“Let go,” she said in a quiet, intense voice.
He tightened his grip. Again, it seemed as though something had slowed her thoughts. Gradually it dawned on Aubree that she wasn’t helpless. Her car keys remained clutched in her free hand. Molasses thought crystalized to lightning-fast action and she slammed the handful of jagged metal into the back of the man’s hand.
“Owwww, hey, bitch, what are you doing?”
“I only ask once,” she replied primly. “You had your shot to be polite. Now, are you going to get the hell away from me, or shall I hit you again?” She raised the bristling handful of metal. He recoiled, then as she watched, his face hardened.
“You got the jump on me, but you won’t do it again.” He hopped from the barstool and took a step forward. His howl had attracted attention around the bar, and patrons had turned to stare.
“Ms. Melville, is everything all right?” Yannely asked.
“No, actually,” Aubree replied, her voice calm but her eyes locked on the trucker.
“Damn right it’s not,” the trucker howled. “She stuck me with her keys, the bitch. Look, I’m bleeding. All I wanted to do was talk to ‘er.”
Yannely looked from Aubree to the man and back, uncertain what to do. Aubree drew in a deep breath, preparing to explain, when another voice cut into the confrontation. “Sounds as though the lady doesn’t want to talk.”
Aubree allowed her attention to be diverted from the grabby trucker to the blessed face of Rick Lawrence, beard, long hair and all. “Thank God,” she muttered under her breath.
A flash of movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention back to the trucker, who lunged her direction. Rick shoved the man hard on the shoulder, changing his trajectory so he stumbled away into the main seating area of the bar. He came to rest against the side of a table, knocking an aluminum and vinyl chair over as he passed. “What the hell, man?”
Rick didn’t answer. Instead, he looped an arm around Aubree’s waist and led her toward the door.
“Wait,” she protested. “I have to pay for my wine.”
“It’s on me,” Yannely offered. “For your troubles. Have a good evening, Ms. Melville, and get home quick. Bad weather’s on the way.”
“Just what I need,” Aubree muttered. “Thanks, hon,” she added in a louder voice. “Come in some time and I’ll get you a deal on an apartment.”
“Will do,” the bartender replied.
“You didn’t tell me you was datin’,” the trucker offered in a conciliatory tone. “Didn’t mean to poach, amigo.”
Aubree’s jaw dropped, and she whirled, ready to blast the bastard into submission, but Rick hauled her away. “Hold on,” she hissed.
“It’s not worth it,” he let her know, still moving her toward the door. “I could tell him, or you could tell him, that we’re not dating but you still don’t owe him anything, but he’d never understand it and the ensuing argument would accomplish nothing but to get you insulted with many ugly words. I’m sorry it happened. I’m ashamed on behalf of decent men everywhere, but save yourself the fight. I promise you, it’s not worth it.”
He shoved open the door and the chilly wind stole her angry retort right out of her mouth, carrying it far away to the prairie, where the grass whispered about it for hours.
As the wind bit into Aubree’s flesh again, she couldn’t resist the urge to snuggle into Rick’s warmth. “Sorry,” she muttered.
“Hey, it’s fine. I know it’s cold out here. I just might let you take advantage of my body heat… if you ask nicely.”
She giggled. “I just might take you up on your offer, if you promise not to get too attached.”
“Hey, no promises, sugar. Another few minutes of this and we might be joined at the hip permanently.”
She inhaled his cologne, still detectable despite the weather and his heavy leather jacket, and closed her eyes, letting him take over the lead and relinquishing her outrage for a more appropriate moment.
“You okay, Aubree?” he asked.
“I’m fine. It’s been a hell of a day, but once I get inside somewhere warm – like my house – I’ll be just fine.”
“We’d better hurry then. Your bartender friend was right. They’re predicting sleet and freezing rain.”
“Ugh.” Aubree opened her eyes and began to walk faster toward the welcome sight of Rick’s tow truck. Her mortally wounded Cavalier already dangled from the hook. “Definitely hurry. This place isn’t big on snow ploughs, and they never salt the roads. Once the mess starts, we’ll be stuck wherever we are until the temperature rises.”
“Shoot.” Having arrived at the truck, Rick opened the door to reveal that he’d left the vehicle running and the heater on. Blessed warmth tempted Aubree into the seat. Rick shut out the wind and a moment later vaulted up beside her, shifting the tow truck into gear and making his way out onto the road. The traffic had cleared out for the most part, so his unwieldy load did not cause any obstructions. As they turned left and headed toward the highway, he asked, “So what happened. I thought I told you to be careful with the tranny. Did it blow? I assume it did, based on the transmission fluid under the chassis.”
“It did,” Aubree agreed, “but it wasn’t my fault.”
“No?” Rick turned left again, merging into light traffic and quickly pulling into the second lane to avoid an oncoming rig. Though it honked, it sailed by them with several lengths to spare. Rick looked askance but refrained from comment – or gesture. “Pray continue, my lady. What could have caused such a mishap?”
She giggled. “Have you been drinking or something? Wait, you’re from Cali, right?”
“Yes, but I didn’t smoke anything, I swear. I just… well I felt like a knight for a minute, so I decided to go with it. You may not have realized, but I definitely have my silly moments. It embarrasses my daughter to no end, but I know she secretly likes it.”
“I like it too,” Aubree vowed. “Don’t stop. As to what happened, this asshole in a cattle hauler nearly ran me down, pulling out of the Red Baron lot without looking. I had to brake fast and swerve at the same time. I guess that was the last straw.”
“Sounds like it,” Rick agreed. “Did you get his license?”
“Nope. Too much cow poo on it. I couldn’t see. I tried to call the police, but my phone died. That’s when I decided to head into the bar and call for help.”
“A wise decision, Mr. Grabby aside. So, Aubree, what do you want to do now?” he asked.
Aubree squinted at the steely gray sky and her lips turned down. “I don’t know. Do you think you’ll have time to give me a ride home? I don’t want to be caught out in this, and I have no way to get there at this point.”
“It’d be a stretch,” Rick said, as tiny pellets of frozen rain began pinging against the windshield. “If someone could meet us at the shop, you might just make it… to their house. Can your sister pick you up?”
Aubree shook her head. “Her husband is out of town for training. She has three little kids. Even if I was selfish enough to ask her to load them all up and drive through the sleet, she’d refuse, and rightly so.” She inhaled and released a lungful of air. “I’ll be honest, Rick, I have no idea what I’ll do. Maybe I’ll hang out at my office until it stops? It’s close enough.”
Rick’s lips compressed. “Is it comfortable there?”
“No,” Aubree admitted. “It’s comfortable enough for work, but it’s not designed for sleeping, and it won’t warm up until tomorrow at the earliest.”
“I figured as much.”
The force of the sleet increased, falling onto the windshield with audible splats. “We might not even get as far as your office,” Rick added. “This isn’t looking too promising.”
“It sure isn’t,” Aubree agreed. “Well, how is your shop set up for overnight guests?”
“About like you’d expect,” Rick informed her.
They fell silent, contemplating their dilemma as the speed of highway traffic incr
eased. People rushed along the slushy road, trying to get somewhere, anywhere safe before it became too slippery to move. Rick exited the stream of vehicles and passed under the overpass onto city streets. Already, the wheels of Aubree’s car had lost traction, and tried to unbalance the driver inside the tow truck, but Rick’s strong, tattooed hands held steady on the wheel, refusing to let the truck fishtail.
“You drive on ice pretty well for a California boy,” Aubree commented to break the tension.
“My cousins live in Colorado,” he replied, then returned his intense focus to the road. Only a few blocks remained of their destination, but already Aubree could see his prediction had been correct. They would be lucky to get to the mechanic shop before the roads became impassible. Home would not be an option.
The last turn into the parking lot proved to be most treacherous. The car slid on its tires, trying to keep moving straight with momentum while the truck turned. Rick fought the fishtail and managed at last to manoeuver both vehicles into the parking lot. He made a beeline for the open garage door and managed to get his truck under cover. Her Cavalier hung out into the outdoors.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Rick commented. “It’s not like it will get more dead from getting sleeted on.” He cut the engine.
“Agreed,” Aubree said, even as her heart panged. “Let’s get ourselves inside before we freeze.” The cold air immediately made its way past the windows. Aubree hopped out of the cab and Rick hurried to the service door, fumbling the key into the lock and lurching into the darkened interior of the shop.
“Liz went home. Good. I hope she made it there safely. I sent her on her way when I saw the weather report.”
Aubree followed him inside and flipped on the light switch. “Call her,” she suggested. “Meanwhile, have you got a spare phone charger anywhere in here?”
“Sorry,” he said. “Unless you see one there under the counter, Liz took it with her. I’m not big on cell phones, I’m afraid. I like a landline better. Guess I’m a luddite.”
“Guess so,” Aubree agreed, ducking behind the counter but discovering no chargers. She turned to ask Rick if she could use his phone, but found he had already picked it up and begun pressing buttons. Aubree circled around to the waiting area and sank into one of the chairs, leaning her head against the wall. “What a day,” she muttered to herself.
“So you got home okay, princess?” Rick asked into the phone. “Well, that’s good. Glad to hear it. Take it easy and stay warm. I’m stuck here at the shop, but I’ll live. It’s not as bad as our camp in Kuwait. There’s coffee, a bit of food in the refrigerator, and the heater is running just fine.” He paused. “Okay, Liz. I love you. Have a good night.”
Something about the conversation touched Aubree’s heart. How would it be to have someone who loved you enough to say it casually? Even my family always seems to suggest their love comes with obligations. I don’t conform, so their love is something I should feel guilty about. I haven’t provided grandchildren, so I’m squandering my mother’s love, as though my own were not enough. She sighed, pushing away the self-pitying thoughts.
“Well, that’s all settled,” Rick said, diverting her attention back to him. “Liz is home safe and sound, wrapped in a blanket and ready for hot cocoa and a movie marathon.”
“She’s in better shape than we are,” Aubree commented, regarding the shop, “but I can’t complain. We have a roof and heat. Even coffee, so that’s not bad for emergency accommodations. Mind if I make myself a cup?”
“If this were Starbucks, I’d charge you five dollars,” Rick teased, his bright blue eyes twinkling.
“Hey, I’m a paying customer,” Aubree protested, teasing back.
Rick stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Well, you have a point. Perhaps we can discuss a discount.”
Aubree rolled her eyes. “Well, if that’s how you want to introduce yourself to the town, I guess.”
“You got that right, Ms. Melville. Fast, reliable towing and expensive gourmet coffee. It’s a new trend.”
Try though she might, Aubree could not conceal the inelegant snort that started in her belly and made its way up through her nose.
Rick laughed more at the sound than his own joke. “How could such a pretty little thing make such noises?” he demanded.
“You’re just jealous you’re not this awesome,” she shot back. Lord have mercy, I’m as silly as he is. It felt great to relax and not have to act professional all the time. That’s something I didn’t even realize I missed. Michelle and I used to be like this, but now… now she’s too busy. Most people are. They get wrapped up in their kids and forget about having a life of their own. That leaves those of us who have abstained with no one to talk to. Looks like everyone has adjustments, whether they have a family or not.
“You got mighty quiet there,” Rick pointed out. “Is everything all right?”
“Just thinking too hard, as usual,” Aubree admitted. “I’ve had some troubles lately, and my car is only one of them. It’s really dead, isn’t it?”
“Probably,” he informed her.
Aubree shrugged. “I guess old cars don’t last forever. My dad would be sad.” The words tightened her throat.
“Here,” Rick said, tucking a warm cup of coffee into her hands and sinking into the seat beside her.
Aubree shook off her malaise. “Are you sure I can afford this?” she asked, trying to recapture their previous lightness.
“I’ll take it off your bill if you answer me one question.”
Aubree considered with one eyelid lowered. “Sounds daunting. What question?”
“You know, I met your mother when I came to town,” he said by way of commencement.
“Oh, that was you she was telling me about?” Aubree interrupted. “I wondered. So you’re a veteran as well as a mechanic. No wonder she likes you. Go on.”
“And then your sister. Both assured me you were eager to meet someone, but you’re not, are you?”
Aubree shook her head. “Nope, not at all. I mean, I’m not closed to the possibility, but I’m far from looking.” Her lips pursed. “Why? I thought we were already clear on this.”
“We are,” he agreed, holding up his hands. “I’m not trying to pressure you, I swear. I’m just trying to understand. You seem friendly… at least when you’re not biting my head off.”
Aubree bit the inside of her cheek. “I don’t mean to be bitchy. I get a lot of pressure from both of them. It’s not your fault, and I’m sorry they dragged you into our family drama this way.”
He shrugged. “Every family has drama. It doesn’t bother me. But can you tell me one thing… why are you so opposed to dating. Aren’t you ever lonely?”
“Honestly?” Aubree regarded Rick with raised eyebrows, taking in his features. He’s so handsome, under that hipster style. Nice cheekbones, even a hint of a lantern jaw under all that fuzz. He’d clean up well.
“Honestly,” Rick replied, studying her with the same close attention.
“I’m not often lonely,” she said. “I don’t know if that means there’s something wrong with me, that I’m a loner or what. I work with people all day, so when I get home and the house is quiet, empty and pristine, it makes me happy. I have a cat for company, and if I really get the blues, I have no problem going out alone or calling one of my friends who live out of town. I don’t really feel my life is lacking anything. It all works for me at this point, so I feel like… why rock the boat?”
Rick nodded. “Fair enough. Though, there’s something to be said for not being needy, but meeting someone as equals, with firm footing. After all, it’s great to have someone to call on those odd times, isn’t it?”
“I suppose,” she said, pondering. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a relationship, but I do recall how when something good happened, it was nice to have someone to talk about it with, and if I had a hard day, to vent.”
“What went wrong?” he asked, compelling her with his irresistible ga
ze. “What put you off of men so badly? Did someone hurt you, Aubree?”
“No,” she replied. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, when my last relationship ended, I was a bit heartbroken, but it wasn’t one of those kind of situations. We both admitted we weren’t heading in the same direction, and we agreed neither of us loved the other enough to sacrifice for each other. I guess that’s when I realized that if I wasn’t willing to give up my life for someone, it wasn’t a very deep connection.”
Rick raked his fingers through the longish hair on the top of his head, pulling it back to reveal the shaved sides, and also the crinkles in the corners of his eyes. It’s such a young look for a man of his maturity. Interesting. I wonder what prompted this choice. The style wasn’t popular twenty years ago. “I suppose that’s one way to look at it. On the other hand, you could make a case that if people love each other, they will support each other’s success rather than competing. There are ways to make most things work, if you want it badly enough.”
Aubree screwed her lips to one side. “Trying to convince me?”
“Not really,” he replied. “I mean, the better I get to know you, the more I think we have potential to have a really good time together, but I can’t make you think so too, and I’d rather be friends than be pushy. Is friends a possibility?”
“Definitely,” she agreed. “I like you a lot, Rick. You’re nice to be around. Relaxing.” She considered his appearance again. Maybe a friend with privileges, though I have to be sure he can handle such a thing.
“Well, that’s good. It’s a start anyway. So, what is there to do in this town of yours?”
Aubree shrugged. “Not much. Eat out. Go to a movie. Hang with friends. It’s a limited range. Every now and again, the community college or high school has a play or concert. That’s about it.”
“Sounds fun,” he said dryly, “though the lack of gridlock is nice.”
Aubree nodded. “I lived in KC for a while, and discovered that I really hate traffic. Coming home made sense to me, though I miss the friends I made over there, and they rarely visit.” She sipped the coffee. Better finish it before it gets too cold. Despite the heater, the chill seeping in around the door made the lobby somewhat less than comfortable.
Flawed Perfection: A Collection of Winter Wishes Page 14