Grind (Powertools The Original Crew Returns #3)- Jayne Rylon Page 0,23

mechanic and interacted with her every day, whereas Kayla was practically a stranger who’d only seen him a few times in person since he’d been born, although she tried to catch up with Gavyn and Amber on videochat periodically. She needed to make a real effort to do that more often.

Sevan greeted baby Noah and tickled him before Amber turned and tipped her torso toward Kayla. “Would you like to hold him?”

“If he wants me to.” She held her hands out, and to her surprise, Noah reached for her. His miniature fists made grabby motions at her upper arms and she realized he was mesmerized by her colorful tattoos.

“Be careful he doesn’t snatch one of your piercings.” Amber put her hand on her face. “He doesn’t have many manners yet.”

“Or he’s just not used to seeing women like me.” Kayla wondered why all of a sudden she was so out of place. Had losing Bare Natural been that big of a blow to her identity? Did it fundamentally change who she was or her self-worth? It had been a long damn time since she’d felt this insecure about who she was.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Amber asked cautiously. “You’re obviously his coolest auntie.”

Noah giggled as if he was agreeing with his mom, then latched onto one of the side braids Kayla had plaited her hair into that morning. She smiled down at him as he played with it, content to explore while the women talked.

“I guess I’m out of sorts.” Kayla grimaced. “Probably not enough sleep and too much worry. Sorry.”

Amber squished her then, and Noah rested the side of his face against his mother. It was a good damn thing Gavyn had figured out how to save his relationship with Amber before ruining it forever. She was a good person—a smart businesswoman, gorgeous, and perfect for Kayla’s brother. She’d saved him even if she didn’t realize it.

And for that, Kayla owed her an awful lot.

“Don’t apologize. You have every right to be shook.” Amber winced. “We saw the news. The devastation looks horrific. I’m sure it’s even worse when it’s your personal property and not some clip on TV.”

Kayla nodded, surprised that tears prickled her eyes. What the hell was wrong with her? She wasn’t the crying type and definitely never caved to emotion around people she didn’t know near as well as her Powertools crew. Maybe it was hormones. Could she be going through menopause at thirty-eight?

Probably not.

She looked up at the sky and the fluffy clouds breezing past to clear the moisture away before it could leak out. Noah patted her cheek as if to tell her it would be okay.

“You know, Gavyn mentioned a plot of land for sale not too far from here and how awesome it would be for Bare Natural 2.” Amber didn’t meet Kayla’s gaze when she dropped that bomb, but the weight of her suggestion hit Kayla square in the chest.

Especially after she’d seen what the area had to offer right down by the Hot Rods garage and the lake Joe’s uncle Tom had graciously offered to sell him. It was idyllic, and filled with so much potential.

“He did?” If she hadn’t been bouncing Noah, keeping him distracted so they could talk, she might have fallen flat on her ass.

“Yeah. You should talk to him about it.” Amber cleared her throat. “I know he has his flaws, but he does have a head for business.”

“Oh, come on,” Sevan teased. “We know it’s really you who’s the mastermind behind Hot Rides.”

“We do it together. But seriously, he’s pretty smart about this stuff. Maybe he could help you think of ways not only to get back on your feet, but to turn this shitshow into a growth opportunity.” Amber was gentle with her suggestion, and kind. It meant a lot that she’d encourage Kayla to be closer to their little family.

She nodded. “Will you let him know I stopped by and that I’d like to talk to him when he has some time for me?”

“He’ll make time for you, Kayla,” Amber promised. “If I called him right now and told him you need him, he’d break every speed limit to get here. I’m sorry if he hasn’t always made you feel like that’s the case.”

“Oh.” Kayla blinked, and this time there was no stopping the droplet that formed at the corner of her eye from spilling onto her cheek. She hated being this fragile. “Don’t do that. But yeah, I’ll follow up with