Page 57 of Her Cadillac Cowboy
“I don’t know. Wasn’t any note with the car. Just the keys.”
Sara pressed one fist against her mouth while Steve described the extensive damage.
“The entire left front fender and part of the driver’s side door took the biggest hit.”
They’re crumpled like paper.
“The paint job is a total loss. The headlights are a bust too. Good news is, most of the damage is outside and the frame’s not bent. Might have to do some work on the front axle.”
Huge gouges streaked the hood and the left rear end. She started to shake. What could Josh have hit to cause so much damage?
“Probably a good thing he was driving the Caddy. It’s heavy grade steel. You need a whole lot a weight and speed at impact to make a dent, let alone this kind of damage.” Steve ran his hands over the car’s undamaged fins. “A modern car woulda looked like an accordion.”
Why hadn’t Doc said something when she saw him upstairs? Sara turned to Steve and spoke without thinking. “Did you check the hospitals?”
“’Scuse me, Ms. Carson, why would I do that?”
“To find Mr. McKinley, of course. Good heavens, someone will have to take care of Will. How’s he handling it?”
Steve’s brow furrowed. “You already know I think Will’s working out great.”
“Yes, but how’s he handling Mr. McKinley’s accident?”
The furrow deepened. “I dunno. I s’pose you could ask him. He’s standing right behind you.”
Sara turned again. “Will, I’m so very sorry... YOU!”
“In the flesh.” Josh spread his arms wide and cocked a grin. A white bandage raked his left eyebrow. “Worried about me, Pipsqueak?”
Sara stood stock-still, not knowing whether haul him into her arms or have him hauled out to the trash bin. Why should she do anything? Either action would prove he could affect her deeply. She refused to let him have that much control over her. “Don’t you think bringing the Caddy here was a little tactless?”
“I suppose so. Since I was out cold at the time, you can’t really blame it on me.”
“I think you’d better have your car towed to another shop.”
“I might do that if there were another shop within fifty miles, and if Carson’s hadn’t already started the work.”
He was right. Carson’s was legally bound to complete any work started. Nothing would be gained by trying to get him to move the Caddy. He’d be as stubborn about that as he’d been about the backlot warehouse. She turned to Steve and pointed back at the Caddy. “As of right now, that job is your top priority. I want it out of my shop and off my lot, ASAP.”
“Yes, ma’am. But...”
“But what?”
“Well, the glass for the headlights has to be made to order, and the paint will have to be mixed special. I don’t think we’ve got a black like that in stock. The mirrors...”
Sara held up her hand. “Do the major work and get it primed, then have Mr. McKinley come pick it up. He can make appointments for any small jobs as the supplies come in.” She looked around. “Where’s Will?”
“I sent him to lunch, just before I came to get you.”
“Okay. You make sure he knows that this job is important. I want it done well, and I want it done quickly. We don’t want Mr. McKinley to have any cause for complaint.”
Behind her she heard Josh chuckle.
“What she means, Steve, is that she doesn’t want me to have any excuse to come back. She’s worried about nothing. I’ll come back whether I’ve got an excuse or not.”
Over her shoulder, Sara eyed him coldly, then moved off to the dealership’s inside door. It wasn’t until Josh’s hand reached past her to open the door to the stairs that she realized he’d followed her.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She moved into the stairwell.
