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“Son, you look likely to fall off this damn chair.” Earl peered intently at me. “Is there someone I can call?”
An image of Holden darted through my brain. He’d asked that yesterday and meant it too. He was helpful and caring and couldn’t fathom a world where a person had run out of favors, where there wasn’t a line of hands waiting to offer assistance. He’d have been only too happy to call someone to take me off his hands the day before, and then finding no one, he’d settled in to wait for me, another good deed to add to his ever-growing horde of them. Pity. God, how I hated pity.
“No.”
“Whelp.” Earl’s resigned grunt echoed my own. “I can store your rig for the time being. The RV dealer is closed today on account of a show this weekend in Portland, but I can get you a ride to a motel. You can check out his stock first thing tomorrow. Reckon you need a nap anyway.”
“No nap. No ride. I’ll…call someone.” I was lying, but I pulled out my phone, turning it over in my hand like I was trying to decide among a crowd of contacts who would get the privilege of bailing me out. Me. I’d do it.
But Earl wasn’t buying. She shook her head and pointed at the phone. “Uh-huh. Go on then.”
Fuck. Now I was stuck. Calling Monroe would make the most sense, but I already owed him several favors. Didn’t want to add to the debit there or end up with Knox and Frank hovering over me, either one. Scrolling my phone, I landed on my most recent contact.
“Guess there’s Holden.”
“Yes, there’s Holden now.” Earl’s voice was almost too encouraging. Fuck. How bad off did I look?
“I meant a phone call. No guarantee he’s around.” I tried to temper Earl’s enthusiasm, but she was already standing.
“No need. Professor Justice just pulled in.” She pointed at the pumps, where, sure enough, a familiar Mustang parked near the closest pump. “Come on, let’s go tell him your dilemma.” She motioned at me before yelling at the pump attendant. “Tommy, go fill Professor Justice’s tank and get his windshield too.”
“Howdy, Professor.” Earl greeted him with the same wide smile she’d had for me before pity had softened her gaze and I’d become her pet project. “My new friend here was looking for you.”
“Was he?” Holden gave me a pointed look over the rim of his sunglasses. “Thought I recognized your RV over there in Earl’s garage. I needed gas anyway, so I thought I’d see if you needed a hand.”
“He does,” Earl answered for me. “His rig’s a goner. Toast. Darn shame.”
“I’m fine.” I waved a hand, then had to wince from the sharp pain in my neck. “Just need a ride.”
“Sure. Where to?”
I reviewed my finances in my head yet again. “Cheapest motel. Don’t care about quality. All I need is a place to think. I’ll come up with a plan.” Somehow.
“Hop in.” Holden pointed at the passenger seat.
“Your belongings are safe enough here for the time being, but you’ll want to come collect them before too long.” Earl’s tone was matter-of-fact, but it still underscored how totally screwed I was. A clock was ticking, and I couldn’t lose my gear too.
“Thanks.” I opened the passenger-side door. God, I hoped Earl wasn’t a hugger. I might not survive that. “I’ll…figure something out.”
“You will.” Earl settled for a firm pat on my uninjured shoulder as I slid into Holden’s car. “See you soon.”
“Where were you due next?” Holden asked as the pump attendant washed his already-sparkling windshield. “Got another gig scheduled?”
“Not at present.” My voice came out all cagey, and an investigator like Professor Justice wouldn’t miss that detail. I kept my eyes trained on my hands, not wanting to give him any other clues as to how rattled I felt.
“Why are you so all fired up to leave town then?”
“Monroe and Knox have new guests arriving, and I don’t wanna be a burden on anyone. I’ll sort this out. I’m almost out of funds, but if I can get into Portland, I can probably find some day work, get my cash reserves back up. I worked enough manual labor and construction jobs before the military that I can usually count on getting something short-term. I’ve done it before.”
There. I had a plan. Wasn’t a half-bad one. I looked up, only to find Holden watching me with a soft smile that made my neck prickle.
“I have a better idea.”
I was sure he did and equally sure I would hate it.
Chapter Seven
Holden
“I need a roommate,” I blurted, far less gracefully than I’d planned, but Cal looked ready to bolt out of the car at any second.
“Do you now?” He regarded me solemnly, a harsh stare that had me shifting in the driver’s seat. Cal wasn’t wrong in his skepticism. Need was a major stretch. However, the second I’d seen his RV here at the garage, I’d known I couldn’t leave Cal to flounder on his own, even if Chief Prickly might prefer that.
