9. Sarah
CHAPTER NINE
sarah
I had to cancel the date with Sammy.
I wasn’t sure it was the right move. It felt wrong, sending him the text. But after what happened at my shift this morning, I didn’t know if I could ever look him in the eyes again.
My life was too complicated to date. Right? Whatever article that couple had talked about was a reminder of everything we’d been through. Maybe they weren’t wrong. Maybe I deserved some sort of punishment.
I really hadn’t known about Thomas. But the guilt from it all was still present. The idea of dragging someone else into my mess—I wasn’t sure I could handle it.
I’d known Sammy for years. Even without the chemistry we’d recently found, he was someone I cared about.
I can’t do this.
It didn’t help that Colt made things more complicated.
I pressed send on the phone.
Me : I’m sorry, but let’s cancel tomorrow. I wish you well.
Dammit. I slipped my phone in my purse, dreading what he might say back. He’d probably be angry.
I pulled my jacket tighter as I walked down the street. The car shop was a few blocks away, so I’d decided to see what was going on with the Honda after I got off work.
The wind picked up, numbing my cheeks.
I tried to keep my eyes ahead, but as I walked down the sidewalk, I noticed the truck that looked like David’s. I couldn't help but stare, my heart jumping for the second time today.
I couldn’t breathe as it rattled past me.
“Fuck,” I rasped, clutching my chest.
There was too much happening. The hatred in the eyes of the woman and her husband today at the cafe, what they’d said to me… I couldn’t get it out of my thoughts.
Maybe I needed to give Brenda a call for another appointment even though I’d see her in a couple of weeks.
I walked as fast as I could without running and finally made it to the mechanic shop on the corner. It was a three-car garage with a small office. I glimpsed my Honda through the window as I opened the front door, stepping inside. Warmth greeted me, and I was thankful for it.
Keith looked up from his desk, his eyes lighting up.
“Hey, Sarah,” he said. “It’s cold out there. Want some hot cocoa?”
“No thanks,” I said. I kept my fingers crossed as I approached his desk and leaned against it, wincing. “How does it look?”
Keith grimaced, sweeping his rough fingers through his short hair. He was a short man with oil under his fingernails and a teddy-bear demeanor. “Well, do you have a few minutes? I just wanna show you a few things.”
“With the car?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He didn’t sound hopeful. “Come on.”
All of my other worries melted away as I focused on the car. Because goddammit, there wasn’t a way for me to get around town without my car. I’d had it since high school and prayed that today would not be the day it gave out on me.
I followed him through the door leading to the back of the shop. A few other guys were working on cars. I recognized one as the parent of Jake’s friend. I gave him a wave, and he returned it.
“Hey Sarah! How are the boys?” he called.
“They’re good,” I said. “A handful, as always.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” He gave me a genuine smile as he slid back under a car.
Not everyone in Citrus Cove hated me, at least there was that.
I followed Keith to the Honda in the middle bay of the garage. The hood was propped open, with tools laying around it.
“So, at first, I thought it was going to be simple. But then I noticed a couple of odd things. First of all, someone cut your hose.”
“Someone cut it?”
“Yeah. There's no way for this to happen naturally. Someone did this to your car. Maybe it was a prank? A shitty one, though.”
Blood rushed in my ears, heat creeping up my spine. No one would prank me like that. Not that I was aware of. We didn't have any kids in the neighborhood vandalizing property, and if they did, it was mischief like decorating lawns with toilet paper, not damaging a car. Hardly anyone in this town made enough money to do something like that to a neighbor’s car without giving it a second thought.
David is out of jail. I swallowed hard. It could have been him.
“I just worry why someone would do this,” he said. “I let Sammy know, I hope that's okay. He asked me to keep him updated.”
“Great.” I bit my lip and crossed my arms.
Sammy was only trying to help. I thought about how he and Colt jumped in to help at the cafe. Being stuck between them in the break room nearly gave me a heart attack.
I’d liked being close to them way too much.
“Everything needs to go through me going forward, please,” I said softly.
“Yes ma'am,” Keith said. “Anyway, I already got the parts on order and I should have it back to you by Monday. The good news is it won’t be a super expensive fix. For now. The bad news is your car’s on the way out. A lot of things are wearing out, and they cost more money than I’d reckon it’s worth. I think you've got a little time left with it, but I’m concerned it'll give out on you on the road. It's not the safest car to drive.”
“But it's drivable,” I said, relief flooding me.
“Well, like I said, it is for now. You’ve got kids, Sarah. God forbid something happened with you and them in the car. Have you thought about getting a new one?”
I couldn't afford a car payment right now. I was still working on paying down bills and debts we had owed that David hadn't paid. Not to mention, having two boys was expensive. Everything was fucking expensive.
“I haven’t,” I said.
“Well, let me know when you're looking. I can try to find you a deal.”
“Thanks, Keith. I appreciate it. I guess… well, let me know if you hear of anything cheap.”
“Yep, no worries. And don't worry about paying for this fix.”
“What?” I asked.
“I owed Sammy one.”
That son of a bitch. I pressed my lips together again, giving Keith a frosty nod. He offered me a smile and led me through to the office again.
I needed to call Emma for a ride home. Or I could walk home, though it was a little far. And with all that had happened, I didn't like the idea of walking down the street in the dark. Even in a small town like Citrus Cove.
“Have a good evening, Keith,” I said. “Thanks for working on it so fast.”
“You got it. Be safe.”
I stepped outside and pulled out my phone to call Emma.
And waited to be rescued again.
I couldn't remember the last time I’d slept in on a Saturday. It had been months, at least. Once the sun was well in my eyes, I sat up and glanced at the clock. Realizing it was 9:30, I flopped back down onto my pillows, feeling miserable.
Everyone was on high alert again. I hated it. I'd filled Emma in on everything when she picked me up, which had led to us having a video call with Cam and Haley. The four of us had talked through the car situation and the fact that David was acquitted. Cam was going to look back at footage from the porch camera, but we were almost certain the driveway was out of range.
I still felt bad about canceling my date with Sammy. It’d been a week full of highs and lows.
A knock came at the door. “Mom?”
“Come in,” I said.
Jake pushed open my bedroom door. He was already dressed and showered. I patted the blankets and he jumped in bed.
“Emma made us be quiet,” Jake said.
“Sorry I slept in,” I sighed.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you did, Mom.”
I smiled and pulled him close, kissing the top of his head. Eventually, Davy joined us and hopped into bed too. Jake giggled as the three of us wrestled the blankets until we were under them and cozy.
I had so much to do and figure out, but for the moment, these two were all that mattered in my world. I savored the small moments like this, logging them away in my memories to pull out on sad days.
“Are you going with Sammy today?” Davy asked.
“No,” I said. “I’m yours all day.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Okay.”
“We should go to the movies!” Jake exclaimed.
“How about we watch a show?” Guilt rolled through me. I didn’t want to spend money on the movies right now, with a new car on the horizon. I still needed to message Sammy about that, but I wasn’t sure what to do after canceling on him.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Davy said.
“But I want to see something new,” Jake protested.
More guilt. Maybe movies wouldn’t be too expensive.
“Jake, it’s fine,” Davy insisted. “Movie theaters are expensive.”
“Hey,” I said, reaching over to ruffle his dark hair. “It’s okay. We’ll go to the movies.”
I could work extra hours next week.
“Let me get dressed and we’ll check out the schedule,” I said.
“Okay! Can we invite Aunt Emma?”
I smiled to myself. They’d been calling her their aunt more and more recently, and it made me happy. “Yes, go ask her.”
Jake got out of bed and ran downstairs, with Davy right behind him. I sighed and reached for my phone, checking it. There was a message I’d missed from last night.
Sammy : I’m sorry about today. I’ll text you tomorrow, but no worries about the date. We’ll find another time. Sleep well, Sarah.
My heart skipped a beat as I reread his message.
We’ll find another time.
He still wanted to go out, even after what happened.
“Hey, Mom. Someone is here to see you,” Davy said, poking his head back in the room.
“To see me?” I asked, frowning.
“Yeah.”
“Who?”
He grinned and ran off.
I wasn’t presentable. My hair was a rat’s nest; I was in pajamas. I got out of bed and grabbed my robe, pulling it on.
Who would come see me?
I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and shook my head. I looked like a damn zombie. With a sigh, I went downstairs and froze as I hit the last step.
Sammy was in the living room.
Sammy was in my living room.
His back was turned. The boys were hunched over their video game system, showing him their favorites. His laugh echoed through the house.
Emma grabbed my arm, pulling me around the corner before he could see me.
“What the hell is this?” she whispered.
“I don’t know,” I said quickly.
“What happened to the date?”
“Ugh,” I sighed. “That was supposed to be a secret.”
She snorted and swatted my arm. “Bitch, you knew I would find out. Go back upstairs and brush your hair, put on a bra, and then come back down.”
“I canceled the date!” I said. “I don’t know why he’s here.”
Emma raised a brow. “But he’s hot .”
“He’s also my sister’s husband’s brother.”
She scoffed. “And?”
“He’s off-limits.”
“Says who?”
Says Colt.
The sound of a throat clearing made my body tense. Emma gave me a knowing smirk as Sammy appeared. “I’ll leave you two to chat.”