Page 91 of Stealth Mission
“You’re sure you didn’t hit your injured leg?”
“Oh. I forgot about that. It’s fine. But the rest of me… I’m a mess.”
There’s a crowd gathering around the hood of my vehicle—staring and pointing at the disaster. Gingersnap really did a number on the little car.
I freeze. “Holy mother of God, is that Ms. Pelletier?”
Heart palpitating, I shrug off Evan’s hand and run-stumble around the car to find the town’s barber helping the ninety-nine-year-old woman out of the car. I nearly faint, until I realize she’s cackling. As in head thrown back, laughing hard.
Adjusting her blouse she takes in the carnage with a bright flush of color on her cheeks. “Oh my word, that was so exciting.”
“Exciting…” I grab her arms. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She shoos me off. “Honey, you don’t live to be this age without being able to take a hit. But my poor car. Your big old monster truck, well your grandfather’s big old monster truck sure did a number on Ruby.”
I cringe and take in the mess. Ruby got her nose mashed. The passenger side headlight is hanging out. The front bumper is sagging too. It looks like she went rounds with a wrecking ball.
“I’ll pay for it. All of it. Just send me the bill.” There’s a wobble in my voice you’d have to be deaf not to hear.
Ms. Pelletier smiles brightly, her eyes disappearing in her wrinkles. “That’s perfect. Now if someone will just drive me home, I can get to my card game on time.”
My heart sags as I rub Gingersnap’s hood, as if I need to comfort a machine. There’s a dent in the bumper, her grill is cracked. Something is dripping on the ground.
My stomach rolls over inside my abdomen as the barber offers to drive Ms. Pelletier home.
I’m furious at myself. Why didn’t I see her little car coming? Not only did I bang up my grandfather’s truck…now I have to pay for?—
“Hey. Look at me.”
“What?” I whisper as I look up at Evan. In all my misery, I almost forgot he was standing next to me. Not just standing next to me, he’s now holding me up with a warm, strong hand on my arm.
His eyes soften with understanding. “Let’s get this taken care of and get you where you need to go.”
Feeling utterly defeated, I lean against Gingersnap, tempted to put my head down and cry. “I have a tow truck number in my phone.”
Evan’s dark brows snap together with curiosity but he doesn’t ask why I have the wrecker company’s number saved.
“Where’s your phone?”
“On the floorboard. Front. Passenger side.”
He returns in a flash and he looks ticked. “Screen got broken.”
“Not in the crash. That happened the other day when I threw it.”
He passes me my phone and I can feel empathy coming off him in waves. When my hand is too shaky to get the number, he takes over for me. “What’s it saved under?”
“Towmater.”
He chuckles softly. “Of course it is.”
A second later he’s on the phone. Thankfully, he paces away as he relays the information.
Is this day ever going to end?
At least my father hasn’t shown up yet. Or Sylvester. That would be the icing on the worst day I’ve had in a long time. Maybe ever.
“Hey kiddo.” Peter steps off the curb and inspects the mess I made. “You okay?”