Snapdragon Way (Firefly Hollow Book 8)

by T. L. Haddix

  “Whoa, hang on, Haley-girl. Come back here.”

  His voice was firm, the tone one she couldn’t ignore. She stopped and closed her eyes, then counted to ten and turned around.

  “You look fine. You’re not overdoing it, but he’ll appreciate the effort. And you’ve not gone so far toward doing things up fancy that any sane person could accuse you of being inappropriate as the man’s therapist. That is what you’re worried about, isn’t it?”

  She played with one of the bangle bracelets on her left wrist. “Yes.”

  Fred’s smile was gentle. “Come on out here. You know as well as I do that you’re one of the most professional therapists they have in the place. And while this is a bit of an unusual circumstance, I think you’re still well within the bounds of propriety.”

  “Are you certain?” she asked.

  “If he were a sixty-year-old codger, would there even be a question in your mind?”

  “No, but he’s not an old codger. That’s part of the problem.”

  She walked to the porch rail and braced her hands on the top, leaning out to take in a deep breath. Her dress was perfectly circumspect, a simple summer dress not unlike the one she’d had on the day she’d met Owen and Sarah. The hem came almost to her knees, and while the bodice was fitted, it wasn’t low-cut.

  “I say let the dead bury the dead today. Stop worrying about something you don’t have any control over—what other people are going to think or say. You know the truth, and you’ve got a good boss. Failing that, you’ve got a Gramps who’ll go down and kick some ass if need be.”

  She grinned over her shoulder. “You’d do it, too.”

  “You bet I would. You’re my little girl.” He ruffled the newspaper with gusto. “So what sort of vehicle do you think you’ll end up getting?”

  Haley let him move to a less emotional topic, not only for his sake but for hers, as well. She cleared her throat. “I don’t know. I looked on their website last night, but I couldn’t really tell much. I’ve not shopped for a car in so long, I don’t even know what to expect.”

  She’d also used the site’s payment calculator to figure out exactly how much she could afford. Her credit was good, so she didn’t think getting a loan would be an issue. But after seeing the prices of even the used vehicles and running them through the calculator, she was worried.

  A gray SUV came up the holler, slowing when it reached the house. The driver’s window rolled down, and Eli grinned up at her and Fred. “Morning. Campbell’s Taxi at your service, ma’am. Fred. You two ready?”

  Her grandfather chuckled. “There’s no ‘you two’ to it. I’m too old to spend the day bickering with a car salesman. I’ve been invited up to Floyd’s to do some fishing, and I think I’ll take him up on that.”

  Haley laughed. “Fishing, huh? More like sitting on the porch that’s fifty feet away from a pond and gossiping.”

  “Get on with you, girl. Young man, you take care of her, you hear?”

  “I will, sir.”

  After ducking inside to get her purse, she came back out and placed a quick kiss on Fred’s cheek. “Call if you need me, okay?”

  He caught her hand before she could leave. “Have fun today.”

  She smiled at him. “I will.”

  Once they were heading down the holler, she looked around the vehicle. “This is nice. But good lord, you need an engineering degree to be able to know what all the buttons and gadgets and screens do. Please tell me this isn’t the norm for new cars these days.”

  “Sorry, ma’am. I’m afraid it is.” He smiled at her. “You’ll adjust fast enough.”

  Haley wasn’t so sure. “I think this is going to be a huge learning curve.”

  “I’m sorry it happened before you were ready to replace the Hulk, but at the same time, I’m glad you’ll be in something newer this winter. That’s assuming Archer doesn’t work his magic and revive it. He called right as I was leaving home and said it was there, and he was getting ready to go over it.”

  She blew out a breath. “I don’t know if I want it to be fixable or not.”

  “I understand that.” He slowed to make the turn onto the secondary road. “I hope we can help you today.”

  “You already have. I mean that.”

  She watched him drive, hoping she could pass off her curiosity as part of her interest in the vehicle. But while that was part of it, her interest was mostly in the driver. He handled the SUV very competently, which wasn’t a surprise. That he didn’t seem interested in hot-dogging any or speeding, that did surprise her. Not a lot, but some.

  By the time they reached the main road a couple of minutes later, she was starting to get a little concerned. Eli was being very quiet. Too quiet.

  “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

  He shrugged and sent her a rueful smile. “Yes, I think so. Noah and I had a talk before I left, and I wasn’t really ready for it.”

  She grimaced. “Not a fight, surely?”

  “No. Just a talk, but it was emotionally charged. Something that was long overdue. Part of what he said is weighing on me a bit. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so somber.”

  “Well, and I simply expect you to be charming and funny all the time,” she told him, her eyes crossed as she stuck her tongue out, causing him to laugh. “Is there anything I can do?”

  He relaxed a little. “No. But thank you. It’s just going to take some time to process. I wasn’t expecting to hear what he said, and I don’t know what to do about it. I’m not sure there’s anything I can do, and I guess that’s hitting me the hardest.”

  “Does he think you should be doing something?”

  “No.”

  His face was full of guilt. Whatever had been said, it must have been significant.

  “But you do. This has to do with Sophie, doesn’t it?” she asked.

  Eli glanced at her with surprise. “How’d you know?”

  Haley lifted a shoulder. “Lucky guess.”

  He rubbed his jaw. “It does. And that’s really all I can say. I promised Noah I wouldn’t discuss it with anyone. I have to keep that promise. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. Hopefully things will work out.”

  “Hopefully. Okay, enough about that. This is a happy day. Are you excited? Just a little?”

  She smiled reluctantly. “Maybe a little. It is a new car, after all.”

  “Any idea what you want?”

  “No. I was telling Gramps that it’s been so long since I even thought about cars, I don’t know what to look for. Obviously, the basics—gas mileage, warranty, accessibility. But all these new options that are available now… It’s very intimidating.”

  “I can help with that, or Archer can. I don’t want to get to the lot and then take over or come across as such. So you tell me how much help you want.”

  She thought about that. “Warn me if there’s something I’m missing or not considering? And don’t laugh if I ask stupid questions?”

  Eli shook his head. “Haley, I don’t think you could come up with a stupid question if you tried. You aren’t giving yourself enough credit.”

  She laughed. “You’re overestimating my smarts when it comes to cars. I know I’m intelligent, so I don’t mean that. I can use power tools, I can fix quite a few things around the house, and I’m not afraid of manual labor. But cars… they don’t make sense to me beyond the basics. If we’re being honest, I don’t find them that interesting.”

  She wrinkled her nose when he stared at her, his mouth open, stunned. Fortunately, they’d been stopped at a light when she’d made her pronouncement.

  “Haley. Cars aren’t boring. They’re hugely complex and beautifully simple machines that are as mysterious as an unread book and yet somehow familiar, too.”
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  In response, she lifted an eyebrow. “I guess you like to knit, huh? To explore different yarns and patterns and needles because they’re all so interesting? To feel the way certain colors change the fiber, and how different blends result in different textures?”

  He huffed out a breath, but his lips had turned up at the corners. “Fair enough.”

  Haley wouldn’t say she enjoyed the next couple of hours necessarily, but they weren’t as painful as she’d feared they might be. As she sat in the sales manager’s office signing papers that would bind her to her new car, she actually felt some measure of relief.

  Archer had been waiting for them on the sales floor when they went in, and from the get-go, he’d been impressively straightforward. The first thing he’d done was walk them back to the service bay where the Hulk sat.

  “I can resurrect it if you want. Shoot, any really good mechanic can with time and money. But given what Eli explained of your situation, I’d recommend against it.” He walked her around the car, showing her what he’d found. In addition to the dead engine, he confirmed Eli’s thoughts on the transmission, then pointed out rust issues with the undercarriage and exhaust system, worn tie-rod ends, and more.

  “Out of curiosity, I checked your rotors and brake pads. Those were fairly new, but the rotors are worn to the point that I wouldn’t feel safe driving it any distance. I definitely wouldn’t let my wife or children drive it. All the belts and hoses need replaced as most of them have issues with dry rot, and your tires are on the iffy side, as well. All in all, you’re probably looking at three or four thousand to get her safely back on the road. I’m sorry.”

  Haley wasn’t expecting anything different, and she told him as much. “I do appreciate you showing me this, though, and not just trying to shove a new car down my throat. Even though I’m not a car person, I can see the validity in what you’re saying.”

  She’d have to be blind not to. There were holes on the undercarriage where rust had eaten away, and she knew from experience with a leaky supply hose to the washing machine how dangerous and destructive dry rot could be.

  Archer shrugged. “I don’t want you to have any questions after we’re finished. I know what it’s like to have to give up a vehicle before you’re ready. This one’s been well maintained, but there’s only so far maintenance will get you sometimes.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?” she asked with a sigh and one last regretful look at the Hulk. “Well, now that that’s out of the way, what do you have to show me?”

  He smiled. “I have a couple of options I hope you’ll like. How do you feel about something that’s gently used?”

  Haley smiled back. “Considering that this one had over a hundred thousand miles on it when I got it? I’m perfectly happy with gently used.”

  In the end, she’d gone with the first one he’d shown her—a crossover SUV in a light, jade-green. It had a smidge over twenty thousand miles on it, which to Haley’s mind meant it was barely broken in.

  “One of the owner’s daughters drove this for a couple of years. It gets great gas mileage, has excellent safety ratings, and we can make you a good deal on it,” Archer said, handing her the keys. “Take a look.”

  “Leather seats?” she asked as she slipped inside. “Wow. I’m afraid to ask how much it is.”

  “Don’t be,” he said, and told her the price.

  Haley frowned. The number seemed way too low. “What’s the catch?”

  “The catch is, it was wrecked. She got hit by an idiot who was backing out of a driveway and didn’t look. The right rear panel’s been replaced, but the frame is solid. I printed out a report on it for you. It’s there on the dashboard so you can see the insurance claim information.”

  Haley looked to Eli, who was nodding.

  “That makes sense,” he said. “People don’t like buying cars that have been wrecked, even if the damage was minimal. Too many people have been burnt.”

  “And that’s why the report is so important,” Archer told her. “You can see exactly what happened. It keeps everyone honest.”

  Between that, the trade, and Archer managing to get her the family discount, Haley felt she’d given more than a fair price for the vehicle. Her budget wouldn’t take as bad a hit as she’d feared, though it would still be dented, and that knowledge lifted weight off her shoulders. As a matter of fact, as she handed the signed papers back to the sales manager, she almost felt like she’d gotten too good of a deal. Almost.

  Eli and Archer were waiting on her outside the office, along with a petite, dark-haired woman who had her arm around Eli’s waist. He was grinning down at her with affection, which she clearly returned.

  As Haley joined them, she felt an unpleasant stab of jealousy and disappointment that she quickly masked.

  “Done?” Eli asked.

  “Done. It’s mine and the bank’s.” She let out a sigh. “I can’t thank you both enough. I know you went above and beyond to help me out on this. I won’t forget that.”

  Archer waved the words away. “We’re more than happy to help. I hope you enjoy it,” he said as a tall, dark-haired man around Archer’s age joined them.

  “Well, hello,” Sawyer Evans said to Haley, smiling widely. “Fancy meeting you here. Did they get you taken care of?”

  To her surprise, the brunette pulled away from Eli to lean against Sawyer in a more intimate hug.

  “Yes, they did. How in the world are you?” Sawyer had been her patient a year ago after knee surgery. Something clicked in Haley’s memory, and as she looked at the way Sawyer was standing with the other woman, she put two and two together. “Wait a second. Oh, my gosh. You’re Sydney’s Sawyer? That means you’re Sydney!”

  The brunette grinned at her cheekily. “I am.” She held out her hand. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for weeks now. Hi.”

  “Hi.” Haley took the hand, feeling like an idiot, and she knew her cheeks were blooming with color. “I never put the name together when Eli was telling me about the wedding, that you’d married Sawyer. Congratulations, by the way.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You know Sawyer?” Eli asked. He shifted his weight carefully from his left leg to his right.

  “I do. He was in therapy last year. How’s the knee?” she asked the retired state trooper.

  “Doing great. I didn’t know you were Eli’s therapist or I would have swung by to say hello. It’s been a crazy few weeks, and I guess I missed your name in all the chaos,” Sawyer said.

  “He’s mentioned her a thousand times,” Sydney said teasingly, looking up at him. “So has Grandma.”

  Eli glowered at Sydney as his face turned bright red. “A thousand times is a bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think?”

  Far from being cowed, Sydney simply lifted an eyebrow. “No. I don’t. So what did you end up getting?” she asked Haley as she held out her hand again. “Show me? I love new cars.”

  “Sure.” Haley glanced over her shoulder at Eli as they walked away. He was shaking his head, rubbing at the back of his neck, a signal Haley knew meant he was embarrassed.

  “He’s fine,” Sydney assured her. “He just doesn’t want you to realize he has a crush on you.”

  Haley nearly tripped over her own feet. “He what? No.”

  The look Sydney sent her was assessing and thorough for all it’s brevity. “Sure he does. He won’t be pushy about it, though.”

  “No, he has his family for that,” Haley blurted out before she could think. Horrified, she clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”

  But far from being offended, Sydney was holding her sides as she laughed. “You’re exactly right. So do you like him back?” she asked when her mirth died down enough that she could speak.

  Feeling like she’d fallen into another universe
, Haley struggled for words. “He’s my patient.”

  Sydney’s smile softened. “I know. And I know that presents a bit of a dangerous position for you. But once he’s discharged…?”

  “I’m sure he’ll have other distractions to deal with once he’s discharged.” She ignored Sydney’s knowing look as she used the remote to unlock the new car. “Here it is.”

  “Ooh, pretty. I love the color. Do you mind if I get in?” Sydney asked.

  “Not at all.”

  She opened the door and sat down, inhaling deeply. “I love that smell. If I weren’t a practical soul at heart, I’d get a new car just to experience it again. But mine’s only two years old, and I can’t really justify replacing it.”

  When Haley laughed, Sydney sent her a quizzical look.

  “You just don’t seem like a practical soul to me, that’s all,” Haley told her with a grin. “An imp maybe, but not practical. Did you really steal Archer’s car when you were fifteen?”

  “Been trading stories with Eli, have you?” Sydney asked with a wink. “And yes, I did. I’m assured that means my own children will be hellions. This is a cute car, Haley. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” Haley studied her. “I hope I didn’t offend you. My brain’s a little fried from the last couple of days.”

  Sydney shook her head as she got out and closed the door. “Not at all. I’m hard to offend. And I’m the one who should be apologizing. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Eli’s like a brother to me, and I have to tease him.”

  “You’re very lucky in your family, I think,” Haley told her. “At least from what I’ve seen.”

  “I am. I have a great family. Noisy, blustery, nosy, and turbulent from time to time, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.” She looked across the way to where Archer, Sawyer, and Eli had come out of the building and were talking. “How much has he told you about himself?”

  Haley clasped her hands together loosely and shrugged. “Some. I know he’s working his way back into being part of the family. Why?”