Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
She was breathing frantically now, panicking.
Phoenix turned her to fully face him and cupped her face with both hands. “Take a breath for me, Lyra.”
She grabbed his forearms. “Please. I know you don’t understand. I get that, but I can’t leave my cello.”
“Okay.” He rubbed her arms. “We’ll get it. Don’t worry.” He lifted his gaze to search for Caesar, finding him up on the road, assisting the helpful citizen into her car. A moment later, she pulled away.
Caesar looked back down the embankment. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, but we need to get the cello out of her car.”
“Right. Of course. Be right there.” Caesar jogged back toward the SUV and came back into view a moment later, holding his crowbar.
Lyra seemed to breathe easier, but she was shaking again.
Phoenix released her to pick up the jacket and drape it around her shoulders once more before locating his own discarded crowbar against the side of the car.
Caesar joined them. “You okay, Lyra?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “It’s a bit weird that you both know my name. I’m a cellist, but I’m not that famous.”
Phoenix quickly responded. “I told her we knew she was checking in tonight and suspected she was the one who’d been in the accident.”
Caesar swallowed. “Right.” He’d made the same mistake as Phoenix, calling Lyra by her name when there was no way they should have known who she was. Even if they’d been the world’s biggest symphony fans, they couldn’t have recognized a cellist in a wrecked car. “My name is Caesar. I work with Phoenix at the resort.”
“Do you think you can get it out?” Lyra asked, shuddering.
“I’m certain we can, Little one. Step back a few feet so you don’t get injured. We’ll pry the back door open.”
Lyra took a minuscule step away from the mangled car, making Phoenix work hard to refrain from chuckling. If she were his already, he would send her a brow-lifted look that said, do I need to take you over my knee?
Caesar reached for the handle of the back door and tried to open it. It didn’t budge. He glanced over his shoulder. “Figured I better try that first. I’d hate for us to pry open a door when we could have just used the handle.” He chuckled.
Phoenix joined him. “What if we broke the back window? Would it fit through?”
Caesar peered into the back seat. “I don’t think so. It’s too wide.”
“Then let’s get to work.” Phoenix stepped closer again to assess the best way to go about this. “Wait. I have another idea. Maybe the trunk will open.” He leaned into the driver’s side door again to reach for the trunk release. It was a long shot, but the moment he heard the popping sound of the trunk releasing, he grinned. “Winning.”
Caesar walked around to the trunk and lifted the lid.
“At least I’ll be able to get my suitcase out, but how is that going to help us get to the cello?” Lyra asked, joining them at the rear of the car.
Caesar reached in and removed her suitcase to set it on the ground.
Phoenix set a knee on the bumper and reached into the back of the trunk. He felt around and determined the seats would definitely fold forward, but the cello would be in the way. He glanced at Caesar.
Caesar drew in a deep breath and nodded understanding. “Let’s break the rear window glass, then I can reach in and pop the levers to release the seats. I’ll hold the cello out of the way so you can push the seats through.”
That’s exactly what Phoenix had envisioned. It was a bit out of the box, but this was his Little girl, and she wasn’t leaving here without her cello. Phoenix was going to make it happen. Thank goodness Caesar easily agreed without flinching.
Lyra’s eyes widened, and she was chewing on her bottom lip. She kept swiping at tears, which Phoenix acknowledged were tears of worry about her cello. Not her car or the fact that it was totaled. Not her body, which would undoubtedly be sore tomorrow. She was panicked about her cello.
Caesar moved around to the trunk and reached in deep next to Phoenix. Confused, Phoenix, who had a foot propped on the bumper, suddenly realized Caesar didn’t have his head inside the trunk to double-check the validity of Phoenix’s assessment. He had something to say.
He whispered. “It’s probably worth more than this car.”
Phoenix tried not to react. Ohhh.
Caesar grabbed the crowbar and went to the passenger door behind the driver’s seat. “Step back, Little one. I don’t want any glass to fly at you.”
Lyra took several steps backward.
Caesar shattered the glass easily, knocked it out of the way, and reached into the back seat. “I’ve got it,” he shouted.
Phoenix leaned all the way into the trunk to push the seats forward. A second later, Caesar gently set the cello on top of the folded seats and slid it through to the trunk.