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“He went to grab a drink. What’s up?”
Embarrassment makes me tuck my chin. Sometimes I feel as worthless as I’ve been told I am.
No. You’re not worthless. You’re a good person, a good mom. You’re doing what you can. I snark back to the inner voice that doesn’t ever let the fuck up.
Straightening my shoulders and lifting my chin, I say, “My rental was canceled because I didn’t check in. I wanted to see if I could stay in my camper for the night at the garage until I can reach the landlord for the property to see if they’ll reinstate my reservation.”
Harlan’s shaking his head before I finish explaining. “Honey, your camper is well and truly fucked. It’s not safe to run and it’s too cold for you to stay in tonight without heat. Especially with her.” He tips his chin down to my daughter and defeat drags my shoulders down.
He must see something on my face because he says, “It’s gonna be okay. I have an apartment situated over my garage. It’s not much, but you can stay there until you figure out what’s going on with your camper and rental.”
Why would he offer up his garage apartment to me? He doesn’t know me, or where I came from. Are people in this town really this nice or is there something else going on?
I cut a glance at his brother trying to read what’s going on.
“Our mama would about roll over in her grave if we didn’t offer a place to stay to a woman and her baby fresh out of an accident. Har’s a good guy. There are no strings attached to the offer. My wife and I would have you stay with us, but we don’t have the room.”
My eyes start to sting and my nose tingles at the kindness of these strangers.
I’m so fucking tired of this. Of the struggle of moving from one place to another. Of trying to figure out and find enough money to keep us going. Sure, I have my work, but it’s not like I’m rolling in cash and traveling the country with a baby isn’t cheap.
Every part of me wants away from Harlan, not because he’s been unkind, or cruel, but because of who he is to this town. He’s a danger to me and my peace of mind. If he knew…
“Thank you, but no.” I cannot stay with him. There has to be some other way for me to figure out what to do.
But I don’t have anyone to call or anywhere to go. Even if I did have somewhere to go, I have no way to get there.
Harlan’s hazel eyes are on me. Again, I’m hit with the sensation that he’s staring through me, seeing everything that’s ever happened to me, and I bristle against the foreign sensation.
A shiver works its way down my arms. If it’s this cold in the hospital, what does it feel like outside? There are no rooms available at the resort in this town, or at the local bed and breakfast. It’s too cold for me to subject my daughter to — if it was just me, that’d be one thing, but it’s not. I have no options.
“Are you sure?” I ask, quietly, ashamed at needing to take a hand out.
I’m supposed to be a strong independent woman, one who’s a great role model for my daughter, but here I am, being saved by someone else.
“Of course I’m sure,” he says, his voice confident and strong where my question was meek.
“Thank you.”
A beautiful brunette turns the corner and calls out, “Hey, guys,” before stepping into Harlan’s brother’s arms. She turns to me.
“You must be Maisie. I’m Jem, Boone’s wife.” She waggles her thumb at Harlan’s brother, and I commit the faces to names — or try to. There are too many of them to keep straight right now.
“Sorry to hear about your camper, but I’m really glad you and your daughter are okay. Harlan texted me and asked me to pick a new car seat up for your baby. I think I got the right model based off the picture, but I’ll have you look at it and exchange it if it’s not right.”
I gape at her, my mouth hanging open. “You bought Audra a car seat?” I ask dumbly.
“Yeah. Har said that you can’t use that one now that it’s been in an accident. It’s no trouble,” she says kindly. Her voice is cheerful and smooth, like she doesn’t have a worry in the world and that’s the final straw as tears start cascading down my cheeks.
I hastily wipe at the drips before saying, “Thank you. Let me know how much it cost and I can pay you for it.”
She waves her hand through the air. “Don’t worry about it.”
But I am going to worry about it. I cut a glance to Harlan to try to read his face, but the only expression that I can decipher is worry. He’s either worried about his sister-in-law being dragged into my orbit or he’s pitying me for being such a mess.
Either way, there’s nothing I can do about it and worrying about what he thinks of me is stupid. I’m not staying in this town, and the second I have reliable transportation and a place to stay, I’ll leave.
“Come on. You can come take a look at the seat and then we’ll swing by your camper to pick up what you and your daughter need to stay at Harlan’s.” Jem loops her arm through mine like we’re best friends, and I flinch at the contact.
