Page 9 of Run, Run Mistletoe
He doesn’t say a word. Just looks around.
I grab the old phone on the wall and punch the buttons to call the tow truck.
Irv picks up on the second ring and sighs when I tell him the problem. “I warned you the last time that you had me pick it up to fix it that the transmission was about to go. That old heap ain’t worth fixing that.”
“Please, Irv. Can you at least take a look at it?”
He sighs. “Sure, Miss Misty. I’ll take a look after I pick it up.”
“Thank you. You can call me on my cell to tell me what’s up.”
“Sure. I’ll call you in a couple of hours. I’ve got to get another truck done first.”
He doesn’t say that that one can be fixed and mine can’t, but I can almost hear the words.
I hang up and drop my shoulders, closing my eyes and sighing.
“I’m sorry it looks like I was right.” He doesn’t sound smug like Donny would have.
I sit down across from him and eye him warily. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here to take care of my mom. She’s not getting any younger and I’m worried about her. I’m going to retire from my job and move out here to take care of her.”
My brows lift and I wring my hands. “You can afford that?”
“Yeah. I’ve been pretty lucky with my job. My career.”
“You’re pretty young to retire.”
I grin at her. “You calling me handsome, Misty?”
She glares at me. “I did not say that at all. I said you look too young to retire. That doesn’t mean you’re handsome. Just means you don’t look like you’re that old.”
I nod my head and squish my lips. “Yeah. I’m forty-five, sweetheart. But I’ve worked at the same company for twenty-five years and I’m eligible for early retirement. I want to be here for my mom.”
“I’d say that that’s sweet if you didn’t want to buy my farm out from under me.”
I nod my head at her. “I get it. But it seems like you’re struggling. Are you going to be able to pay for a new vehicle if you need to?”
Nodding my head, I blow out a huffed breath. “Yeah. I don’t want to though. I’ve got other things I can use that money for.”
“Like what?”
“I’m working on a new business and I need to get the website up and running and that’s not something I’m good at so I’ll have to pay for it.”
And without even thinking, I blurt out, “I can do that for you. I’m pretty good at computers.”
“Why would you do that for me?”
He shrugs. “My mom would ask me to. I’m just cutting out the middle man.”
Shaking my head, I stare at him. “No. I can’t let you do that for me.”
“You didn’t ask me to. I offered.”
“I still can’t. I pull my own weight. I don’t like favors.”
“It’s not a favor. It’s just a good deed.”
