When we reach it, several miles later, the gas station has two aging gas pumps and a single garage. Miraculously, blessedly, there’s someone inside the tiny booth area. A twentysomething guy in a Cougars snapback, video from his phone throwing colored light back on his face. He puts the phone down and eyes Eden and me with curiosity.
“You have a repair shop?” I ask him.
“My aunt’s,” he says.
“We have a fuel pump issue.”
“She’s out of town till late tomorrow night.”
Well, shit. I look over at Eden; she mouths,Quilts.
“We can’t wait that long,” I say. “Any chance you could tow us somewhere that can help us right away?”
He gives me a skeptical glance. “Tomorrow’s Sunday, man. You’re not going to find anyone around here who’s going to take care of it on a Sunday. Your best bet’s to leave it here and Aunt Jane will take care of it first thing Monday.”
I turn to Eden. She can barely keep her eyes open, lashes fluttering against her cheekbones in long blinks as I watch. I want to pull her into my arms and let her rest against my chest.
She’s not yours to comfort,I remind myself.She’s a client’s ex. And if this wedding can still work out, you owe it to Hanna—and to all your siblings—to give that every chance to happen. And hugging the bride, touching your lips to her hair, breathing in her scent…doesnotsupport that goal.
“We could leave it here, try to get another rental?” I murmur to her.
“Yeah.” She sounds exhausted. “It’s not like we can drive it, can we?”
I hate the defeat in her voice, but I shake my head. We could nurse it a little longer, but it’s going to die on us at some point soon. She pulls out her phone, and I know she’s looking at Find My again.
“He still in Spokane?”
“Yeah?”
“What do you think he’s doing there?”
“I don’t know,” she says. “He grew up there. Maybe he still knows people?”
“In which case he might stick around a couple days.”
“He might?”
I make an executive decision, based on how bushed she looks—and how tired I am. I was up early this morning, too, and it’s almost 1:00 a.m. Icoulddrive another few hours, but by the time we lay hands on another car and get going…
“We should stay the night.” I look to Snapback Guy. “Where’s the nearest hotel?” I figure I’ll call an Uber to get us back here in the morning.
“My aunt rents the room over the garage,” he says. “Hundred bucks a night, clean sheets, pullout couch, full bath, hair dryer, fridge, microwave, TV. I’ll bring you takeout from the local diner at eight tomorrow morning, included.”
I look at Eden. She’s leaning against the wall, her face pale, circles under her eyes.
Normally I’m a chain-hotel kind of guy—and a luxury chain at that, but Eden’s blinks are getting longer and longer, and I need to see her cozy in a bed.
“We’ll take it,” I say.
12
Eden
Rhys unlocks the flimsy door with an actual metal key and makes a weird deflating-balloon noise when he looks inside.
I peer past him.
It’s not awful.
