Page 6 of Skid
“I’ll check it out. You get back in the car and out of this rain.”
“Are you sure?”
“No sense in both of us getting drenched.”
“Okay.” I paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
I skirted around him and got in the car. I had no idea who this handsome stranger was. He could’ve been a serial killer for all I knew, but at that moment, he was our hero in the night, and I couldn’t have been more grateful.
3
SKID
“Damn, sweetheart.” I leaned further under the hood, making note of the terrible state she was in and shook my head. “You’ve been run hard.”
Wires were corroded, more than one hose was cracked and weathered, and the battery terminals looked like they hadn’t been touched since the day it rolled off the lot. Not that it mattered. It looked like it was shot to hell, and I was pretty sure the carburetor was clogged and several of the spark plugs were blown.
I had no idea how the damn thing was still running. Not that it mattered. I could fix it and I would, but I couldn’t do it here. I needed my tools and out of this God forsaken rain. I needed to get it to my garage, but I wasn’t sure how the girl was going to feel about that.
I glanced around the hood and found her sitting in the driver’s seat with her hands gripping the steering wheel like she was hanging on for dear life. Even in the dark and pouring down rain, I could see that she was something to behold. She was beautiful in that quiet, good girl way with blonde hair that waspulled up in some kind of messy twist, a soft, angelic face, and big brown eyes that met mine the second I stepped in the light.
I could tell right off that she didn’t have any business being out here on the side of the road in a rundown Corolla, especially at this hour and with a kid in tow. I didn’t know what her story was, but I needed to get her and the kid off the side of the road. I just hoped she’d be open to the help.
I rapped my knuckles lightly on the window. The car was dead, so she had to crack the door open. She grimaced as she asked, “Is it bad?”
“Well, it isn’t good.” I kept my voice low as I told her, “I can fix it, but I need tools, and those are about ten miles up the road at my garage.”
“Oh. Umm…”
“I can get the car towed there, but it’ll be a bit. Figured you and your daughter might wanna get on home. I can run ya, or you can sit out here in the rain till morning. It’s your call.”
She hesitated. I couldn’t blame her. She didn’t know me from Adam, and we weren’t exactly in the best part of town. I hated to see her and the kid spend the night out here alone, so I added, “Just so ya know, I’m not a serial killer or anything like that. Just a guy who likes to work on cars, and I hate to see a good engine suffer.”
“My engine’s suffering?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s suffering something awful,” I chuckled, and that earned me the smallest hint of a smile.
“You don’t mind dropping us off?”
“Don’t mind at all.”
“Okay. We’ll go with you.”
“Good deal.” I stepped back so she could grab the kid. As she climbed out, rain ran down her jacket and hair, and I couldn’t help but think they both looked too damn fragile for a night like this. That thought got to me in ways I didn’t expect. Feelingoddly protective, I led them back to the truck. I opened the passenger door and waited until they were both inside.
Once I was behind the wheel, I brushed my wet hair out of my eyes and asked, “Okay, ladies. Where am I taking you?”
“Pine Crest Apartments,” she answered. “Off Hale Road.”
The name sounded familiar, but not familiar enough. I just shook it off and drove toward Hale Road. The heater was rolling, and the defrost was working overtime. But it was dry, and we were only a block or two away from her apartment.
The drive over was quiet. She held her daughter close to her chest, and the kid was barely hanging on. Poor thing was wiped and past ready for a good night’s sleep. Every now and then, she’d glance over at me like she was trying to figure out if she’d made a mistake in trusting me.
When I turned onto Hale Road, I saw the apartments, and they were pretty rough. Most were falling apart with peeling paint and trash scattered about. But when I pulled up in front of hers, it was different. It was still old, but it was clean. There was a wreath on the front door and a pair of mums sitting on each side of the door.
But unlike the others, the front porch light wasn’t on.
