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“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t take charity.”
“It’s not charity. Kate, you’re my friend, I help—”
“Yeah, you said that. I get it. And I think it’s super nice of you, but I can’t accept it. Karma would go on a rampage against me. There’s no telling what awful things would happen as a result. There’s no way I can put myself in her line of destruction. You know what a bitch she can be.”
I stare at Kate’s eyes in the mirror. I don’t know what to say. I never imagined she wouldn’t accept the money. “I-I—”
“Go on, get Kiley. I’ll be alright. There are other houses in Deadwood to rent. It’s not the end of the world.” She makes an upturn with her full lips but I can’t exactly call it a smile.
I am crushed. I really thought this would be good news and we’d be celebrating right now. Instead, I feel like we’ve had a fight and I have to walk away before mending hurt feelings. Mechanics in the garage bays are looking out at us, sitting in their parking lot. Chris walks out of one slowly, wiping his hands on a red rag. His eyes focused on Kate’s Bronco, curiously.
“I don’t know what to say.” I utter at last.
Kate turns around with her long arm over the seat. She looks directly at me. “It’s alright. I’m not mad or nothing. That was a very nice offer. I just cannot accept it. We’re still friends.”
I don’t know which is worse, her not accepting my offer to help or her reasoning with me like a child to accept her refusal. Inod. “Okay.” I say at last. “Can you wait? I want to be sure Kiley is road worthy before I drive her home.”
Kate purses a grin. “Of course.”
I slide out of her vehicle and approach Chris. My face must reflect the disappointment in my heart because he looks concerned. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, we were just discussing another matter.” I say. “So, how’s Kiley.”
“She’s running, but she’s rough. To be honest,” Chris turns his head slowly as if to emphasize his doubts about my car. “She needs a whole new engine, or to be retired.”
I hold up my hand. I cannot handle anymore bad news. “No. You know how I feel about that.” I stare out at Kate, patiently waiting for me while doing something on her phone. “I went to Spearfish yesterday and looked at some other cars, but, Chris, I just can’t do it. Please, if you can get another engine for her, will that fix her?”
“Yeah, I believe so. We’ve replaced everything else.” He chuckles. “She’ll be a whole new car under the hood.”
I smile at him, weighing my options. “What do you expect it will cost me?”
He pulls at the red rag in his hand, a tell I’ve noticed when he’s not comfortable with what he has to say. “Not sure, actually. I could call you once I find the engine and give you the estimate.”
I let that idea sauté in my mind a minute. “No, well, yes, but don’t hold up because of that. Go ahead and replace her engine. I’ll pay no matter what, but I wouldn’t mind a heads up when you know what it’s gonna cost.”
He bobs a nod. “Sure thing.”
I walk away, sad to be leaving Kiley, again, and even sadder that Kate and I will now have a twenty minute ride back to my house in what I anticipate to be awkward silence. “Thanksfor waiting.” I say as I crawl into her back seat. “He’s gonna work on Kiley some more, so she’s not ready to go home yet.”
Kate shrugs. “Okay. Sorry.”
“It’s alright. I know I should trade her, but I just can’t.”
“I get it.” Kate consoles me as she pulls out and returns to Highway 85. We head north for home in that expected silence. I stare at the longer hair of her mullet at the back of Kate’s head. Her pink bangs dance in the breeze blowing in her window that is only four inches open. She’s such a special friend.
I so wish she would let me help her.
Chapter Nine?
My phone rings, waking me from a sound sleep, with The Beach Boy’s fifteen-second rift, “She’s my little deuce coupe…” I fumble for the device as they sing, “You don’t know what I got…” Which is funny because I know from the ringtone that it’s Chris Fosdick calling.
“Yes.” I swallow. “Hello.”
“Maribeth?” Chris sounds out of sorts. “You can come get Kiley whenever is convenient.”
