think everyone who tried your food today walked away knowing they’d experienced something special.”

Joy’s breath caught in her throat. The way he was looking at her—like she was something precious, something to be amazed by—made her chest tight with emotion.

“Thank you for believing in me,” she whispered. “I couldn’t have done this without you pushing me to take the opportunity.”

“You would have gotten here eventually.” He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb. “I just helped speed up the timeline.”

She rose on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss. “Take me home, Bollinger.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Chapter23

Bear ran a hand over the smooth surface of the car hood, a satisfied smile pulling at his lips. The rich scent of motor oil and polish filled the garage—familiar, comforting. Yeah, Lincoln had run off a few customers yesterday while Bear had traveled to Reddington City, but the damage had been relatively minor.

And Bear wouldn’t have missed seeing Joy yesterday for the world. Even if the food truck festival hadn’t been as successful as it had.

His chest tightened at the memory of her smile—real and genuine. More and more of those lately.

So, fuck Jakob Kozak and his attempt to steal Joy’s smile. May he rot in hell knowing he’d failed.

The sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the garage as Bear dropped a wrench into his toolbox. He frowned, taking a step back to scan the space. Something felt…off.

He couldn’t put his finger on it exactly, but after years in the Marines, he’d learned to trust his instincts. They’d saved his life more than once.

His eyes swept over the workbench, the tool racks, the cars waiting to be serviced. Nothing seemed obviously disturbed. Had Lincoln moved anything around while he was babysitting the shop yesterday?

Shaking his head, Bear made his way to the back door, pushing it open to check the small scrapyard behind the garage. The morning sunlight spilled over rusted metal parts, old equipment, and?—

Bear stilled, his gaze landing on an empty space where a pile of old tires had been stacked last time he’d looked. Four, maybe five of them. Nothing valuable, just worn rubber waiting to be hauled to the recycling center.

But they were definitely gone.

“What the hell?” he muttered, stepping into the yard.

Nobody in town would steal a few worthless tires. If they needed them, they’d just ask. That’s how Oak Creek worked.

He moved toward the supply closet at the edge of the yard, checking the padlock. It was intact, showing no signs of tampering. Still, he twisted the key and pulled the door open.

Inside, the small space was cluttered as always, but Bear immediately noticed gaps on the shelves. A socket set was missing. A couple of old wrenches. Some spare parts he’d kept for a restoration project that never materialized.

Again, nothing particularly valuable.

If someone was desperate enough to steal, why not break in to the actual garage? The tools inside were worth thousands. The vehicles themselves worth far more.