Page 95 of The Man Next Door
A few moments later, she’d grabbed her purse, which Gaylyn had brought home for her, and her car keys and was on her way to Walmart.
Chapter21
ZONA HOVERED OVER THE CAR ENGINEnext to Martin as he examined spark plugs and wires. Greasy car guts had never interested her. With her success as a rideshare driver on the line, that had changed.
“It started a little rough the other day,” she shared. She shouldn’t have ignored that. “Then last night it didn’t want to start at all. What do you think is wrong?” she prompted.
“Well,” he said slowly, “I’m no expert on newer cars.”
Hers hardly qualified as new.
“But I’d say you need a new air filter.”
Relief spread over her. “That’s all?”
“I can’t be sure. You probably should take it to the dealership.”
She groaned inwardly. The last thing she wanted to spend money on was car repairs, especially if the fix was an easy one Martin could manage.
“But you could change the air filter, right?”
“Sure,” he said.
“This afternoon?”
“I don’t have any big plans.”
“Oh, Martin, it would be great if you could.”
He smiled at her. “I’m happy to help.”
She smiled back. “You always are. You’re such a great neighbor,” she said, and his smile widened. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
His smile lost weight. “Oh, you’d get along fine.”
Zona knew he hadn’t meant her. “I don’t think my mom realizes how lucky she is to have you as a friend.”
Zona wished he could have more than just friendship with her mother. He certainly deserved to be happy.
But then people didn’t always get what they deserved, she thought, bitterness trying to creep in.
She pushed it away.You’ve got a place to stay, she reminded herself as she went in the house to borrow her mother’s car fob.You’re employed and healthy, your mom is recovering just fine from her break, and your daughter is...Well, she was working, and she was safe. But she sure wasn’t doing well emotionally.
If only Zona could find a way to help Bree get past the past. But first she had to be able to. The path still wasn’t clear to her. Probably because her current situation was continually reminding her of what she’d been through.
Who said what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? Some sick masochist who didn’t get the lure of being an emotional cream puff. She’d have liked nothing better than to spend her Saturday night flopped on the couch with her mother, watching movies, or snuggling under the covers with a good novel (not a romance!). Instead, she would be in her car, pretending that she liked driving around nosy strangers. Or barfy daughters.
Oh, well. Cream puffs got eaten. Bring on the emotional weightlifting.
“It sounds like an easy fix,” Louise said when Zona shared Martin’s diagnosis.
“I hope so,” said Zona. “Do you mind missing out on garage sales this morning?”
“I have enough stuff. Feel free to stop at a couple on your way to the car parts store though, and if you find any pink Depression glass, snag it for me.”
“Will do,” Zona promised.
She didn’t find any Depression glass, but she did score a vintage leather Betsey Johnson purse. A quick search on her phone showed her a similar one that had sold for fifty dollars and the garage sale seller only wanted twenty. She also found a Pokémon elite trainer box of cards. This turned out to be an even better deal. Ten dollars and it looked like she’d be able to sell it for fifty. Score!
