Page 13 of Crash
Ruth didn’t respond for a few moments, using the time to look around the cafe as she contemplated the question. Then, quietly, as if another person sat in front of her, she finally said, “I think he’d like that.”
Quynh thought she saw tears glistening in Ruth’s eyes, but by the time she brought her gaze back, they were gone.
“Okay. Let me know when a good time is.”
A quiet moment passed. Both women were lost in their thoughts before the whirring of the coffee machine grinding beans shook them out of their stupor.
Quynh inspected Ruth. Really looked at her and past the angry demeanor. She saw the strain bracketing the corners of her lips, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and the pinched expression of an exhausted woman. Quynh saw past the barriers which stood between them and their potential.
“How are you really doing?”
The hard glint in Ruth’s eyes returned almost instantly, a defensive mechanism, one Quynh herself was all too familiar with.
“Fine. Just dandy. I’ll text you his address and let his home care nurse and housekeeper know to expect you sometime soon.”
Before Quynh could utter another word, Ruth got up and left through the front door. She watched as Ruth’s figure disappeared down the street. Her hunched shoulders seemed out of place in the otherwise idyllic town and happy townspeople.
Grief does that to people. It didn’t matter that their father was still alive. His prognosis was terminal. He did not have much time left on this Earth. Quynh didn’t know what Ruth’s relationship with their father was, but it didn’t take a genius to guess it was likely complicated.
Her phone pinged a moment later with a new text message. Ruth sent her the address to their father’s home. She inputted the address into her navigation app. Her father lived on the other side of town, which would require a car to get there.
She’d have to talk to Griffin and find out how long it would take to get her car back on the road.
A problem for another day, but not right now.
Right now, her only concern was to enjoy her cup of coffee and explore the town she could get to on foot.
She could pretend she was on vacation.
If only for just one day.
six
GRIFFIN
The phones would not stop ringing. Griffin was at his wit’s end. It was impossible to do the work that needed to be done and also manage the office. This was why he needed a secretary. It’s too bad he fired Delilah, but he did not need the complication in his life right now.
There was no denying it. He needed help. His orders were already delayed by a couple weeks. At the rate he was going, it would take working all day and night for the next month to make up for the delays. Something he was more than willing to do.
If it came down to it, Griffin knew Julio and Sean would help him play catch-up if necessary. He didn’t want it to come down to it, though. They worked hard enough to help him keep the business afloat. They deserved to enjoy their time off. He just needed to find some temporary help with managing the office.
If Jacob Henderson called one more time to ask for an update on his car, Griffin was going to toss the phone through the window. He’d have to pay someone to fix the window, but it might just be worth the added expense to stop the incessant ringing which interrupted him from doing what needed to be done under the hood of the Impala he currently had in the garage.
Henderson dropped off his vintage Mustang several weeks ago. They talked about doing some basic modifications to the engine a while back, but Griffin didn’t hear from Henderson since giving him a quote for the work requested until he showed up with his shiny car. Instead of calling ahead to ask if Griffin was available to fit in the work, Henderson just dropped off his keys at the front desk and hitched a ride with his new girlfriend of the month before Griffin was even aware he had come and gone.
When he pulled his head out from under the car, he’d seen the shiny red Mustang sitting in his parking lot and cursed. Griffin stomped into the reception to find Delilah painting her nails. She hadn’t seemed too concerned about Henderson’s unannounced visit, nor did she seem to understand what it meant for his timeline. This time ofyear was busy for the shop, and he didn’t need a surprise order on his case. A low growl rumbled in his chest, but he forced it down. His voice was tight as he told Delilah she needed to leave early. His jaw was clenched so tightly he could have cracked a walnut. Her retort died on her lips when she saw how angry he was, for which he was thankful. He was in no mood to handle her mood swings.
After Delilah made her dramatic exit, Griffin stalked into his office to clean up the mess. Henderson was blasé about the whole affair, not understanding it would be weeks before Griffin could even look at his car. Though he seemed uncaring at the time, the multiple phone calls he received each week were a different story.
Unfortunately, he’d fired Delilah shortly after. One of her main responsibilities, besides answering the phones, was to take inventory and order the necessary parts for the job. Which meant he’d have to do those menial tasks himself, taking time away from fixing the cars sitting in the shop.
What a mess.
Despite the added responsibilities, he had no regrets about firing Delilah. She worked with him for a year and still needed frequent reminders. She always showed up late to work. Delilah was good with the customers, though, which was a skill he appreciated when he could barely tolerate talking to most people.
If he didn’t get help soon, he’d have to stop takingnew orders, which meant income would slow down. He needed to at least pay Julio and Sean or risk losing them to the auto body chain that opened up across town and boasted better pay and benefits than his small shop could offer. They were both loyal and hard workers. He’d have a hard time replacing them.
Slamming the phone down on his desk, Griffin ran his hands through his hair. The sounds of music floated through the bay windows. His office was otherwise quiet as he tapped his fingers on his desk.
