“You mess with the bull, you get kicked in the balls. Way of the world.” She didn’t sound the least bit sorry.
“Now you’re just being mean.”
“Stop whining. I know kindergarteners that are tougher than you. Since when does the NFL let in a bunch of whiny little girls?” She shook her head. “I remember you being tougher.”
“I remember you being less homicidal.”
She shrugged. “How about we start at Legend Jewelry on Concho?”
He led her around the front to Cherry Cherry.
She froze.
“I’m not riding in that.” Harmony put her hands on her hips. “What exactly is that?”
He clapped a hand over her mouth. “Sssh. Cherry Cherry’s sensitive. If you make her mad, she’ll do her level best to kill me on the ride home.”
“Well then, why didn’t you say so?” Harmony’s foot shot out and kicked Cherry Cherry’s right front tire. “Is he really afraid of you?” she yelled to the hood. “Personally, I think you should kill him because he’s a pain in the ass, but if you need a better reason …” She hocked up a loogie and let her fly. It landed between Cherry Cherry’s hood and windshield.
It might have been his imagination, but he was pretty sure Cherry Cherry flinched. God knows he did. Was the car rolling forward ever so slightly? If he didn’t know better, he’d say Cherry Cherry would like to use Harmony as a speed bump.
Which was a problem. He really needed everyone to get along here.
Gently, he patted Cherry Cherry’s hood.
“She didn’t mean it. I promise.” He glared at Harmony. “You don’t just go and spit on a man’s car. It’s rude and unsanitary.”
“More whining?” Harmony opened the passenger’s door and climbed into the car. “Why are the seats sticky?” She took a deep breath. “It smells like pot in here.”
Heath slid behind the wheel. “Cherry Cherry’s previous owner had interesting proclivities.”
“I bet.” Harmony put on her seat belt. “So why do you call your car Cherry Cherry?”
He turned the key and cranked the engine. Neil Diamond crooned “Cherry Cherry” as soon as the car roared to life. He pulled away from the curb with no further explanation.
After the song finished, it started up again.
“I get that you like the song, but can we choose another one, please?” Harm pressed the button to roll down the window but nothing happened. She kept pressing it. “What’s wrong with this thing?”
“That’s weird, the window worked on the way over.” He hit the button for her window on his door. Nothing. He rolled down his window; it worked fine. He rolled it back up. He sniffed the air. It smelled like exhaust. Black smoke billowed out of the vents in front of Harmony.
Oh. Cherry Cherry was mad.
He pulled off the road, rolled down his window. “Come on, Cherry Cherry. Harmony’s already pissed off at me. She just took it out on you. No hard feelings … she’s Lyric’s sister. You like Lyric.”
The check engine light blinked twice, and Harmony’s window rolled down. Heath couldn’t help but notice that his hands were on the steering wheel and Harm’s were in her lap. Maybe the car had more Christine in her than he had originally given her credit for.
Harmony obviously seemed to think so as she turned huge blue eyes on him. “This car is haunted.” She threw off her seat belt, kicked the door open, and jumped out. “I’m not riding in that.”
Cherry Cherry’s door slammed and the window rolled up, as if to say, “Fine, bitch, you can walk.”
“Your car is possessed. It tried to kill me.” Harmony crossed her arms and stomped down the sidewalk.
He threw Cherry Cherry in reverse and followed alongside her. “Where are you going? Get in.”
“I’m walking back to my house and getting my truck.” She held her head high as her feet chewed up sidewalk. “There’s not a chance in hell I’m getting back in that thing.”
Cherry Cherry’s front passenger’s door locked. Clearly, she felt the same way.