“Thanks, Mike.” She frowns across the restaurant as she gives me my receipt. She does seem to be agitated, just as Sierra said.
“What’s wrong, Sylvia?”
“Nothing that’s your fault.” She winces. “There are guys who think a single woman with a child is an easy score.”
I shake my head. “Bryan thinks all women are easy scores. Actually, I think he believes he’s irresistible.”
Sylvia smiles a little. “He’s very easy to resist.”
I have to like the sound of that. Our gazes meet and hers seem to glow a little. I could drown in this woman’s eyes, no doubt about it.
The glow fades. “I’m guessing Sierra wanted something, given how she targeted you as soon as you stepped in the door.”
I smile. “She wants me to fix something.”
“What?”
I show Sylvia my phone, scrolling through the sequence of pictures Sierra sent. They’re all of the same vintage turquoise trailer, which has been lovingly restored and is sweetly funky, inside and out. The pictures are all annotated with emojis and exclamation marks, with her spaces in the trailer circled and embellished with pink hearts.
Sylvia flushes. “She’s not subtle.”
“I think she likes it,” I say deadpan and Sylvia laughs a little.
“Thank you for the suggestion. A trailer is a good solution. We’d be close to Una but on our own. I’d like to be sure before I commit to this one, though.”
“Sure of what?”
She averts her gaze, choosing what to tell me. “I don’t know much about mechanicals, how things like solar panels and compostable toilets work, how to know if they’re not good quality.”
It sounds more like an excuse than a reason, and I think our daughter has good instincts.
“Lynn and Mindy have an excellent reputation.”
“I know. You probably wouldn’t have recommended them otherwise. But I’m not sure if it will be too much for us to maintain.” She wrinkles her nose. “And I hate asking banks for anything.”
“How much is it?”
She takes a breath and surrenders a number. I’m surprised. My truck cost more.
But I don’t really have any expenses. I live in the house on the property. I don’t take vacations and I don’t eat out a lot, so my salary pretty much just piles up in the bank – except for when I need a new truck. Sylvia, on the other hand, has been paying rent in Toronto and raising a daughter.
“You’re surprised,” she says, watching me. “Do you think it’s too much?”
“I’ve never bought a trailer before,” I admit. “But it’s less than my truck cost.”
“Let me guess. You bought it new off the lot and paid cash.”
“Well, yeah.” I think of another variable then. “How many klicks on your Subaru?”
“The odometer stuck at two hundred and forty thousand, and that was a while ago. I’ve been trying to save for a new-to-us car.”
And now the trailer. “How much of a down payment will they want?”
“Most of what I have.” She lowers her gaze. “Ilovethis solution, but I don’t have the money myself. I can’t ask Una, not when she’s in the midst of her treatment.” That’s fair. “I want Sierra to have her space, but I don’t have good luck at banks.” She folds her arms across her chest and looks rueful. “I doubt I make the kind of money you do.”
“And you’ve been supporting a daughter,” I say gently. She flushes, uncertain where I’m going with this, but my path is crystal clear. “It’s my turn, Sylvia. Let me pay for it.” I raise a hand when she starts to object. “I want to do my part.”
“It’s too much, Mike.”
