Several people stood on the sidewalk and across the street as they watched the driver of the SUV stumble from the vehicle. As if it were no big deal, he started to walk away, but a bystander stepped in his path before he could get far. While the driver looked unfamiliar, Liv recognized the passenger who exited the vehicle. Linda Burke had been a party girl in high school, and judging by the fact that she was swaying more than the leaves on the trees during hundred-mile-an-hour winds, that hadn’t changed.
Neither the driver nor Linda was her immediate problem, though. Nope, the fact that the SUV had crashed into the catering van was.
This week just keeps getting better.
She didn’t know much about cars, but the van didn’t appear safe to drive. Even if it was drivable, she couldn’t show up to an event with the van in that condition. If not for all the people around, Liv would sit down on the sidewalk and cry.
“At least no one was injured,” Gina said to no one in particular.
Physically, no one was injured. Financially, it was another story. Sure, the insurance would help replace the catering van, and they could sue the SUV driver. But the insurance company wouldn’t help them make their upcoming weekend deliveries.
While they’d recently purchased a second delivery vehicle, it was currently in the garage for maintenance. Liv had specifically chosen this week for it to be there, as none of the events they were catering were large enough to require two vans. Unfortunately, she’d never fit everything in her VW Bug, and she had no friends with a vehicle large enough to transport everything.
“Gina, we should go. Otherwise, we’ll be late,” Blake said.
“You’re right.” Gina turned toward Liv. “We’ll be in touch soon with our menu choices.”
“Sounds great.” Liv forced a smile. What other option did she have? “Enjoy your afternoon.”
As she watched the police deal with the SUV driver and his passenger, Liv ran through her list of acquaintances who might have a vehicle large enough and would be willing to help her for at least today. She’d deal with tomorrow then. Only one came to mind, but Joan and her husband were on a cruise. She’d told Liv all about its itinerary when they’d run into each other last week.
With borrowing a vehicle ruled out, Liv pulled out her phone. The closest car rental agency was thirty-five miles away. With a bit of luck, something she hadn’t experienced this week, they’d have an SUV or a truck she could rent. If they didn’t, Liv had no idea what she’d do. A failure to deliver the order would not only mean wasted food and a refund to the customer, but it would also ruin Irene Carr’s retirement party—something she didn’t want to do because, honestly, she really liked Irene.
A lifetime later, or at least it felt that way, Liv watched as Frank Stratford parked his tow truck near the van and hopped out as she rubbed the throbbing pain over her left eye and racked her brain for a solution. If Emma or Phoebe was available, perhaps they could help her transport everything in their cars.
Rather than get to work, Frank walked over to her as she scrolled through her contact list for Phoebe’s number.
“What happened?” Frank’s father owned the only garage in Orchard Harbor. Rumor had it that Frank Senior planned to retire within the year and hand the place over to his eldest son. Much like the Middletons, the Stratford family was a staple in town.
“The catering van had the audacity to move in front of the SUV that Joel is getting ready to tow.” Liv gestured toward Frank’s cousin across the street. “Then the utility pole did the same, and the drunk idiot driving hit it too.”
She’d watched the police give Linda’s friend a sobriety test—something she’d only ever seen done on television. If not for the damage the man caused, she would’ve found the sight funny.
“You weren’t hurt, were you?” Frank asked as he examined the van’s damage more closely.
Liv shook her head. “I was inside when it happened. And, thankfully, no one was across the street either.” If there had been pedestrians on the sidewalk, the SUV might have hit them as well as the utility pole.
“Was the driver anyone we know?”
Much like her, Frank had spent his entire life in Orchard Harbor and seemed to know all the year-round residents and many of the individuals who’d owned summer homes in town for years.
“I don’t think so. I’ve never seen him before, but Linda Burke was with him.”
“He was probably the same guy I saw her with at the Northside Tavern last weekend. I heard Linda call him Doug. He could barely stand that night. There was another guy with them, and the two of them got into an argument about whether Doug could drive. Thankfully, Doug’s friend won.”
She’d never understood how people could be so irresponsible and get behind the wheel while drunk. “Too bad the friend wasn’t around today.” Maybe she wouldn’t be searching her brain for a solution if he had been.
Across the street, Joel waved before getting into his truck and driving away. A moment later, Frank returned to work, and she selected Phoebe’s number from her contact list.
When Phoebe’s voicemail picked up, Liv left a brief message and disconnected the call. “Hey, Frank, do you know anyone with an SUV or a van they’d let me borrow so I can make today’s delivery at least?”
“My sister-in-law drives a minivan, but she might be working. Her shift rotates. I can call her and check.”
“That would be great.”
Frank’s sister-in-law wasn’t originally from Orchard Harbor, and Liv knew very little about her, except that she worked as a nurse and was married to Frank’s younger brother. But as her mom would say, beggars can’t be picky. If she thought it would help, she’d cross her fingers and toes while Frank made his call.
She heard a car door close nearby as she waited for Frank’s sister-in-law to answer, but she didn’t turn around. If it was someone she knew, they’d stop to talk. Hopefully, though, it wasn’t. She didn’t feel like explaining what happened right now to someone else.
