Page 6 of Wildfire
She sucks in a breath, and I can tell she knows enough about cars to know that's not cheap.
"And because this is a classic car, it will take me a while to get the part, on top of the time it will take to disassemble your engine."
"How much time?"
"It might take a week to get the part, plus another week to fix it. And I've got a couple of people in line ahead of you, so I'd give it ten days to fix.
"But I don't…I can't…I don't live here!" She starts to back up like an animal, avoiding capture. "I don't have anywhere to go."
"Can't someone come and pick you up?"
"N…No! I'm trying to move. Everything I own is in the trunk, and I can't just—"
"Well, it isn't much, but I have an extra room in my apartment upstairs that I can rent you for a good price."
"No." The sound of my voice comes out like a booming explosion. Caleb and Renée turn and look at me like I've grown fangs. "She's not staying with you, Caleb. There's not even a lock on that room."
"I'll be a gentleman."
"I don't think you know how. She'll stay with me."
"Excuse me?" She put her hands up defensively. "Both of you need to calm down. I'm not some prized cow you can fight over at the auction. Where is the nearest motel?"
Caleb and I look at each other before he pipes up. "Are you going to tell her, or should I?"
"Tell me what?"
"The motel is all booked up for the season. Every place in town is. The annual wooden boat festival is happening soon. People come from all over to be here for it. That kicks off the summer season. It's busy as hell for three months. Then, at the end of the summer, there's another festival, and afterward, we get some peace for the rest of the year."
"So that's it? I'm screwed. It's over." She pushes past me and walks out into the heat of the day. I watch as she paces back and forth in the parking lot before whipping out her phone, looking at it, and then putting it back in her pocket. She does this a couple of times, then wipes at her eyes and comes back in.
"How much for the repairs?"
"About three thousand, give or take."
"That's everything I have. Everything." She looks at me, and I can tell she is warring with herself as she chews on her bottom lip. And I know that even though I have this ridiculous notion that she shouldn't go to Los Angeles, I want to help her with her dream.
"Unlike my brother, I have an apartment with a locking door on top of my garage. The person who had rented it canceled at the last minute. You can stay there until the repairs are done."
"But that's everything I have. I won't be able to go anywhere when the car is fixed because I'll be out of money. I just…I can't believe this is happening." She starts tugging at her ponytail, and her blond hair catches the light.
"The Daily Dose is hiring a line cook. You could see about getting a job." Caleb shrugs as he wipes his hands with a red shop rag.
I look at him and see something strange in his eyes. Something tender. Maybe he wants to help this woman as much as I do.
"I'm a carpenter. Anybody in town need one of those?"
"Actually…" I thought there might be a chance for her to pick up some jobs right before the festival.
Caleb looks at me. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Her eyes dance across both our faces. "Do you two always speak in code?"
"Yeah. It's a brother thing. He's worse with his twin."
Her eyes lock on Caleb. "There's another one of you?"
"Oh, he might look exactly like me underneath all the hair, but we're nothing alike."
