Page 6 of The Breakdown
“Ever?”
“No. I uh…never got the chance.”
Vaughn found that bit of news particularly sad. She wanted to offer her some lessons, but she thought better of it. Natalie was already upset at having to come to her home. She didn’t want to push things.
Vaughn slowed as they came upon the main house, which was a Spanish-style hacienda, with white stuccoed walls and a red-tiled roof. The walls were in bad need of a paint job and the roof needed some repairs, but money had been tight as of late and she hadn’t been able to afford to get those things done. She hoped, when the cooler weather came, that she’d be able to do most of the repairs herself.
“Who’s that?” Natalie asked as Vaughn’s grandmother, June, walked out through the courtyard to wait next to the driveway.
“That’s June,” Vaughn said. “My gram.”
Natalie looked at Vaughn in disbelief. “Your grandmother? She’s looks great.”
Vaughn chuckled. “That she does.” They watched as Gram sank her hands into the back pockets of her jeans as she waited for them to climb out of the truck. She was dressed similarly to Vaughn, in a T-shirt and jeans and cowboy boots. Her wild white hair was blowing in the wind, and she had that all-too-familiar look upon her face as she silently questioned who was riding shotgun next to Vaughn.
“I hope I look that good when I’m her age,” Natalie said.
Vaughn killed the engine and opened her door. “We should all be that lucky.”
Natalie climbed out the passenger side as Vaughn secured her cowboy hat on her head and gave a nod to Gram. “Those mares come back?”
“Mojo did,” she said. “I stabled her up.”
“Great,” Vaughn said, inhaling the fresh scent of rain and recently watered earth. “One down, one to go.”
Thunder rumbled overheard, though it sounded farther away now. Maybe the storm was letting up. Summer monsoons didn’t usually last very long, so she was hoping she was right. The sooner she could get on the four-wheeler to go looking for Hazel, the remaining broodmare, the better.
“Who’s this?” Gram asked as Natalie joined them.
“Hi, I’m Natalie.” She extended her hand.
“June Ruger. Nice to meet you.”
Natalie gave a shy smile. “You as well.”
Vaughn watched as Gram sussed her out. Though Gram was eighty-five, she was every bit as fit as Vaughn was, and that included her mind, which was still sharp as a tack. So Vaughn wasn’t surprised when she focused in on Natalie’s bruises right away, but didn’t speak of them.
“What brings you out this way, Natalie?”
“My car—uh—it kind of blew up.”
Gram’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh?”
“It actually did,” Vaughn clarified. “We left it on fire up by the turnoff.”
“Well, my goodness,” Gram said. “Do I need to put in a call to the fire department?”
“Wouldn’t hurt,” Vaughn said.
Gram looked back at Natalie. “Are you okay, darlin’?”
“I—” She crumbled into tears as if she’d been holding in the real pain for far too long and could no longer contain it. Gram embraced her and looked curiously to Vaughn.
Vaughn knew then that it was going to be a long night and that Hazel might have to just wait.
Chapter Three
Natalie finished towel drying her hair and smoothed down the soft, old T-shirt and a pair of jeans she’d changed into. She looked at herself in the mirror and wiped away the remnants of mascara from around her eyes. She’d seen way better days, but there was nothing she could do about it now.