Chapter 15
FRANKIE
Shep closed the shop at six. He’d watched me pull out of the lot before he left, but I watched through his tail lights through the rearview mirror as he drove out of town in the opposite direction.
Since lunch, a crazy storm front had come in.
It wasn’t all that surprising or eventful in Montana this time of year.
While it was snowing lightly, the wind was fierce, blowing it sideways.
I drove to the community rec center to use the showers in the women’s locker room before returning to the shop.
It got dark early this time of year, which was in my favor for sneaking into a business after hours.
It being bitterly cold tonight, was not.
As I’d looked out the bay doors and at the snow as it first started to fall, I’d realized my idea of sleeping in the hotel parking lot wasn’t going to work, even with the comforter from my bed I’d kept and wearing lots of heavy layers. It was just too dangerous.
Shep had given me the lock code for the shop in case I arrived before him or if he was out on a tow, but I doubted he meant ten hours early. Still, it was the only place I could think of to go.
After using the code, I entered, then pressed the button to raise one of the bay doors, drove my car in, then lowered it, cutting the chill.
It was dark, the streetlight on the corner the only illumination, and with the wind rattling the metal, it was a little scary.
The scent of motor oil was familiar though and the little hint of Shep’s cologne in the air made me feel safe.
I took a deep breath, let it out.
The space was heated. The door was locked. I was going to be okay, even as I shivered beneath my heavy layers.
I didn’t miss the trailer where I’d lived for as long as I could remember.
Not one bit, but I never understood how it felt to have secure housing.
Even with two jobs now, not having a place to live was overwhelming and I tried not to admit that I was afraid.
I’d taken care of myself for so long, I was used to it.
But Marcus had come and gone from the trailer so it’d felt like I had him around. That I wasn’t completely alone.
Now… I was very, very alone.
“You’re okay for tonight,” I said to myself, offering up a little pep talk. “One day at a time.”
When payday came next, maybe I’d have enough for a place. Just a room to rent, not even an entire place. I knew now I didn’t need much.
From the front seat of my car, I grabbed my to-go container with the half of my hamburger I’d saved from lunch.
I didn’t dare use the overhead lights, an obvious signal to anyone driving by that someone was inside a closed business, but I flipped on the bathroom light, brightening the kitchen area in the back corner.
It was just enough to see what I was doing.
l microwaved the leftovers and ate them standing up.
Looking around, I took in my temporary home. This wasn’t ideal. Heck, it was so far from ideal, but it would work for now. It had to.