One
HEIDI
“If I didn’t havebad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all…” Heidi muttered under her breath as she stared up at the sign, standing next to the second flat tire on her car – in as many miles. One spare – two flats – three miles until the next town.
Super-screweddidn’t begin to touch on half of it. Dumped six months before the wedding, listening to Joe’s lies as he used her and strung her along like a fool. Months later, her bank account was emptied, a string of bills in her name because Joe was not only slimy – but sneaky too! Her ex-boyfriend –ex-fiancé– had done quite a number on her, ruining her life back in Sacramento, so much so that she wasn’t sorry to see him go, and now –this.
Stranded on the side of a small two-lane rural road that didn’t show up on her GPS, which stopped working ten minutes ago. The only reason she’d made the turn off the road was the bright green sign that said ‘Fate’ and a painted, weathered sign that said ‘Gas’ instructing her to follow Wishing Well Road.
So sheturned.
All roads lead somewhere, right?
Except when your fuel light comes on… and you get a flat, while pulling over for thefirstflat.
Double flat.
Flatter than flat.
Super-screwed.
“Oh, come on!” she shouted at the sky angrily. “This isn’t even funny anymore.” Only for a rumble of thunder, a crack of lightning in the distance, and a breeze indicating that she was about to be stuck and wet if she didn’t shut her yap or cool down. “Okay… okay… I’m sorry, but it’s been a lot lately, and I could use a break,” she whispered painfully, popping the trunk of her Jetta station wagon like that was going to do anything. She was going to need two spares – not one… oh, and cell service would be amazing.
Her phone had zero bars.
A loud squawk nearby made her leap into the air – and step right into a pile of horse excrement that she didn’t realize was even there. Without having two spare tires, both of her rear tires were flattened completely; she hadn’t bothered to explore around the car other than to keep from putting it in the shallow culvert on the side of the broken paved road that had seen better days.
The smell was horrifying – making her wonder just how fresh it was… and if some sexy cowboy was going to come back and whisk her away. Instead, she turned to see a police car with its lights on.
“Fan-freakin-tastic,” she grumbled, pulling her sneaker out of the muck with a disgusting and nauseating suction sound that was enough to make her gag. Looking down, she flinched – and then rolled her eyes at the biggest four-leaf clover glued in poop on the toe of her sneaker. Ignoring the police car, she looked up at the clouds again with a pained expression. “Nice touch… thanks.”
As the patrol car door opened, Heidi groaned again in dismay as the redneck version of Barney Fife got out of the car and swaggered toward her.
“Can I help you, Miss?”
“Nope,” she replied cheerfully, popping her lips emphatically as if to press the matter. “I’m just admiring the smelly scenery.”
“Steppin’ in it too, I see.”
“Oh, this? It’s just a bit of a mess…”
“Ma’am, that pile of crap almost went up to your ankle,” the officer chuckled, actually hooking his thumbs in his belt loops as he rocked back on his heels. “If you need a bit of help then…”
“I’m good.”
“Are you sure?” he asked pointedly. “'Cause you’re about three miles from Fate – and it’s nearly ten miles to Ember Creek, fifteen if you’re lookin’ for Yonder.”
“I’m not,” she muttered disgustedly as she tried to drag the side of her sneaker in the grass to rub off ‘things’ that were distinctly clinging onto the canvas of her shoe for dear life. “I’m not looking for anything or anyone… and I just need…”
“A shower?” he chuckled, still standing about seven or ten feet from her. “A ride? A rabbit’s foot? Something?”
“Har-de-har-har,” she retorted, brushing her foot against the grass once more while holding onto her car because nothing was budging. “I could use a new pair of shoes, a ride into town, and a break – if you really want to know the truth.”
She expected the officer to say something, to make another smarmy comment, to laugh once more at her expense… but when she glanced up, she hesitated. He was staring at her under the brim of a much-too big cowboy hat with his arms crossed over his chest.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said simply – and Heidi could have sworn there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth. If he was laughing at her, she’d end up in jail. The temptation to push him into the pile she was fighting off might end up being too much for her. He uncrossed his arms, walked back to his patrol car, and she could hear the squawk of the radio from where she stood, glaring at him.
