Page 5 of Skid
But it was work, and it kept a roof over our heads. Baylor gave me a nod and said, “Yes, Mommy.”
“That’s my girl.”
I leaned back and unbuckled her from her car seat, then waited as she climbed into the front. I grabbed my coat and pulled it over us as I opened my door and carried her up to the front door. I lowered her to the ground, and Baylor immediately reached up and took my hand.
As soon as we stepped inside, Baylor looked up at me with her nose crinkled. “It smells funny in here.”
“I know, baby. It always smells funny.” I pulled her close. “Just keep by me, okay?”
We walked by the front desk, and I gave Mandy, the night clerk, a smile. She looked as tired as I felt as she offered me the night’s clipboard and said, “We’ve had a few checkouts for the second floor, and one early call in room twelve.”
“Thanks, Mandy.”
“No problem.” She glanced down at Baylor as she added, “Watch yourself tonight. We have a couple of loud ones up in twenty.”
“Will do. Thanks for the heads-up.”
I took the clipboard and headed to the supply closet. I grabbed my cleaning cart and loaded it with clean towels and toiletries. Baylor stood behind me, watching as she clutched Bunny-B to her chest. She didn’t complain or whine. She just stood next to me and waited until I said, “Alright, bug. We’re all set.”
She stepped up next to me and followed closely as we made our way down the hall. The carpet was threadbare and stained in places I didn’t want to think about. The walls were so thin I could hear the muffled sounds of voices and the low hum of music as we walked by.
I unlocked the door to room twelve, then stuck my head inside and called, “Room service.”
When no one answered, I stepped inside and gave it a quick once-over, making sure the room was empty before pushing my cart inside. I gave Baylor her notebook and crayons, and she assumed her spot at the desk. She started coloring while I got busy cleaning.
Like always, Baylor handled the night fairly well. She busied herself with her drawings and my phone, and she even napped from time to time. By the time my shift finally ended, we were both ready to call it a night. I put away my cart and signed out before gathering Baylor up in my arms and rushing back out into the rain.
Baylor was half-asleep when I buckled her into her seat. I gave her a quick kiss and said, “Almost home, sweet girl.”
I closed her door before rushing over to my side and slipped inside. I turned the key, and to my surprise, the car started up without even a sputter. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about.”
I backed out and started home. I only made it a couple of blocks before the interior lights started to blink, and the engine died. I eased over to the shoulder of the road, and Baylor immediately cried, “What’s wrong, Momma?”
“I’m not sure.” I glanced up in the rearview mirror as I told her, “Hang tight, sweetie. Momma’s going to see if she can fix it.”
I reached down and popped the hood before opening my door. There wasn’t much traffic, but I was still careful as I scurried to the front of the car. The rain was pretty steady and had me completely soaked in seconds.
To make matters worse, I had no idea what I was looking for as I stood there looking at the mess of wires and rusted parts. I toyed with a few tubes and wires, but nothing seemed out of place.
I didn’t know what I was going to do when a truck pulled in behind me. I heard the door open. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or scared out of my mind. I leaned around the hood and saw a tall man walking toward me. He moved with an easy confidence and didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the rain.
He was wearing jeans with a black leather vest, and his hands were shoved in his front pockets. The dim glow of his headlights revealed the tattoos winding down his muscular arms. He was attractive, but his eyes took him to another level. They were the greenest, most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen, and my breath caught the second they locked on mine.
As he got closer, he tipped his head and said, “Looks like you could use a hand.”
“You could say that.”
Baylor must’ve moved because his attention was drawn to the side window, and when he spotted her in the backseat, his smile faded. “Awfully late. Everything okay?”
“Yes. Everything’s fine. Well, that’s not exactly true,” I rambled. “We were just leaving work, and Carla gave out on me.”
“Carla?” I nodded towards the car, and he chuckled. “Carla the Corolla.”
“Exactly.”
“Want me to see if I can get her going?”
“That would be great.” I wasn’t in a position to turn him away, so I nodded and said, “I’m not sure what’s wrong with it.”
