Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“Hey, you,” Bellamy greets me.
“Hey,” I say, my voice cracking.
“Manda? What’s wrong?” Concern laces her tone.
“My car broke down.”
“Where are you? Are you safe? Is Mia with you?” she fires off questions.
“I’m just about five miles outside of Jessup’s Market, headed home. Yes, we’re safe. I was able to guide us to the side of the road. Mia is with me. She’s sleeping in her car seat.”
“Okay, good.” She sighs.
“I hate to ask this, but are you able to come and get me? I know I’ll have to call a tow truck, but I don’t really want Mia around some strange tow truck driver.” I shiver at the thought. You just don’t know who you can trust these days, and I’m not taking any chances with my daughter or me.
“We’re in Chattanooga this weekend, visiting my mom and Cliff,” she tells me, and I can hear the apology in her voice.
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot. I’m sorry to bother you while you’re visiting with her. I know you don’t get to see her as much since the move.”
“Amanda,” she says sternly. “You know that you’re never bothering me. Hold on.” I hear her telling Reid what’s going on. “Amanda, Reid’s going to call one of the guys to come help you.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that. I’ll just call an Uber home.”
“Don’t you have a car full of groceries?” she asks, and I cringe.
“Yeah, that.” I sigh. “Thank you. Please tell Reid thank you, and whoever comes, I’ll owe them a huge favor and multiple nights of babysitting,” I say. I don’t have much to offer. I make a decent income, but I’m a single mom, and living in Nashville isn’t cheap.
“Not necessary, and you know it. Hold tight. Reid is going to make some calls, and we’ll call you right back. You’re off the road and safe, right? Are your doors locked?”
“Yes, we’re off the road, and the doors are locked. It’s in a good area, so I’m not worried.”
“Okay. Give us five,” she says, and the line goes dead.
I open my phone’s browser and search for towing companies. I’m sure that since it’s a weekend, the price will be even higher, on top of whatever it costs to fix it. I’ll have to dip into my emergency fund, but if not having transportation isn’t an emergency, I don’t know what is. I don’t even know what shop to take it to. I should have asked Reid that, as well. Times like this, I feel like I’m failing at life, but that’s okay. I’ll figure it all out and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Adding another browser page, I start looking for mechanics, as well. I’m reading through some online reviews when Bellamy calls me back. I rush to answer and glance in the back to see if the call woke Mia, but she’s still snoozing away.
“Hi,” I answer.
“We got you covered,” she says.
“Thank you.” I don’t ask her who’s coming. I know all the guys and their wives well enough. I don’t care who it is. I’m just grateful they’re coming to help me.
“You’re welcome. Reid’s on his phone looking for towing companies. He’s going to call for you and tell them where you are, but not until we know you’re not on your own.”
“Okay,” I say, feeling emotion swelling in my throat. “I love you, bestie, and you found a good one,” I tell her, but she already knows that.
“You’ll find yours, too,” she assures me. “He’s out there waiting for you.”
“I’ll let you go. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.” We end the call, and I curse because I forgot to ask her where I should have it towed. Oh well, I’ll just ask whoever is coming to rescue me. I’m confident that Knox, Landry, Baker, or Foster will know of a good mechanic, and if not, well, I’ll just pick one and try my luck. There’s not much else I can do at this point.
I hit the lock button on the doors, just to ensure we’re locked in, lean my head back against the headrest, and close my eyes. This wasn’t the Saturday afternoon adventure I had planned, but that’s okay. It’s a small hiccup. Mia and I are both fine. It could have been much worse. My car dying could have caused an accident, and I’m grateful I was able to safely pull to the side of the road and call for help.
Seven
Will
* * *
It’s Saturday afternoon, and I’m sitting around the conference room with the general manager, my assistant coach, our scouting team, and my offensive and defensive coordinators. The blinds are half open, letting some of the afternoon sun filter in. The shadows are hitting the dry-erase board in rows, reminding me of yard markers.
The table is littered with yellow legal pads, hours-old coffee cups, and folders filled with reports. We’re making our lists and checking them twice. It’s a crucial time for all the teams in the league, and we’ll be practically living here at the stadium until draft weekend is over.