Run (Never Waste A Second Chance Book 1)

by Whiteaker, Janice M.

  Holy shit balls.

  Mina wrapped her arm around Thomas’ waist, just in case he was considering turning around. The receptionist was standing, wide-eyed, mouth agape looking back and forth between Thomas and Don. A couple people milling around the front sitting area stopped to watch the saga unfold. Thomas never flinched he just kept his arm draped casually around her, never speeding up their pace.

  They made it outside just as the tow truck was hooking up. Thomas walked up to the driver and shook his hand. “Thanks for coming to pick it up.”

  “No problem. I’ll check it over and give you a call.” He spit on the ground, the spot tinged brown from a pinch of snuff he had stuck in his bottom lip. He nodded her way. “Ma’am.”

  “Jeb this is Mina. Mina, Jeb.”

  She smiled at him. He looked to be about Thomas’ age. Probably another of the many buddies he went to school with.

  “Ya’ll need a ride?”

  Mina looked around the parking lot. There was no way Nancy was here yet and she had no desire to hang out just waiting for Don to come out. If he pushed his luck, which he would, he was going to get his ass kicked, and it wasn’t Thomas he would have to worry about.

  Thomas looked back at her then nodded to his buddy. “We’ll come with you and wait for our ride at the shop if that’s okay.”

  “Jump on in.” He smiled, his perfectly straight teeth flecked with tiny bits of tobacco.

  Thomas called Nancy on the way and filled her in on the meeting and their change of location. Once he got off the phone, Thomas and his friend chatted about business on the farm and in the shop. Jeb asked about his leg and gave apologies about the house. They were almost to the shop when the driver asked Thomas if he was selling the farm.

  “Where’d you hear that?”

  There was something in Thomas’ voice that seemed different. As if he was trying very hard to seem casual, but if you knew him well, you could certainly tell the question hit a nerve. Was he planning on selling the farm? Because of his leg?

  “Just drunk bar talk around town. Heard some company was trying to offer over market for the land.” Jeb pulled the truck into the lot, oblivious to the change in his friend. He may not see it, but Mina certainly could.

  Now sitting here in the shop watching as he flipped through a magazine too fast to really be seeing the pages, she was bothered by the fact he never answered the question.

  She leaned into him and kept her voice low. “Are you selling the farm?”

  He stared at the pages on his lap for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. “No.” He closed the magazine and flopped it on the table beside him. “There is somebody who wants to buy it, but I’m not really interested.”

  Mina was relieved. She felt attached to the farm. For so long running past it was the highlight of her day. Well. Running past the farmer tending it was the highlight of her day.

  She suddenly remembered something Paul said. “Are you the sole owner?”

  “No.”

  **************************************

  The great mood Thomas woke up in this morning was quickly turning sour.

  Being there to wake Mina up and make her breakfast after helping get the kids off to school was everything he thought it would be. He wanted every morning to be like this morning.

  The rest of the day however, was going to total shit.

  Getting this meeting about Don over with would have meant one big thing off Mina’s mind and pushed them one step closer to the quiet domestic life he’d dreamed of for years. But the minute they left the house it had been one long downhill slide, with no brakes.

  The brakes were no big deal, just another thing he had to deal with on a constantly growing list. The bigger deal was Don and his ability to strong arm at least a couple of city guys. He would be calling Mina’s contact at the city and find out what the hell was going on.

  His little stunt today wasn’t going to do Don any favors. He was probably going to lose his job at this point. That meant Mina wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore, eventually. Until then it was one more problem they had to deal with.

  He hoped to hear from Jerry this morning, at least get some idea what was really happening with Mina’s ex-husband. Hopefully somebody somewhere had an idea where he was. Hell, for all he knew the guy had already been picked up and was back in jail.

  “You okay?” Mina looked at him over Charlie’s head as it bobbed along with the movement of the car, her brows drawn together.

  Thomas cracked his window. This damn car was a sauna. “I’m okay. Just a little warm.” The heat was adding to his agitation.

  He had a mental list started of everything he needed to do once they got to Mina’s house. He had to do something. He couldn’t keep spending every day worrying about ex-husbands and building inspectors.

  Once he got insurance squared away, he had a house to build and before he knew it, spring would be right around the corner and the farm would eat up all his spare time. What if this thing with Mina’s ex wasn’t resolved before then? Working the farm meant long hours away from her. How could he keep his sanity if he left her every morning not knowing what could be lurking around just waiting for the opportunity to take her from him?

  Thomas rubbed his temples. He was getting a headache. And a little car sick from riding in the backseat of a hot car. They were only a couple minutes from the house, then he could stretch his cramped leg and cool off outside while he made some calls.

  The first would have to be to Rich.

  They didn’t have a chance to finish their conversation at the bar yesterday before Thomas ran out to find Mina. It hadn’t gone well up until that point and he didn’t expect it to go well today. Hopefully he could convince Rich to keep the farm. If not…

  Just as they turned onto Mina’s street his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He glanced at the screen surprised to see the car shop’s number. They worked fast.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey Thomas. I got a problem with this truck.”

  Another problem to add to his list. Wonderful.

  His truck was old and he wasn’t surprised they found more issues, but he was really hoping they could get it back on the road pretty quick. “What’s the problem?”

  “Man, I’m not sure what’s going on. Have you pissed anybody off lately?”

  Thomas looked at Mina out of the corner of his eye. She was chatting happily with his mom and Maddie in the front seat. He tucked his head and lowered his voice. “What’s going on?”

  “Your break lines didn’t just go out. Somebody cut them.”

  Thomas felt his face go cold. It took everything he had not to start yelling at the top of his lungs and firing questions into the phone. He took a deep breath trying to calm down. Once he felt confident in his ability to control the tone and volume of his voice he told Jeb he would call him back in a little bit.

  He hung up the phone just as his mom pulled down the driveway, parking next to Mina’s van. Mina’s van that was parked right next to his truck. Shit.

  He helped get everyone unloaded trying his best to seem fine even though he was ready to explode. Had he heard anything last night? He had spent most of the night lying on the couch staring at the ceiling, resisting the urge to creep down the hall and slip into bed beside Mina and hold her close. Knowing someone was out there who might want to hurt her was beginning to make him crazy. Now, someone might have actually tried to hurt her.

  As soon as he had everyone safe inside the house, he marched back outside and headed straight for the van. He knew even before he slid underneath, the cold gravel driveway biting into his back, what he would find.

  “Damn it.” He inched his way back out and sat up leaning his back against the body of the van. He called the number of the shop.

  “Her van’s lines are cut too.”

  “Shit man. Call the cops. Want me to wait to fix the truck till you talk to them?”

  “No. They can come look at the van if the
y want to. I’m sure there’s no prints or anything. Probably slid right under and clipped.” He shifted his head from side to side trying to ease the tension and the headache it was causing. “When do you think the truck’ll be done?”

  “I got what I need to fix it. I can have it ready tomorrow if you want.”

  “Thanks man. I really appreciate it.”

  “I’ll try to come get the van in the next couple of days and get it fixed up for ya.”

  “That’d be great.” Thomas gave him the address before thanking him again and disconnecting.

  He sat for a minute contemplating what to do next. He rubbed his hand back and forth across his head as he wracked his brain. The hair was finally getting long enough to turn from raspy to soft.

  After ten minutes of running different scenarios in his mind, he kept coming to the same conclusion. He had to tell Mina. There was just no way around it.

  He didn’t want to scare her, but he needed to keep her safe and the only way to do that was to be honest with her. They were just going to have to be even more diligent and be absolutely positive they did everything possible to keep her and the kids safe. It wasn’t lost on him that whoever did this obviously knew about him and had no problem taking him out as well.

  He pulled his phone back out and dialed Jerry’s number. It rang a few times and went to voicemail.

  “It’s Thomas. The brake lines on our cars were cut last night. My truck’s at the shop but Mina’s van is still here at the house if the guys want to check it over. Call me when you get this. If you can’t get me, call Mina.” He left Mina’s number and hung up. He considered calling Rich, but he just didn’t have the energy. He still had to call the city and tell Mina about their brakes. That was gonna be fun.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Thomas stayed up half the night cleaning and reorganizing the garage. He wanted to get Mina’s van inside once the brake lines were fixed. He also needed to blow off some steam and manual labor had always done the trick for him. He needed to be calm and confident for Mina and right now he wasn’t feeling either of those.

  Everything had gone from wonderful to out of control in what seemed like a few days. One minute he was planning the rest of his life with Mina, the next it became a real possibility that might end up being true, only a much shorter life than he anticipated.

  He’d never had an enemy in his life, and suddenly, someone was okay with killing him. And there wasn’t only one potential culprit. There were two people he could think of, one he’d never even met, that might be okay with killing him.

  Thank God they didn’t seem to be very good at it. They were in the flat farmlands of Indiana. Pretty much anybody who could work an emergency brake could stop a car without brakes around here. Hell, gravity would eventually stop a car with no brakes around here. Maybe they knew that and just wanted to scare them.

  That would make sense if it was Don, and he prayed it was. Don was a lot of things. An ass, arrogant, obsessive, aggressive, but he was too maniacal to be smart and careful.

  That’s what he was worried about. Someone smart. Someone with a plan. What if Mina’s husband thought he would be able to get off or at least a greatly reduced sentence if she couldn’t testify? He’d had a couple years to sit and think about what he would do if he ever got out. Come up with a way to get rid of her that could never be traced back to him.

  Thomas worked on the garage until almost two in the morning, when he physically couldn’t do any more. His body was tired. His leg hurt and he was mentally and physically exhausted. He crept inside to take a shower, using the hall bath to avoid waking Mina. He’d come out to find her waiting in the hall for him, eyes watery, hair everywhere and just as beautiful as always.

  She stepped into him silently, pressing her face to his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. They stood like that until he couldn’t hold her up anymore. “Come on Angel, let’s get you back to bed.” He scooped her up and carried her back to her room, laying her on the still warm mattress.

  She grabbed his t-shirt and pulled. “I need you to stay with me. Please.”

  He brushed the hair off her face feeling dampness left from tears.

  “Please.” She mouthed the word at him, her eyes pleading.

  He was so tired. He didn’t have it left in him to argue about anything, especially something he needed so much himself.

  He slid between the covers beside her and pulled her tightly against him, her body sinking into his. It felt so good to be here with her, holding her in the night. Knowing she came to him seeking comfort and security made his heart swell with pride and love.

  He spent years mourning the loss of his first marriage. Only now, after just a short time with this woman did he really understand exactly what he lost. Nothing.

  Never had he felt for Mary what he felt for Mina. Never had Mary made him feel the way Mina did. And he knew Mary never felt for him the way his angel did. He could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him. He told her he loved her yesterday. She didn’t say it back. She didn’t have to. He knew. He felt it when she touched him.

  So many crazy and terrible things were happening all around him, but lying here with Mina in his arms and her kids sleeping safely down the hall, he was the happiest he’d ever been in his life.

  It only took a few minutes for her to fall back asleep, her breath warming his skin through the fabric of his shirt. He wanted to stay awake, listen to the sound of her breathing. Memorize the feel of her in his arms. Commit everything about this night, the first night they really spent together, to memory. But he couldn’t.

  Everything about this moment, everything he wanted to remember were the same things helping his overwhelmed body and mind relax and finally find peace. He was where he was meant to be. Where he wanted to be. In that quiet moment before he slipped away he knew everything would be okay.

  **************************************

  Mina awoke to the muffled sounds of the kids and Nancy talking downstairs. She stretched, trying to work up the desire to get out of bed. She needed to get down there and help Nancy with the kids.

  Nancy was the best friend she’d ever had. Was she really her friend? The way she came in and picked up where Mina couldn’t was like a mother. She treated her kids like a grandmother. She was so much more than a friend.

  Which was why it was time for Mina to stop taking advantage and get it together. She rolled over and snuggled up against Thomas, glad she had been able to finally get him in her bed. The couch was no place for a man doing so much for her.

  She tucked her face against his shoulder and inhaled deeply. The clean smell of his shirt and the fresh scent of his shower gel couldn’t cover up what she initially thought was cologne, but turned out to just be him.

  There was something about the woodsy smell that calmed her. It probably had less to do with the smell and more to do with the man, but one was always followed by the other, ending up with her brain not knowing the difference.

  “Good morning.”

  She tilted her head up from where it rested against his shoulder to find him looking at her, a smile on his face.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  She wasn’t going to lie. Maybe the truth would result in this becoming a habit. “The best I have slept in a very, very long time.” She wrapped her arm across his chest, sliding her hand over his body as she went snuggling in close.

  He leaned his head down kissing her forehead as his arm came across to wrap around her, cradling her head against him. There was so much she wanted to tell him, so many things that needed to be said, but all of them would have to wait until they were on the other side of all that was happening. All of them but one.

  Pulling far enough away from him so she could look at his face, she brought her hand to his cheek, stroking the soft hair of the beard she now almost couldn’t remember him without.

  She moved her hand to his head. The hair was growing back well except for the slash across the back. She slid h
er fingers across the smooth skin of the scar remembering the morning he’d gotten it. He almost died. He almost died in her arms. At the time she was devastated. Now, it was unthinkable.

  “Thank you.” She blinked trying to keep it together.

  She had decided to run head on into everything from here on out and crying like a baby now wasn’t going to be a promising start. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath trying to get her emotions under control. She probably shouldn’t have thought about him almost dying.

  “Thank you for doing things you didn’t have to do.” She leaned forward giving him a soft kiss. She pulled back, but just a little. “I don’t know what I would have done without you and your mom.” She chewed her lip, wanting to say more but not sure how.

  Yesterday morning he’d caught her a little off guard when he told her he loved her. After the brakeless ride her mind wasn’t really working. She hadn’t actually realized what he said until she was almost inside and she’d been kicking herself ever since.

  Before she had a chance to say anything else, he pulled her tightly against him, whispering against her hair. “You don’t have to thank me.” She felt him gently kiss her head. “I promised I would take care of you and I plan to do it.”

  The tears she’d worked so hard to hold in broke free, but for the first time in days, they weren’t tears of fear or anger. They were tears of happiness. In spite of everything, right this moment, she was the happiest she could remember ever being. “Thomas,” she whispered against his chest, “I love you.”

  He wrapped his arms tightly around her, encircling her in their warmth. “I know angel.”

  **************************************

  “The kids and I will go home and get started on homework and snacks. Hopefully we can have it all wrapped up by the time you two get back and we can all have a good dinner and relax.” Nancy pulled into the parking lot of the auto shop and put the car in park.

  “Do you want anything special from the store?” Mina held the list in her lap, jotting additional items as she thought of them. She hadn’t been prepared to feed two additional adults and they were running low on just about everything. When then guy from the shop called to say the truck was done, it was kind of perfect timing.