Chapter 9
Crossroads – when you are lost and don’t know which way to go
Mercy
“Uncle Mercury,” I warn. He has the ornery look on his face. It’s clear he’s about to say something mean.
“What? The place was worse than a drug den.”
“How was it worse than a drug den?”
“Did you not notice all the drugs they were handing out? The residents were practically comatose.”
I rub my temples where I feel a headache coming on. This is the third nursing home we’ve visited. None of them were up to my uncle’s standards. I’m starting to worry none of them will ever be.
“You’re gonna have to choose soon. I can’t stay in Winter Falls with you forever.”
“Why not?” He asks as I help him into the car. “You got somewhere else to be?”
No. Not exactly. But Winter Falls isn’t my home. I need to find a job, a place to live, a life.
“And what about your boyfriend?” Mercury continues as I settle into the driver’s seat. “He’s in Winter Falls. You’re not going to abandon him, are you?”
I wave away his concern. “Gibson travels all the time. And he’s rich. He’ll visit me wherever I end up.”
“What’s your rush? Why don’t you get a job in town?”
I snort. “I’m a mechanic. There aren’t exactly jobs for mechanics in a town where combustion engines are banned.”
“Some mechanic you are. You haven’t managed to get the piece of junk you drove into town running.”
“I don’t have any tools. I don’t have my shop.”
My stomach sours at the reminder of how I no longer have my shop. Of how my ex stole it from me. Such a douchebag. I should have hit him with a wrench when I had the chance.
“Why don’t you ask Basil?”
Basil? Basil is a herb not a person. Or?
“Who’s Basil?”
“He owns the tow truck in town.”
My mouth gapes open. “There’s a tow truck in town?”
“Winter Falls is full of surprises.”
If there’s a tow truck business in town, then I am indeed surprised. I’m also stopping by as soon as we get back in town. Betsy is done for but maybe this Basil guy is interested in buying some parts from her.
I drop my uncle off at the house before steering toward Basil’s place. His business is about a mile outside of town on the opposite side of Mercury.
I’m shocked when I pull up to a large garage. It’s the first garage I’ve seen in Winter Falls. There isn’t much need for garages when most people use golf carts and bikes to get around. There isn’t a sign indicating this is Basil’s business but there’s a tow truck parked in the driveway.
I open the car door but before I can step out my phone vibrates in my pocket with a message.
Do you want to go on a date tonight?
Why is Gibson asking me out on a date?
Is it a band thing?
Just us.
My brow furrows. Just us? We didn’t agree to any dates.
Why?
The band isn’t buying we’re dating.
Shit. I can’t say no now.
What time? I’ll meet you.
I’ll pick you up at six.
I pause. I don’t want him picking me up. I need to keep my distance from the sexy rockstar to remind myself this relationship isn’t real. But I can’t deny Gibson showing up at the house will help convince Uncle Mercury he’s my boyfriend. And maybe pressure him into picking a nursing home.
Okay.
I shove my phone in my back pocket and slam the car door. As I make my way to the garage, the side door opens and a man steps out. I nearly stumble at his appearance. He has long gray hair pulled back in a ponytail. And he’s wearing a tie-dye shirt with a pair of bellbottoms.
I wave in greeting.
“You must be Mercy. I was wondering when you’d show up.”
My nose wrinkles. “How do you know my name? And why were you expecting me?”
“This is Winter Falls.”
I wait for him to continue but apparently he thinks he’s answered my questions already. I think not.
“I need more of an explanation.”
“You’ve never lived in a small town before?”
“Nope. I’m from Kansas City.”
“Everyone knows everyone’s business in a small town.”
Bryan said the same thing at the bakery but I didn’t believe him. I guess I should have.
“And everyone knows I’m a mechanic?” I haven’t been running around telling people what my occupation is.
“Nah. Your uncle told me.”
“If this is a set-up for you to give me a job because you owe Mercury a favor, I’m not interested.”
“It’s not. But I think you’ll be interested once you see what I have in my garage.” He waves to the building.
Dang it. I am curious. My hands are itching to dive into an engine. I’d even do an oil change for funsies at this point. I’m having withdrawals. I’m used to having my hands on an engine every day. I miss the smell of oil and grease. The puzzling to figure out what’s wrong. The touch of steel and iron.
“Lead the way.”
He grins. “I knew I was going to like you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m a very likeable person.”
He chuckles as he shows me into the garage. My jaw drops to the floor at the sight of the classic car in front of me.
“No way,” I mutter and run to the Camaro. “What year is she?”
I don’t wait for his answer before laying on the creeper and sliding under her. There’s a lot of restoration work to be done yet, but the engine looks solid. I roll back out and stand before circling the car.
“Are you doing the upholstery work as well? What about the body work?”
“I have a guy who does the upholstery work, but I do the body as well as the mechanics.”
I draw my hand along the blue frame. It’s faded and full of rust but the potential is plain to see. “She’s a beauty. When did you buy her?”
“She isn’t mine.”
I pause. “You’re restoring her for someone else?”
“Yep.” He leans against the wall. “It’s how I earn a living.”
“Makes sense. I doubt the tow truck business makes much money in this town.”
He grunts. “You’re not wrong.”
I motion to the Camaro. “Is this why Uncle Mercury sent me here?”
“I’m getting old. I can’t lift engines the way I used to. And my hands are gnarled. Working with precision is difficult.”
“You want to retire?”
“Semi-retire.”
I clasp my hands together to hide how they’re shaking with excitement. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I don’t want to mess it up. “Do you want to hire someone to help with your restorations?”
He chuckles. “You get straight to the point.”
“I have been accused of speaking before thinking a time or two.” Or three thousand. Whatever.
“I don’t want to hire someone who’s going to up and leave after I’ve got them trained.”
I bristle. He doesn’t need to train me. I know my way around an engine.
“Are you planning on staying in Winter Falls?”
Good question. I have no idea.
“I don’t know. I came to help get Uncle Mercury settled in a nursing home but he’s being difficult.”
Basil barks out a laugh. “Mercury wants things done his way.”
“Trust me. I know.”
Who seriously cares which way toilet paper is placed on the toilet roll hanger? Mercury, that’s who. I was glad when my ex Zeke remembered to put a new roll on. I never gave a shit about the rest.
“You planning on leaving once Mercury’s settled?”
I shrug. I am. Or, I was. But Mercury is right. I don’t have anywhere else to be. I didn’t think a town full of environmental enthusiasts with a grudge against cars was an option. But maybe it is.
“I guess I’m at a crossroads.”
He scratches his chin. “At a crossroads? I know a thing or two about being at a crossroads.”
Considering he’s dressed like a hippie who doesn’t realize the sixties have come and gone, I think he blew past the crossroad and stuck to his path come what may.
“I guess you’ll be in town as long as your boyfriend is here at least.”
He knows I have a boyfriend in town, too?
“The CIA could follow lessons on spying from the grapevine in this town,” I mutter.
“Tell you what. Why don’t you come in a few days a week for a few hours? I can get a handle on your skills and you can earn a bit of cash.”
I wouldn’t sneeze at a bit of extra cash. The sixty-eight dollars in my checking account is going to be wiped out by dinner tonight with Gibson. And I refuse to ask Uncle Mercury for money. I am not a leech. I am not my mom.
“It’s a deal.” We shake on it and I let him get back to his work.
I smile as I switch on the Charger’s engine. I have a job. Maybe I will stay in town a bit longer. I’m not exactly in a hurry to get back to Kansas City where Mom and Zeke are. I could do without seeing either one of them for the rest of my life.
Gibson, on the other hand? I could stare into those light brown eyes for a while. Maybe tug on his hair or lick his tats. My body warms as I imagine exploring all of the many tats Gibson sports.
Whoa. Hold on. Gibson and I aren’t really dating. It’s a ruse to force my uncle into moving into a nursing home. Nothing more.
Nonetheless, anticipation hums in my blood as I drive back to Mercury’s house. I haven’t been on a real date in a long time. Picking up takeout Zeke devoured before I had the chance to sit down does not spell date.
I have a feeling Gibson has something else planned for tonight. I can’t wait.