Free A Voice to Love (Fallen Tuesday Book One) (A Brothers of Rock Novel) by Karolyn James Page A

commitment seemed
to be such a big deal for everyone lately. Amy had given her commitment to the
restaurant. Her commitment came with a steeper price than anyone knew.
    She needed to get out of
that other commitment.
    "Will you at least
promise to call me if you need me?" Amy asked.
    "Yes," Uncle
Tom said. "We'll manage without you. And that doesn't mean we don't need
you, Amy. Okay?"
    "I never said
that."
    "I know. But I can
sense it. You think if you're not here and the restaurant functions, it's a
flaw to your character. In reality, it shows just how strong of a leader you
are. This place runs the way it does because of you. We can function without
you for a day because of how good of a job you do."
    "Wow," Amy
said. She blinked as tears filled her eyes. "Thank you."
    "You know why I
can't step away, Amy."
    "I know," Amy
said. She wiped a tear off her cheek. "I know, Uncle Tom."
    "My gosh, I hope you
don't hate me for that."
    "Never," Amy
said. "We all have our commitments that we can't let go or get out of,
right?"
    "I guess so. Must be
a family flaw. Listen, enjoy your day."
    "My phone is
on," Amy said. "If you need anything..."
    Uncle Tom said his love
and then hung up. She couldn't remember Uncle Tom ever talking like that. She replayed
the conversation in her mind and stopped when she got to the part about her
car. She got her laptop and opened it, beginning the painful process of looking
at her personal finances. Amy was struggling to pay off the last couple pesky
student loans from culinary school and a few credit cards that had once been
maxed out. Then there was the other debt...
    There was enough in her
bank account to cover the insurance deductible, but everything else would be
very tight. She'd get paid in two days, but all that would do would ensure her
ability to live her simple life for another two weeks. It didn’t come close to
the money she owed Denny.
    There was a secret
spreadsheet for that. There also was a secret savings account that caontined a
whopping three thousand dollars. Maybe to someone else, three grand in a
savings account was great. It was a down payment on a car. It was a really nice
vacation. Or it could be a start at a healthy future. For Amy, it felt like
guilt ridden sweat money. And it was far from the eighty thousand dollars that
she owed to Denny.
    Her busted car window was
a warning.
    Amy decided to tackle one
problem at a time. She closed her laptop and dialed the auto garage to check on
her car. As promised, the car was ready to be picked up. She needed to walk to
the garage though. It was six blocks away. The thought of walking worried Amy. Thankfully,
it was mid morning. There would be cars and people everywhere. There was
nothing to worry about, Denny wasn't that crazy.
    Was he?
    Amy wasn’t exactly sure.
It had been at least a month since she'd seen Denny. When they were in their maybe-we're-in-love stage, it was easier for Amy to watch Denny and judge his reactions. Recently,
he had been quiet and reclusive so Amy had a sense of peace. Then came that
morning she woke to find her car window broken and the inside trashed. It was a
clear message that the debt hadn't been forgotten yet.
    After changing into
something more appropriate for the day, Amy took her chances. She left the
apartment and began to walk. Leaving her building, she scanned the parking lot,
checking for any signs of Denny. Seeing the empty parking spot with her
apartment number on it was just another reminder of everything that had
happened with Denny, and the potential of what could happen. Suddenly, she
wished she had someone to protect her. Someone like Luke? Amy rolled her eyes
and kept walking. If she was going to let her mind wander like that she was
better off picturing someone more realistic.
    Once at the car repair
garage, Amy got her car back. The glass had been cleaned up, the window
replaced, and they were even nice enough to try to put everything else together
for Amy. All the papers were placed