11. Teddy
Teddy
C lunk. Clunk .
“Fuck,” I murmur under my breath. I use the momentum to pull Grandad's old truck to the side of the road.
A warning light dings as soon as I put it in park.
“Sure, now you tell me.” Sighing, I pop the hood and get out.
I knew going into town was a bad idea. If I hadn't been about to starve, I wouldn't have gone at all.
I lift the hood, staring down into the engine of the truck.
If only I knew what I was looking at. I can change my oil and fix a tire.
After that, I’m out. I have no idea why the truck's not running. Maybe I can find something on YouTube. Hell, if I break it even more, it’s not like I’m out anything.
I'll have to buy a car, which was always the plan. I just thought I could use Grandad’s truck and put my car money toward fixing the house.
After another long look at the engine, hoping something will pop out at me, I drop the hood and get back into the cab. I snatch my phone from the cupholder and pull up a local tow truck company, but the screen freezes and goes completely dark before I can make the call .
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Now my phone's dead. Awesome. I glance around and realize that I am miles from Grandad’s.
Looks like I'll be walking from here. I don't give myself time to think about how I’ve never done this much physical activity on my prosthetic leg. I don't have much of a choice.
I start walking along the side of the road.
I go about half a mile before the sound of a car comes up behind me. I make sure I'm far enough off the road that I'm not in danger of getting hit and don't pay any attention to them.
When the car slows down next to me, I glance over. Another curse threatens to come out of my mouth.
“Saw your truck back there. Thought you could use a ride,” Lottie says through the open passenger window. She's leaning down so she can see me.
“I’m fine. Don't worry about it.” I start walking to ignore Lottie and almost bust out laughing when I hear her murmur, “Stubborn bastard.”
She drives alongside me, hollering out the window. “Come on, Teddy. Just get in the goddamn car.”
I'm not sure if it's the stubbornness she rightfully called me out on or if it's straight self-preservation, but I know if I get in that car, the walls I've built up since I got here are going to start crumbling.
“I’m fine, Lottie. Seriously.”
She huffs when I keep walking.
A giant crack of thunder rumbles through the sky, and my shoulders hunch.
About half a second later, the skies open up and rain begins to pour.
Fuck me running. I stand there for a moment, getting drenched, while Lottie waits patiently next to me in her car.
My shoulders stoop in defeat, and I open the passenger side door.
As soon as the door closes, Lottie takes off. She doesn't use the silence to gloat, and I reluctantly respect her for it. It's only then that I realize I left all of my groceries in the back of the truck. A curse falls from my mouth for what must be the eighth time in the last hour.
Lottie looks over at me questioningly.
After I fill her in, she gives me an amused look. “What were you going to do when you got back to your house?”
I grimace. “I hadn't really thought about it.”
She snorts and then skillfully makes a U-turn on the deserted road.
We get back to my truck and work together to get my groceries into the trunk of Lottie’s car.
A few minutes later, we're back on the road, headed to my house.
It's been a few weeks since Lottie came over, and in that time, I've settled into my new reality.
Living in Sonoma wasn't where I thought I'd end up. I hadn't decided what I would be doing when I got out, but I never imagined I’d be living in Grandad's old house.
Since I've been here, though, I can't say I hate it.
The people in town are nosy, and it took a few dark stares to keep them from sticking their noses into my business, but it's more peaceful here than I ever imagined it to be.
Life seems to move slowly, and while I'm working to find my new normal, I'm appreciating the slower pace.
I've also spent more time than I would care to admit wondering about Lottie. What has she been up to? How long has she lived in Sonoma? Last week, I broke and read all the emails she had sent me.
Not a single one described her dating life.
Most of the time, they were just updates about things she was doing and what she was interested in at the time.
I don't know if she has a boyfriend or is dating someone or hell, if she’s fucking married.
And I won't lie and say I'm not curious.
I'm dying to know if a man has finally snapped her up, and if not, what the fuck is wrong with the men in Sonoma?
The rain continues to pound against the windshield. The longer we’re out in this, the slower Lottie has to drive until she's clinging to the steering wheel with white knuckles.
By the time we get back to my house, I’m a ball of tension. There's no way I can let Lottie leave in this weather, but that also means she has to stay in my space for an extended period.
With resignation, I turned toward her. “Come inside. You're not going home in this weather.”
She bristles. “What do you mean? I can drive home. It’s just rain. I'll drive slow.”
“Over my dead body,” I retort. “You're not driving home in this. That would be asinine. I will come around and carry you into my house if you make me.” I get out of the car and walk around the hood to open Lottie's door.
She sits there for a moment, making me suffer in the cold rain, until she huffs and gets out of the car by herself. We grab the groceries from the trunk and race inside the house. I take off my wet jacket and hang it up on the hooks by the door, and Lottie follows suit.
I wave toward the measly furniture I have in the living room. “Make yourself at home. I’ll get you some dry clothes.”
I walk down the hallway and change my clothes as quickly as my balance allows. Once I’m dry again, I grab a towel, a T-shirt, and some sweatpants for Lottie. She’ll swim in them, but it’s all I have.