Page 46 of Crazy In Love
That’s not sarcasm I detect, is it?
I setmy phone down when I heard the tow truck pull up outside. I’d told Emilia that I’d handle it. Apparently, now that it was officially December, all the holiday shoppers were out in full force.
I wasn’t a shopper.
I shopped online.
And if I was being totally honest, I told Brenner what to buy, and he shopped online for me.
I walked outside to see Bert Johnson circling the scene of the crime. He whistled when he looked up. He owned Rosewood Auto Body, and he often towed the cars himself, as he was a bit of a control freak.
People joked about it, but I didn’t find anything wrong with it.
I was a control freak myself, so I understood it.
“She slid right off the road, huh? Lucky she didn’t end up rolling her car and getting hurt. The roads are finally getting cleared this morning, so we can get this over to the shop and get both of these fixed in no time. The damage isn’t too bad.”
The snow had stopped falling, but there was still a bite in the air. The temperatures were dropping, and the tourists would be hitting Rosewood River for the winter season from now through March.
“Yep. She had a good gash on her forehead, but otherwise she was okay.” I shoved my hands in my pockets.
“So how do you want to do this? Should I bill you each separately? Did you file insurance claims?”
“Nah. No sense getting our rates jacked up. This isn’t much. Just send me the bill, and you can drop her car off to her when it’s ready.”
I assumed Emilia only had one car, so I did wonder how she’d get around.
“All right, Bridger. You got it. I’ll be in touch,” the older man said as two of his employees worked on getting the cars on the tow truck.
I jogged inside and decided to handle this like a business transaction. I’d let her know the update. I had to go downtown anyway, and I assumed I was allowed to enter her shop now that I’d apologized.
Her car had been in my driveway, after all.
I finished up a call with Brenner, and once Bert and his guys were clear, I hopped in my SUV and made my way downtown.
I parked near the flower shop and walked the short distance to the Vintage Rose. When I pulled the door open, the smell of flowers and pine filled the air around me.
Two customers stood at the counter, and Beatrice looked up and smirked at me. She’d grown up in Rosewood River as well. “Welcome. I hear the ban has been lifted, and you’re allowed to enter the shop again.”
I rolled my eyes as the two women at the counter laughed.
I looked up to see Emilia carrying a large arrangement out from a back room before setting it on the counter. A huge bruise covered the large bump on her forehead.
Wow. It was worse than I’d expected.
One of the women at the counter took her arrangement and headed for the door. I pushed it open and held it for her before turning back and studying Emilia’s bruise.
“Hey,” she said, as if she was surprised to see me. Beatrice was busy talking with the other woman at the counter. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, your car was sitting in my driveway, so I assumed you’d like to know how it is.”
“Oh, yes. I was going to come over after work and see if it was drivable.”
“Bert just picked it up, and he’ll call you when it’s ready,” I said, shoving my hands in the pockets of my jeans.
Her eyes widened, and her shoulders stiffened. “Oh. I was hoping it wouldn’t need work.”
“The side is smashed in, Emilia.”
