Page 10 of Pretty Wild

“Well, the water is kinda…dingy and has a weird smell.”

“It’s well water, Princess. That’s rust.”

She makes a shocked face. “Rust?”

I shrug my shoulders and hold her gaze. “The pipes are old but up to code. There’s a softener that helps draw it out, but it’s not going to be sparkling clear like bottles of fancy water.”

She still just gapes at me, waiting for me to tell her I’m bullshitting her. All I do is give her a big, cheesy grin.

“Well, Dale, it was lovely to meet you, and I’ll be sure to tell your sister you sent me in,” Ryan says sweetly before taking a step back from the truck.

“Enjoy the holiday weekend and your stay in Pine Village, Ryan,” Dale says, throwing the truck into reverse and slowly returning to the dirty lane.

I feel her eyes on us as we go, but I refuse to look her way. If I do, there’s no telling what I’ll say or do. Like tell Dale to go back and drop me off.

Thatwould be the dumbest thing I could do.

We head back to town, the wind blowing through the truck cab and drowning out the old Dolly Parton tune on the radio. I spot a few familiar faces mixed in the masses of people walking down Main Street as businesses start to welcome patrons for the day.

“So…your new neighbor seems nice,” Dale says, the smile evident in his voice.

“She’s okay,” I reply, keeping my answer polite, yet hoping he can tell by my tone I don’t want to continue this conversation.

“Pretty too,” he says after a beat.

I make a noncommittal sound and continue to look out the window.

“Very pretty, if you ask me. In a classy way, you know? We don’t see too many like her around here, outside of Sunday church.”

I sigh, knowing I’m not getting out of this discussion. “Yes, she’s very pretty.”

He’s silent for several seconds, and I start to think this little heart-to-heart is over. Unfortunately, luck isn’t on my side on this warm Saturday morning. “Looks to be single too, you know. I didn’t see a ring.”

“Doesn’t mean she’s not taken,” I reason.

“But she’s here alone, right? I mean, I didn’t see a guy with her, and she is here for a month. Sounds to me like she’s single,” he says, pulling into the lot for the garage. Instantly, I realize there are customers waiting. “Welcome to the start of summer,” he adds, parking the truck by the building.

As soon as I climb out, all thoughts of Ryan, how pretty she looked and whether or not she is single, fly out the proverbial window. There’s a line waiting outside my locked door, some locals and some out-of-towners, and I realize quickly my entire Saturday is probably shot. We’re usually only here until noon, but by the looks of the line, I’ll be here for a while after that. It’s a good thing Dale doesn’t mind the overtime, because it looks like he might be here for a while too.

Dale started in high school, working for my grandpa. He was friends with my old man, and the continued that friendship until the day my dad died. My dad enlisted out of high schooland served in the Army. In his early twenties, he met a woman named Renee while stationed in Texas. They dated until he was shipped off, and six months later, he got word she was pregnant. Thinking he was doing the right thing, he married Renee—my mom—and moved her to Virginia.

Not long after I was born, my dad was sent overseas, where he was killed by friendly fire during a training exercise. The story I was told was not long after my dad’s funeral, my mom showed up at my grandparents’ doorstep and dropped me off. She claimed motherhood wasn’t for her, and she signed over all rights to my dad’s parents. Last I heard, she returned to Texas, but I haven’t tracked her down. Why would I?

I was raised by my grandparents, Nina and Michael, and I’m proud of that. I grew up in my grandpa’s shop, learning how to do oil changes and tune-ups at a young age, working right beside Dale and Grandpa. Besides my grandpa, he was the other man in my life, stepping in and filling the role of Dad whenever I needed it. He’s married twice over the years, but neither stuck. He’s got a daughter from the second wife, Callie, who’s twenty-three and living in Chicago with friends.

“I’ll run in and finish that oil change. I don’t think we have anything else on the schedule for today, right?” Dale asks as we approach the building.

“Nope. I kept it light for this reason,” I tell him, nodding at the customers giving me an annoyed look as I pull the key out and unlock the office door. “Sorry, folks. Had to go deliver a car. Let’s step inside into the A/C and see what we can do for all of ya.”

It takes thirty minutes to get through the line of customers. I schedule three oil changes for Tuesday, as well as some other mechanical work. If I could put it off until Tuesday, I did. Unfortunately, there are a few tire repairs and a few other issues that can’t wait.

My workday doesn’t last as long as predicted, but I definitely stay well into the afternoon. I sent Dale home at two and finished out the day by myself. Doesn’t bother me though. I prefer it that way, actually. All I had to do was turn up the music and work. I’ve always loved tinkering with vehicles, though, I do admit, they’ve slowly become more complicated over the years as computer technology now plays such a big part. It’s not just more difficult to fix, it’s a hell of a lot more expensive.

After closing up the shop for the night, I head out to the tow truck. I don’t usually take it home with me, except I will tonight. Holiday weekends are always busy, and it’ll save me a trip here if I’ve already got it with me at home.

“Hey!”

I pause and turn toward the voice, smiling when I see Logan Johnson pulling into the lot. “Hey,” I reply, nodding to his fiancée, Hallie. I spot their infant daughter in the back seat of her SUV, sleeping soundly in the air-conditioning.

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