Chapter Ten
The drive back to Tolstone seemed so much shorter than the drive to Decatur.
When she looked up and saw the town’s welcome sign, the butterflies set in again.
All that was left to do that day were two photo session appointments.
One for an expecting couple that was referred to her by Gwen, and then a lawyer whom she couldn’t quite remember the name of.
She wasn’t nervous because of the appointments.
Shortly after leaving the cemetery, Erica made her decision.
She was going to confront Dominic about everything.
About the kiss, about the fact that she must have lost her mind to get involved with someone so soon after her mother’s death, and how she wanted to take things slow, which was code for drop everything and run while she could.
No matter how he made her whole world spin off its axis when they touched, she couldn’t lose herself like this anymore. Either take it slow or not at all.
Within minutes of passing the sign, Erica’s radio completely shut off.
She looked down and checked if the Bluetooth connection to her phone had glitched.
Losing signal wasn’t uncommon out here, and she grumbled at the absence of bars on her home screen.
As she threw her phone back in the cup holders, she glanced at the clock radio.
It had gone completely dark. Erica jabbed at a few of the buttons, willing something to turn on or light up.
Then, she heard a soft puttering sound, and the engine completely died beneath her hood.
She cursed under her breath and had just enough coasting time to fight the car off the side of the road.
At first, she wondered if she had simply run out of gas, but she remembered checking the gauge just before leaving Decatur, and she had at least half a tank.
Plus, she would have recognized that familiar choking sound as the last drop of gasoline was expended in the engine.
This had to do with her battery or her alternator.
For a moment, she gripped the wheel and groaned out more curses. She didn’t even have her portable battery tester anymore. She’d lent it to a friend who never returned it. If she had known this would be an actual possibility, Erica would have harassed her friend a little more about giving it back.
Making sure the road was clear of oncoming cars, she popped the hood and jumped out of her jeep, slamming the door a little harder than she should have.
She had three hours until her first appointment.
With no cell service, she’d have to walk until she got a signal or go straight to the mechanic shop at the end of First Street.
That was at least four miles away on the east side of town, and there was still a tow truck to consider.
At least it was a clear day, and she wore comfortable shoes.
A quick inspection of the engine told Erica that the problem must not have been too serious.
There was no smoking, nothing visibly leaking.
For that, she was thankful. Already prepared for the walk, she grabbed her bag out of the car and locked the doors.
Just as she was about to shut the hood, she heard the approach of another vehicle from the direction of town.
The police squad car with the big Sheriff decal on the side eased to the shoulder of the road to stop right in front of her jeep. When Sheriff Cole Spradley angled out of the driver’s seat, she wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or nervous.
“I wasn’t going to leave it here for long,” she said quickly.
She couldn’t read his eyes that were masked behind a pair of dark sunglasses, but his smile reassured her that she was in no trouble. “Engine quit on you, Miss Barrett?”
Erica adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder. “I think it’s the battery or the alternator, but I’m not sure. All the electronics turned off first, and then the engine died.”
Without being asked for his opinion on the matter, Officer Spradley bent over the warm engine and tilted up his glasses so he could better assess the parts. “Yeah … It doesn’t look like much else could be wrong.”
“I didn’t have any cell service to call a tow truck, so I was going to hike into town.”
The sheriff whipped off his sunglasses and gave her an incredulous, almost angry look. “Hike into town?”
She shrugged, as if it were nothing. “I wasn’t going to catch a ride, that’s for sure.”
As if seeing her point, he nodded. “Well, I’ve got a pair of jumper cables.
If it’s the battery, a jump will get you to Tolstone Auto Repair.
They’re normally closed on Sunday, but I drove past earlier, and I know Gage’s working overtime.
If it doesn’t work, then we know it’s the alternator and we can get it taken in. ”
Erica folded her arms, once more chafing at the offer of help from yet another perfect stranger. “I wouldn’t want to take you away from your patrol or anything.”
Officer Spradley waved off her comment and walked back to his vehicle. “Believe me. Nothing’s been going on today that my deputy can’t handle.”
With luck, it was the battery, and she wouldn’t have to inconvenience the cop more than necessary. She knew their oath was to serve and protect, but this seemed a bit excessive. Maybe she was too used to big-city cops who were more interested in handing out traffic tickets like free candy.
She watched him connect the two batteries, and they worked as a team to try and jump her jeep. After a few failed attempts at turning over the engine, only to receive a soft clicking noise, they had their answer.
“It must be the alternator, then.” Officer Spradley cut off his own car and disconnected the cables. “I’ve got a set of tools. It shouldn’t be too hard to get it out so Gage can test it at the shop.”
Erica grimaced. “You really don’t have to—”
“Yes, I do.” The sharp authority in his voice shut her up and silenced any further arguing.
With arms defiantly crossed, Erica leaned against the side of her jeep and watched as the cop unhooked all the electrical components and rolled up his sleeves.
If it had been Dominic or any other man in Tolstone, she might have fought him harder.
She knew how to take out her own alternator because she’d had to do it once before, and like Officer Spradley, she had the tools to do it.
However, something in his last remark told her that he was just as stubborn as she was, and fighting him was pointless.
“Do you need that bar thing that helps you take off the serpentine belt?” she asked when she saw he had reached that point.
To her astonishment, he easily muscled through the process and slipped the belt right off before taking up his wrench to remove the bolts.
“Never mind.” She almost laughed. Her earlier judgment of the cop’s fitness was blown out of the water.
She remembered once sitting in front of an auto parts store with her mother, both of their wimpy arms struggling with the twisted rubber belts on the Mustang’s alternator until a man came by and offered his help.
That guy had arms bigger than Officer Spradley, and even he didn’t get it off as smoothly.
“I’ve had some practice with these things,” he told her.
Erica knew better that practice had nothing to do with it, but she let it slide.
“Hold these.” He handed her the two bolts that kept the alternator in place. “Now, I just got to slide it out … And we’re done.”
Officer Spradley held up the hunky piece of hardware as if it were a baseball and grinned before dropping the hood. Erica couldn’t help but be impressed with his speed and nodded approvingly.
“Hop in and I’ll take you down to the auto shop. Don’t forget to lock up the car.”
Once more, she wanted to turn him down, but she knew her feet would thank her later. “As long as I don’t have to ride in the back.”
He chuckled and gestured toward the passenger side of the car. “Go ahead and ride shotgun. It’s more comfortable anyway.”
She did, and soon, they were headed toward Tolstone. The car smelled faintly of raw onions and tangy mustard, and she wondered if the cop had eaten an early lunch. It made her hungry and reminded her that she hadn’t had anything to eat that day.
As soon as the car cranked up, a country song drifted through the speakers.
A soft, steady beat that she could see people slow dancing to at a honkytonk.
The lyrics spoke of love gone sour, but the singer still pined away for her after he had done her wrong.
So sad, and yet so endearing because the man only wanted the best for his former lover, waiting for her to return to him.
The melody, the words, all of it was hauntingly familiar and evoked such a deep, moving within her soul. “Who’s singing?” Erica asked after the song neared its end.
“Conway Twitty. One of my favorite singers.”
Erica realized where she must have heard this song before. “I think I remember my mom listening to him a few times.”
The memory came back in a haze, but she thought she could see her mother’s crying face as she listened to the music in the dark. This music. But she couldn’t remember why she was crying. It was one of those vague, random memories from very early in her childhood that held no context whatsoever.
Beside her, the cop gripped the wheel a little tighter, and she could hear the rubber creak beneath his hands. “Is that right?”
Erica only gave a quiet affirmative and looked out the side window as they entered the town square.
Lunar Lantern’s tiny parking lot was packed for the coming lunch rush and the rest of the town was alive with cars driving through the roundabout and some pedestrians on the sidewalk.
Renewed Relic’s open sign was turned to Open and that sad tightness in her chest was replaced with excitement, like a kid who was about to open their first present on Christmas morning.