Just turned twenty-seven,she thought, thinking back to her birthday dinner a few months earlier when her world had come tumbling down. Shit. There were those damn tears again. She angrily wiped them away and took a moment. There was no point in crying. No point in remembering. There was just . . . no point.
Faith tugged on the brim of her ball cap, then lowered it as much as she could without impairing her vision. With her backpack firmly in place, she signaled Taco to sit and went inside.
The diner wasn’t as big as she’d first thought, with a smattering of tables, three of which were occupied by two couples and a lone male with his back turned to her. That left three open tables and a long counter that sat at least ten. Currently, all of the stools were free except the one farthest away, where a woman sat, hunched over, busy on her phone. Faith walked over, stopped a few feet from her, and waited patiently. After several moments, the woman sitting on the stool glanced up, obviously surprised to see Faith there.
Her platinum hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she wore glasses that sported a thick black frame. The glasses amplified eyes frosted with bright blue eyeshadow and enough mascara to last a week. Her face was lined around the mouth and eyes, and her lips were a bright, shiny pink. A leopard print shirt was a tad too tight across the breasts, and a pink bra poked over the top, while her light blue jean shorts were about an inch less than respectable.
The folks sitting at the table were very interested in Faith, but she ignored them as best she could and smiled at leopard print lady.
“Oh my,” the woman said, getting up quickly, smoothing her top and tucking it into her shorts. “I’m so sorry, honey.” She smiled widely and winked. “But I’m trying to beat my husband at this silly game we play, and I only had five minutes to get my answers in.” As she spoke, her eyes slowly made their way down Faith’s body until they settled back onto her face. There was no judgment. Only curiosity.
“What can I get you?”
Faith did a mental inventory of her financial situation and decided to keep things simple. “Any specials?”
The woman nodded. “We’ve got a chicken wrap with roasted potatoes and salad or soup as a side. It’s creamed cauliflower and cheese. Frank made it fresh this morning and I don’t mind saying he’s real good at making soup.”
“How much?” Faith’s stomach rumbled.
“Ten dollars.”
“I’ll take the wrap with soup.” Faith dug through her bag and handed over a bill, then pointed toward the window. “I’m sitting outside.”
“No worries, I’ll bring it out as soon as Frank whips it together.” The woman cranked her head. “That your dog?”
Faith nodded.
“I’ll bring him some water.”
“Thank you,” she murmured and then headed back to her table. Once there, she retrieved Taco’s small bowl and added a scoop of dry kibble. While the dog happily inhaled his dinner, she sat with her back to the window and tried to relax.
It was hard to do. She was strung tighter than a snake about to strike.
“Here you are, sweetie.” The woman set down a bowl of water for Taco, and as the dog eagerly lapped it up, she stood and watched. “My name’s Tully.” She offered a smile, then glanced at the sad piece of luggage that contained everything Faith had to her name. “You looking to stay a while?”
Faith sighed and nodded. “My car broke down outside of town, so I guess I’m here for a while.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry. I hate spending money on vehicles. I mean, I’ll spend a fortune at the salon, but new brakes?” She shuddered and shook her head. “No thank you.” She frowned. “Burt Tannis could help you out, he owns the local repair shop though he doesn’t work Sundays or Mondays. He should be back at it by Tuesday.”
“I don’t think it’s worth being fixed, but who knows. At the very least I should get it towed. In the meantime, I need a place to crash, and I chatted with an older gentleman who said you might be able to point me in the right direction. He told me that you have no motels?” She was hoping maybe he was wrong, but when the woman shook her head, Faith fell back in her chair.
“The nearest motel is the next county over, but I wouldn’t let your dog stay there.” Her eyes widened, and she whispered, “Bed bugs.”
Faith cringed and made a face.
“There is the Lawson House in town. It’s a big old, beautiful place that’s been converted into apartments and I know for a fact there’s one that’s vacant. Jenny Oakes used to rent it, but shemet a man at The Dock and up and left with him just last week. They’re fully furnished so you wouldn’t have to worry about that sort of thing, and I’m sure Candy would love to have it occupied sooner than later. Gus can take you when you’re done dinner.”
“Gus?”
Tully looked over Faith’s shoulder. “Oh, shoot. Frank’s arms are waving like he’s in the middle of a pack of bees.” She smiled at Faith. “Your dinner must be up. I’ll be right back.”
Taco nudged her hand with his wet nose, and she sank her fingers into the fur behind his ears. Absently, she scratched at him, mustering about as much energy as she had. It had been a long day and an even longer week.
When had everything gone so wrong?
Angry at herself, Faith sat up and took a moment to clear her head. “On to better things,” she whispered to herself just as Tully appeared with her order. It smelled heavenly, and she blushed when her stomach growled so loud that Tully giggled.
“My, you are in need of sustenance, but no worries you’re in the right place.” She set down the plate and bowl of soup. “Frank might bark like a dog,” she glanced down at Taco, “no offense, but he sure as heck knows his way around a kitchen.” She handed Faith a napkin and salt and pepper, then backed away. “Now you eat and fill that belly right up and I’ll send Gus over in a bit.”
