Page 70 of Something Good
I felt a thump, and then my dashboard lit up with a tire-pressure warning.Shit. I must have hit something. I pulled over as far as I could onto the shoulder, turning on my hazard lightsand debating my options. Goldie, who’d been sleeping, blissfully ignorant of Mother Nature’s wrath, lifted her head and looked at me as if to askWhat’s going on?
I gave her a scratch as I pulled up my phone contacts on the display. My truck had a spare tire, but changing it in this deluge would be virtually impossible, especially as it was nearing dusk. I was about to dial Jason when a car pulled up behind me, giving me pause. Between the rain and the glare of the headlights, I couldn’t make out any details about the car, but moments later, a text popped up on the screen from Sammy.
Is that your truck I just pulled up behind
I barked out a laugh because,of course,it would be Sammy who pulled up behind me.
Yup
What’s going on?
I have a flat
I can give you a ride
I sighed. Sammy had texted me a couple of times since…whatever that had been between us on Monday night, but I’d ignored the messages, feeling vulnerable and off-kilter. Coming in my pants and confessions of love had not been on my Bingo card just hours after finalizing my divorce. Sammy’s texts this week had been fairly innocuous, but I’d needed time to process. Now, I supposed Mother Nature was forcing me to confront the things I’d said, whether or not I was ready.
You okay with a wet dog in that fancy-ass car of yours?
Get your ass in my car Hartley
I shook my head at the use of my last name but killed the ignition on the truck, then clipped Goldie’s leash onto her collar, and we made a run for it. Goldie climbed into the backseat while I quickly closed the door behind me, both of us soaked and dripping despite the proximity of our two cars.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, pushing my wet hair off my face.
“I was heading back to Omaha, but we can head to my shop if you want? I have a small apartment on the backside. Or I can take you back to Astaire?”
“Astaire would be best if you don’t mind doubling back. If I stay with Mom, I can deal with my car first thing and try to at least get to work by lunch.”
He pulled away from the shoulder, turning us back toward Astaire, while I shot Mom a quick text to update her on the situation. “Jimmy’s going to be so pissed he missed seeing you. He stayed home today with a cold.”
“What were you doing in Astaire?” At least, I assumed he’d been coming from Astaire. It dawned on me that I didn’t know if he still had ties there. I really didn’t know anything about who his friends were or where he lived now other than his shop outside Brinkley.
“I just finished dinner with the Salgados. Jimmy and I come out here for dinner with them once a month.”
“Oh. That’s…nice.” I hadn’t realized his relationship with Julio Salgado extended to the rest of the family or that it had gone beyond a working relationship.
The car fishtailed a bit as we hit a patch of standing water, and silence permeated the car as Sammy concentrated on theroad. A loud crack and a flash had me jumping in my seat, and moments later, Sammy pumped the brakes when his headlights caught the outline of an obstacle in the road. It was nearly dark now, but the size and shape of it made me think it was a tree. It was completely blocking the road from one shoulder to the other. We had no choice but to turn around.
I pulled out my phone, first texting Jason, figuring as a firefighter he would know who to contact about the road hazard, then Mom to let her know I wouldn’t be able to come back to her house after all.
“I’m going to head to my shop. I think that’s the safest option at this point.” I swallowed hard, butterflies dancing in my belly at the thought of spending a night with him, but I also figured he was right about the weather.
He flicked a quick glance at my bouncing knee before returning his eyes to the road. I dug my heel into the floor mat, willing my leg to stay still. “I’ll sleep on the couch, and you can take the bed,” he said. “It’s a small apartment, but it’s comfortable.”
“I can take the couch. You don’t need to give up your bed.”
“You haven’t seen the size of the couch.” He kept his eyes on the road this time, but I thought I saw a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
Fifteen miserable minutes of difficult driving later, we pulled up in front of his shop. I hadn’t noticed it the last time I was here, but I was surprised when he didn’t pull the car into a garage. I would have figured he’d want his classic Charger protected against the elements. As if he’d heard my thoughts, he said, “I’ve been meaning to add on a garage but haven’t gotten around to it. We’ll have to make a run for it.”
I got out of the car, flipping the front seat forward and coaxing Goldie to follow. She was not thrilled at getting out of the dry car, but I finally managed to coerce her into followingme. By the time I stepped inside, we were both soaked. I shot Sammy an apologetic look as Goldie shook herself off, getting water all over his wood floors.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll grab some towels. Why don’t you follow me back to the bathroom, and I’ll get you a change of clothes.”
We walked down a narrow hallway that gave way to an open, studio-style apartment that ran along the backside of his shop. There wasn’t a kitchen, just a countertop with a small range and fridge nestled into the cabinetry. I didn’t see a dining table anywhere, but I supposed, as a bachelor, he probably ate while sitting on the couch. Which, as he’d alluded to, was small, really more the size of a loveseat. On the other end of the open space, a bed was pushed against the wall. It looked like a full or maybe a queen and had one small side table next to it that looked like it’d been picked up secondhand.
Above the bed, though, was a massive piece of metal art. I stepped closer to it, heedless that I was dripping water everywhere. This piece was different from any of his other work I’d seen. It made me wonder if it had been done by another artist. It appeared to be made of two layers of metal in contrasting shades. The underlayer was either copper or had been stained somehow. The top layer had been cut in the shape of a tree with a boulder at its base, allowing the copper color to shine through. The detail work was impressive.
