Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
The worn-out seats creak beneath me as I slide into the van and turn the key in the ignition. As the engine roars to life, I silently pray that today will be a step in the right direction despite the early nightmare wake-up call.
I took my time to shower and get ready, dressing in black leggings and a brown oversized warm sweater that comes just over my butt.
I have my second shift at the restaurant this evening, but I decided I would still make my way over to the next town before it starts to see if there are more job opportunities.
Thankfully, it’s not far, and I can check it off my list. I feel like I haven’t done enough to help me get back on the road since I arrived in Lubec.
First, I want to get myself something to eat from Tally’s café, or I won’t make it through the day.
Granted, I could easily put together something from the stocks in my cupboard, or grab something small from the store, but deep down, I just want to talk to Tally for a bit.
I can’t deny I already like her. It’s nice to have someone to chat with who has a pulse, and if that means a small splurge for great food and conversation, it’s worth it.
Pulling onto the narrow road leading into town, I notice a thin wisp of smoke curling up from the hood.
Well fuck, that’s new.
I grip the steering wheel tighter. “No, no, no. Not today,” I mutter to Van-essa, my voice a mixture of frustration and pleading. “You can’t do this now, you traitor.”
The van continues to putter along the road as I watch the smoke billowing out more forcefully.
It becomes more pronounced, thickening into a noxious haze that fills the van’s interior.
I can barely see the road ahead, partly because of the smoke but also because my natural reaction to another Van-essa crisis is to cry.
But I push forward. I can’t afford to break down in the middle of town.
With gritted teeth, I navigate the van into the parking lot next to Tally’s restaurant. The smoke surges in a steady stream from the hood, obscuring my vision entirely. I pull into a parking spot and slam on the brakes, grateful I’ve made it this far.
Coughing and sputtering, I hastily unbuckle my seat belt and fling open the door. The acrid smell of burning coolant stings my nostrils as I stumble out of the van and rush to the front.
The sight that greets me is disheartening. Thick, white smoke pours from beneath the hood in angry plumes. I reach for the latch and pop it open, and with the hood, an explosion of smoke rises. Then, a cloud of steam engulfs me, making me cough some more.
Peering into the chaos with stinging, watery eyes, I spot the source of the problem immediately. One of the coolant hoses has ripped open, and all the coolant has spewed onto the hot engine. I mutter a string of curses under my breath, both at the van and my luck.
I can’t believe this shit.
“Sloan!” Comes a shout from behind me. I turn to find Hunter and Lio on the opposite side of the street, vigilantly scanning both directions before they rush across the road.
Hunter limps slightly, firmly gripping Lio’s wrist, almost pulling him along, but he releases his hold on him when they reach my side to cup my face in both his hands, making my heart flip.
His concerned gaze searches my features.
My eyes must be red from all the smoke and the tears, and my nose is running uncontrollably.
I bet I look amazing.
“Are you okay?” I ask, my concern evident as I hold onto her tightly, my heart thudding heavily in my chest.
We had set out for a simple grocery shopping trip, a promise I made to Lio for being such a brave little trooper during his doctor’s appointment earlier. He’d been looking forward to dino nuggies with fries and ketchup for lunch, and I was determined to deliver.
Just as we were about to enter the store, Lio and I watched an orange van driving down the street with smoke billowing from the hood.
I had my phone already in my hand to call the police when it turned into the parking lot opposite us, and she sprang out of the driver’s side, sputtering and coughing, nearly giving me a heart attack.
How does she get into such situations all the time?
“I’m fine,” she mutters before she starts to cough again, and I release my grip on her.
“What happened?” I inquire as I step in front of the hood and peer inside. There’s some liquid pouring out of a hose, and I reach in to twist the cap off the radiator.
“Don’t!” she shouts from behind me, grabbing my bicep just as I retract my hand with a yelp of pain. It’s scalding hot.
“F… udge,” I nearly curse, shaking my hand. It’s not badly burned, but it hurts.
“Why would you even touch something that’s still smoking?” She looks at me with wide, unbelieving eyes.
“He’s not good with cars,” Lio chimes in helpfully, and I shoot him a stern look.
“Well, I gathered that,” she tells him, and they both grin at each other as if they just bonded over my idiocy.
“I tried to find the problem,” I mumble, straightening and peering into the hood again. “There seems to be a leak.”
Sloan lets out an amused snort, saying, “Thanks, Sherlock,” before she walks around the van and rummages in the back, returning with gloves and pliers.
With a sigh, she gets to work under the hood, leaning over the motor.
She’s not a small woman, but the van is big, and she has to get on her toes to reach where she needs to.
My eyes unintentionally wander to her perfectly round ass in those leggings, now visible because her sweater has been pulled up with her movements.
For fuck’s sake.
To stop staring at her ass while she probably needs help, I stand next to her, watching as she carefully clamps off the damaged hose to stop the coolant flow, and it appears this is not the first time she’s doing something like this.
But I ask anyway, “Can I help—”
“This should buy me some time,” she mutters under her breath, stopping me short before she goes back to the rear of the van, returning with a green bottle.
She refills the radiator with the little coolant that’s left.
The smoke begins to thin, and the van’s engine roars back to life, though not without a few grumbles of protest.
She steps back, wiping the sweat from her brow, and gives the van a weary smile. “Hang in there, old girl. We’ll get you proper repairs soon.”
She closes the hood, removes her gloves, and hops into the driver’s seat, flipping the visor down to check herself in the mirror before cutting the engine.
As she steps back next to us, her eyes are still red, and I have an overwhelming urge to pull her in for a hug and get her home to dote on her until she doesn’t look so defeated anymore.
She should never look like this.
“You’re good with cars,” Lio declares from beside me, voicing what I already thought to myself.
She laughs. “I hope so. It’s my job,” she shares, smiling down at him.
“You’re a mechanic?” I ask, furrowing my brows.
That could be perfect. Maybe she could fill in for William for a few weeks, at least until he feels better. And even better if she wants to stay after he’s good again. Having two mechanics wouldn’t be the worst thing, anyway.
And having her around would be interesting, to say the least.
“What? You think a woman can’t be a mechanic?” she asks, her stance getting defensive as she crosses her arms over her chest and frowns at me intensely.
“What? No, of course, they can. You just showed me that you’re an amazing one. I mean, I proved that I’m not.” I try to reassure her. “We’re not in the fifties anymore.”
She huffs a bitter laugh. “Tell that your brother.”
What does that even mean?
Nash isn’t a chauvinist. I taught him better.
“Why do you say that?” I inquire.
“Mr. Jones told me that he was not looking for ‘Barbie the mechanic doll’ when I had an interview with him two days ago for the vacant position of the mechanic in you guys’ shipyard,” she explains, her voice carrying a note of frustration and hurt.
I nearly fall backward. “What?”
That fucker hasn’t even told me about it.
“And while he was at it, he basically called me a gold digger.” She bites her lip and looks down to the ground.
“What’s a gold digger?” Lio asks innocently from beside me.
“Someone that digs for gold,” I tell him absentmindedly. Then, addressing her, I apologize, “I’m so sorry that he treated you like that.”
I swear, I’m going to whoop North’s ass so hard he won’t be able to sit in his pretty office for two days.
“It’s fine. It just sucks. I need that job.” She shrugs before turning away.
“Wait, should I call a towing service for you?” I offer, already reaching out to grab her wrist to keep her from walking away. But then I remember her reaction when Nash did the same at the restaurant, so I let my hand fall back to my side.
“What?” She freezes, eyes wide with fear, when her gaze finds mine again. “Please don’t do that. I live in there. I’m going to ask Tally if it’s okay to stay in her parking lot for a while.”
I lean over to investigate the side windows of the van, but some curtains obscure my view inside. “You live in a van?”
“That’s so cool,” Lio whispers, looking up at her with stars in his eyes, and I stroke his hair affectionately.
I hope my infatuation isn’t as obvious as his.
“Not as cool as you think, buddy.” She smiles sadly.
“It’s falling apart under my a… under me, and I don’t have the parts or the money to fix it.
” She looks even more defeated if this is possible.
“Whatever. I guess my plans for today just changed, so I’ll go talk to Tally about staying here. See you around.”
“What were your plans? Can we drive you anywhere?” I ask, hopeful to have her spend more time with us. “My truck is on the other side of the road.”
“No thanks, I was just about to look around in the next town for a job. But I couldn’t drive over there every day to work with the van like that anyway.
There’s not enough coolant, and the hose could burst again at any time.
I’ll just have to find something here or stay for longer.
We’ll see. But thank you.” She gives me a forced smile before turning and leaving in the direction of Tally’s café.
I’m left with an inexplicable tug in my chest.
How she’s handling her tough situation?
Her resilience captivates me.
I feel a pull, a curiosity that’s more than just a passing interest. I can’t quite shake it off. And dammit, I’m not sure I want to.
Turning back to Lio, who’s still looking in the direction Sloan left with stars in his eyes, I can’t help but chuckle. “She’s something, isn’t she?” I say more to myself than to him.
The thought of confronting North about her job interview settles heavily in my mind.
The idea that my own brother would dismiss someone so capable—out of what?
Prejudice? It doesn’t sit right. It stirs a protective feeling in me, not just for Sloan but for the principle of the matter.
I’ll have words with North later, all right.
No one gets to decide who is worthy based on outdated ideals, especially not in my family’s business.
If she’s looking for work, I find myself hoping she’ll stick around so I can... what? Get to know her? Offer her a job? Or maybe just to see that determined spark in her eyes again.
I don’t know what it is about her, but she’s gotten under my skin.