“Evening, deputy,” I greeted, digging my hands into the pockets of my dirty jeans.
That was the thing being a grease monkey, my hands were always stained. I had holes in my jeans and seemed to always smell of coolant.
“Hi, Chris,” he greeted.
“What brings you over here? Thought you’d be off sleigh riding or decorating cookies or something,” I suggested, grimacing at the idea.
“On my way now. You knocked off for the night?”
“Just finished,” I told him.
“Any chance you wanna do one more run out in your tow truck?” he asked, and I knew I wasn’t saying no.
“Where am I headed?”
“About thirty miles out. Car slid off the road. Looks like it’s okay, just down the shoulder and needs to be pulled out.”
“Won’t know for sure until we get it out if it’s damaged,” I grumbled. “Where’s the driver?”
“In the back. She and her daughter are fine. A bit shaken and cold, but they’re okay.”
“You taking them to Sips on Main?” I suggested, bending down and peering through the window.
A woman was in there looking up at me with wide, hopeful eyes. She looked tired and worn out, or maybe it was the adrenaline crash. A fright like skidding off the road would shake anyone up. Lying in her lap was a bundle of blonde curls. They were snuggled together, and I found myself glad they were okay. Even if their car was a bit banged up and worse for wear, at least they got to walk away from it in one piece. That didn’t always happen especially not in this type of weather.
“Yeah. You alright to get their car back here and take a look?”
How could I say no? Guess my beer would have to wait. “Sure. You got the keys?”
Deputy Mitchell knocked on the window startling her. When her eyes went wide and her face paled, I felt like I’d been sucker punched in the stomach. There was something about her that made me want to help. Made me want to protect her. Made me want to make it all better. I stepped back as the deputy opened the door, and I watched as she carefully resettled the little girl on the seat and climbed out.
Her hair was damp and curls settled around her face. Her black puffer jacket pulled tight across her chest with a bright red scarf wound around her neck.
“Holly, this is Chris. He’s the mechanic I was telling you about,” Dennis introduced us.
I thrust out my hand, wishing I’d taken the time to scrub them clean. She surprised me though. Even with her obviously expensive jacket, she didn’t hesitate and set her soft palm in mine, shaking it confidently.
“Hi.” She smiled before releasing her grip and stuffing her hands in her pockets.
“Hey.”
“Chris is going to run out and get your car out of the ditch for you. He’ll tow it back here and give it the once over for you,” the deputy explained.
“Oh. Thank you. That’s amazing. Are you sure I’m not putting you out? I know it’s late and you’re probably already closed for the night …”
Her babbling was adorable.
“It’s fine. I didn't have any plans, so it’s all good,” I attempted to reassure her.
When the little girl climbed out of the car, she snuggled against her mother. “This is Noelle,” Holly introduced, beaming with pride.
Noelle was just as cute as her mother. The apples of her cheeks were red, matching her button nose. She was all bundled up with a beanie, scarf, and mittens.
“Mom, I’m hungry,” Noelle complained.
“Just a minute, sweetheart,” Holly told her.
“Look, why don’t you head on up to Sips on Main? It’s warm there, I’m sure they’ll have the fire roaring, and they have food. I’ll go grab your car and then come find you to let you know how I went,” I suggested, trying to be helpful.
