Key in the ignition, she turned it. Nothing happened.
She eyed the temperature gauge. It hadn’t moved. Of course it hadn’t. She didn’t have the car on.
“No.” She hit the steering wheel, hoping the trick might work a second time. Turned the key again. Nothing.
“Mom?” Ollie asked. “Should I go get Mr. Gavin?”
“No.” Molly tried again.
Nothing. Ugh.
Of all the things she needed? This was not one of them. She dropped her forehead to the steering wheel.
Counted to ten.
One more try. She turned the key. Nada. Nope. Nothing.
A quick look in the rearview mirror and her gaze met her son’s. She heaved a sigh. Resigned. “I guess let’s see what Mr. Gavin knows about cars.”
CHAPTER 6
MOLLY
This was not a walk of shame.
It wasn’t.
More like a saunter of shame up Gavin’s cute little sidewalk to his front door.
Molly lifted her hand to the doorbell attached to the stucco exterior, pressing the button.
“I think we can just go in,” Ollie said, reaching for the doorknob.
Molly shook her head. “We can’t just walk into someone
else’s house.”
Affronted, Ollie lifted his finger to point to the house. “We were just in there.”
“And now we’re not.” Molly did her best to use her not-the-time-to-argue tone, but it came out weak even to her ears.
The door swung open, and Gavin stood across the threshold. A brief look of shock passed over his face before an odd smirk settled on his mouth. “Back for more?”
Oh, yes, please.
The internal monologue thing? Not helping.
“Mom wants to know what you know about cars,” Ollie said, since Molly’s tongue had stopped working.
Turned out, not a lot. But Gavin had the phone number to a mechanic and tow truck, which was how Evelyn ended up watching the boys a teensy bit longer and Molly ended up being driven to Brothers Automotive by Gavin Frank. Gavin, who skillfully inserted himself in her crisis of the moment.
The initial problem? Just a battery. She needed a new one. That’s why it hadn’t started.
The deep-down issues? Varied and many. Starting with the need for a new radiator, coolant something, some kind of plug thing, and a hose doohickey.
Also, two bottles of wine and a table to curl up under and cry.
She was in a professional garage with tools and lifts and tires, but all she saw was the bottom line on the paper in front of her. It was a big bottom line.
