My Only One

“I’ll work it out,” he reassures me. I stiffen for a second as his hand goes to my back as he leads me over to his car, opening the door for me. I slide in. The smell of Mack fills my lungs before he even hops into his seat. Instantly, I feel a buzz around us that I can’t place. For some reason now it feels like something is happening but I don’t know if that’s good or bad. For now I’m just going to take the ride he’s offering.

Chapter 4

Mack

After I drop Dally off at her house, I arrange for a tow truck to pick up her car. It was a spark plug issue but I opt to tell Dally that it was her engine. She could use a new car. She’s been driving this one since college.

“My engine block died?” She sighs through the phone.

“Yeah, sucks, huh?” I muscle the fridge door shut and throw the cheese and sandwich meat onto the counter. “You want me to have them tow the car to your apartment or have them send it to the junkyard?”

“Those are my only two options?”

I flip the mayonnaise cap off. “I didn’t know there were more options than those two.”

“I could donate it.”

That sends me into a panic. She’d find out then that the car wasn’t really broken down. “Nah. It’s too junky to be donated. It’d break down and then the charity would be breathing down your neck for repairs. Better to sever your ties now and just make a cash donation.”

“Maybe you’re right. But how will I get to work and don’t say you’ll drive me.”

“My assistant is out of town. You can use the company car she drives.” I layer on the cheese and meat until the sandwich is a couple inches thick.

“I didn’t realize Quinn was gone. Is she on vacation?”

She wasn’t before, but she is now. I send her a quick text from my work phone.

Quinn. Ur on vacay for the nxt two weeks. Go c ur mama. Show up and I’ll fire you.

Is this about Dally?

When is it not?

She sends me an eye roll emoji. I toss the phone aside and return to my conversation with Dally. “She’s going to see her mama.”

“Is her mom sick or anything because I just saw Quinn the other day and she didn’t mention a thing about going on vacation.”

“She just misses her mom, darling.”

There’s a pause as Dally tries to figure out what exactly I’m calling her. She thinks it’s just me drawling out her real name. Or maybe she knows I’m calling her darling but can’t handle what it all means. I heave a gust of air and shove half the sandwich in my mouth. What’s my sister, Star, call it, sympathy eating? No, depression eating. I did a lot of that when I was a kid. I’ll have to do an extra set of reps to make up for my lunch.

“I guess if she’s not using it, it’ll be okay. I’ll need to do a quick rundown on my finances to see what kind of replacement I can afford. I don’t think my insurance covers this.”

I grab my other phone.

Can you create a dummy insurance policy that gives a full replacement value vehicle?

For Dally, right?

There will never be another answer to any of these questions.

Got it.

Thanks. Send it over with the coffee machine.

Smiling, I tune back into Dally, who is fretting about buying versus leasing. “I can have my accountant run some numbers for you. He said he’s bored since I’m not spending my money like other trust fund kids. He’s threatened to quit more than once.”

“Your accountant is your cousin.”

“Just because he’s family doesn’t mean that he can’t quit. It just makes family get-togethers awkward. Like, Mom isn’t going to sit Noel next to me. Instead, I’ll get Penny and man, I can’t stand Penny.”

“Is she the one that starts every sentence with ‘well, actually’?”

“The very one.” I toss the rest of my sandwich aside and amble into the living room. “She got mad when everyone refused to acknowledge that Tofurky was a brand name and not the description of the veggie turkey meat that Star’s friend had brought.”

Dally groans. “I remember because then she and her mom got into a fight about how Tofurky was vegetarian and not vegan. I thought her mom was going to explode when Penny refused to eat it.”

“Holidays are the best,” I quip. I drop into the sofa and tuck the phone against my ear. Castle, my cat, jumps onto my lap and nudges my chin.

“Is that Castle I hear?” Dally asks.

“Yup. She misses you.” Right on cue, my little girl lets out a small mewl. I scratch the tiny thing under her chin. She dips her head and rubs herself against my hand. Animals like me. Other women like me. Hell, even men like me but Dally is still resistant. I wish I could scratch her under her chin and have her respond with a purr.