Until Arden

Chapter 2

Arden

AssoonasI see Dash’s somber expression staring down at the unit he’d hooked to the battery, I suspect my momentary celebration was for naught. “It’s not going to get me home, is it?”

He cocks his head, assessing me for a moment. “You a big gambler?”

Not when it comes to the possibility of ending up stranded on the side of the road rather than in the parking lot. Especially since I need to pick up Holden on the way home.

“The engine’s not going to get a steady supply of electricity. You might get a couple of miles out of the battery, but that’s why everything went haywire. The computer started shutting down all non-essential functions just to keep the engine running. You can go ahead and shut ‘er off.”

“I wouldn’t call steering non-essential,” I mumble under my breath. My park job looks like I’d had several drinks before coming into work because by the time I got to the parking lot, both the steering and brakes were so stiff, it felt like I was driving through cement.

“Yet another reason you probably shouldn’t trust it until you get the alternator replaced. Probably the battery, too.”

I scrunch my nose. “And how much is that going to cost?”

“I’m not an encyclopedia of part prices for every model, but I’d say $250 for parts.” He peeks around the engine again. “Maybe two to three hours of labor.”

“Yeah, you kinda had me at $250 for parts.” Tips aren’t bad here, but after moving across three states to start fresh with my almost three-year-old son, I have a lot of catching up to do. I just started Holden in daycare so I can pick up more hours, but I’m barely going to scrape up enough to cover rent and groceries this week.

“Wish I had better news, but the belt’s good, and I don’t think anything’s leaking.”

“Perfect.” I lean against the fender and prop my left foot on the tire—it’s the one that hurts the worst. All I want to do is collapse into my car seat and get off my aching feet after a long ass day running around Paddy’s Pints.

I’ve waited tables before and now spend my days chasing around a toddler, so I didn’t think the adjustment would be this brutal, but my body is screaming a different story. But do I get to go home and relax after this? Nope. Because my shoddy car is sitting in the parking lot threatening to... well, I don’t know what the heck it’s threatening to do. Vehicles are a bigger mystery than men, but somewhat lower on the asshole scale.

Dash wraps the wires around the charger and sits it against the bumper. “Look, I know you’re all against the whole favors thing, but I have AAA, so I can get it towed wherever you need it until you decide what you want to do. It won’t cost me anything, so you don’t have to worry about it, and I never use the tows anyway.”

“Lucky you.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, then rub my hands over my already frazzled hair. “Sorry, I... thanks for checking it out. I really don’t mean to sound so ungrateful, it’s just been... trying.”

Trying. Yeah, me trying to make it in a new town. Trying to support my son all on my own. Trying not to have a mental break-down thinking that Shane is out of prison. I’m exhausted. “I need to talk to Janelle, and I still have some cleaning to do.”

“Plenty of time for the truck to get here.” His face takes on an earnest expression as he leans back and crosses his arms.

I clutch my hand at my side, trying not to snap at him. Maybe he is just trying to be helpful, but I don’t want to owe him anything at the end of the day. “I can’t afford a mechanic right now, so there isn’t really anywhere to have it towed to.”

“How far away do you live?”

“Maybe fifteen miles.” I keep my answer as non-detailed as possible.

“I can just get it towed to your house. No obligations, no cost, but leaving it in the parking lot isn’t the best idea.”

Even if I agree to let Dash call a tow truck, I have to pick up Holden before I can go home, and no one else is scheduled to leave right now. Not that we have a huge crew on staff anyway. I lift my chin, feeling the same stubbornness that’s always got me into trouble. “I need to talk to Janelle first.”

Dash and I part ways inside the restaurant. He rejoins his friend, and I head to the back and tap on the door frame to Janelle’s office.

Janelle leans forward and rests her head in her hands. “What’s the verdict?”

I force a smile, but it doesn’t do much good at the moment. My shoulders slump. “More than I can afford right now. Any chance someone else will be leaving soon to give me a ride?”

Janelle shakes her head. “What are you going to do about your shifts this week?”

A typical boss would annoy me with that question, but I know Janelle from high school, and her motives here aren't that of a typical boss. Her family moved to Tennessee our senior year, and we haven’t really kept in touch, but when she found out I was looking to make a big move, she said she could at least help me find a job and babysitter here. “I don’t know. My next shift is Wednesday, and I’ll figure something out by then... How well do you really know this Dash guy?”

“Well, we used to be engaged. Lived together for like eight months.”

My jaw goes slack.

“It was years ago.” She waves her hand through the air. “We were younger, dumber, and ended up going our separate ways. We figured we were both more in love with the idea of being together than each other, but overall, he’s a good guy.”

A good guy?

Fucking men.

No, I’m not a terminal feminist with an eternal hatred of the entire gender. I’m just not ready to trust any of them again yet. Particularly right now when I have so much to lose. I’m not in the headspace for any of this.

I sigh, rubbing my hands down the front of my apron to wick away the moisture. “He offered to call a tow truck, but I don’t want to inconvenience him.”

That’s not the full truth. I don’t want to end up indebted to another man for anything. This is supposed to be my new start—completely independent, making sure my son doesn’t have a crappy childhood, far away from his abusive sperm donor, fresh start. And it’s already borderline rancid.

“Ari, I wouldn’t have asked for his help if you couldn’t trust him, and I know you don’t have a lot of options here, but neither you nor I have any idea how to fix it.”

“I know. I’m going to finish up and figure out how I’m going to get Holden.”