Downfall(14)

The struggle was apparent on her face. She really needed her car fixed, but she didn’t want to be at this garage, or with me. Fortunately, logic and desperation won out and she released her hesitation with a sigh. She threw the door open and moved to get her daughter from the back seat. She was muttering under her breath the entire time, and I was shocked to realize I found her hissy-fit kind of cute. Ruffling her very pretty feathers was fast becoming one of my favorite forms of entertainment.

I flicked my fingers in acknowledgment to the Boss when he stuck his head out of the office to see what was going on. You could have heard a pin drop in the shop as everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the young mother carry her daughter up the stairs and disappear into the apartment that ran along the upper level of the entire building. I elbowed one of the gearheads who let out a loud wolf-whistle, causing Orley’s back to stiffen and shoulders to lock. She didn’t turn around and the door slammed shut. I glared at the young guy, whom the Boss had recently brought on after finding him trying to break into the legit garage one night.

Crawley rubbed his shoulder and glared at me. “What, dude? She’s smoking hot. I don’t usually go for moms, but she looks more like a model than a mother.”

I punched him in the arm for good measure and pointed a finger at his face. “She might be hot, but she is also a human being who deserves respect. Mom or model, no woman likes being harassed when she’s going about her day. Now she’s going to have to explain to her little girl why what you did isn’t cool and why she isn’t obligated to pay attention to any random asshole who hollers at her. Don’t be a dick, Crawley.”

He continued to glare at me, but was rubbing his shoulder the entire time. I wasn’t sure if I got my point across, but he shut his mouth and stepped away from me. Even if he didn’t agree with the lesson, I was a lot bigger than him. He knew if I had to use my fists to drive my point home, it wasn’t going to go well for him.

Satisfied that Orley and Noble were stashed upstairs and out of harm’s way for now, I made my way back to the car I didn’t have time to work on and forced the thought of the woman and child as far out of my mind as I could.

The Boss was right. Trouble did find you even when you weren’t looking for it. I wished he had warned me it would come in the form of an irresistible redhead and an adorable, blue-eyed little girl.





Orley



After Solo was finished with my car, it was the only thing that ran smoothly in my life. I still had no luck finding another job, and my current job didn’t appreciate that I was forced to call in for one of my few measly shifts because I still hadn’t found someone to watch Noble. My meager funds were dwindling down to nothing, and on top of it all, the air conditioning unit in our apartment decided to crap out. The super promised he would be by to fix it three days in a row, but had yet to make an appearance. I was on edge. I felt like every time I turned around, I walked into a new brick wall, and when I attempted to get myself straightened out, I ended up tangled in thorns. The heat, combined with too many days spent indoors because it was slightly less blistering than outside—and less dangerous—had Noble acting out.

My normally affable child was currently on her back in the stairwell, refusing to move because it was too hot and she was too tired. She was crying, fat tears rolling down her red cheeks and snot bubbling from her scrunched-up nose as she wailed. From the sounds of it, her little toddler world was ending, and I felt like garbage, because all I wanted to do was cry right along next to her.

We were stuck in an endless loop: I’d tell her I would carry her up the stairs if she didn’t want to walk, and Noble would scream back that she was big enough to walk on her own. So far we were lucky and no one else had attempted the stairs in the sweltering heat, but I could hear footsteps coming from above, and I knew I was going to have to haul Noble out of the way instead of letting her tantrum run its course. I was secretly hoping she would cry herself out so I could have a couple moments to feel like my stomach wasn’t full of acid and my nerves weren’t made of razor wire.

“Honey, you have to stop. I know it’s hot and yucky. I know you’re bored. I promise I’ll take you to the park tomorrow and I’ll buy us a whole bunch of fans once I get a new job. I need you to get up and behave yourself.” I crouched down so I was hovering over her. I almost recoiled at the obvious anger in those eyes that were a mirror of my own. Not only did my child never show such hot, painful emotion, I had no idea a three-year-old was capable of feeling in such a complex and hurtful way.

“You can’t promise if you won’t keep it.” More tears gathered, but at least she got off her back and sat on the step in front of me. Noble sniffed, long and loud. I fought the urge to cringe as she wiped her hand across her damp face. Since we’d only run down to check the mail cubby in the lobby, I didn’t have my purse or anything else on hand to wipe away the mess she’d made of herself. Sighing, I tugged at the bottom of my tank top and bent so I could use one of my last clean items of clothing to clean my daughter’s face.

“Of course I can promise. That’s what moms do. I promise to give you the world and then work every single day until you have it.” I tried to smile at her, but Noble’s lashes were spiked together with moisture and her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. “Sometimes promises take mommies a little while to keep, but we always will. You have to be patient. Remember what patient means?”