“I’ll call him later, during my break. Thanks for the kind offer though.” She waved her hand, turning away before Laken could say anything more. The best thing she could do right now was earn some more money for a new car.
Sure, and at the rate she was going she should be able to buy one in about five year’s time.
For fucks sake. Would she ever catch a break?
An hour later, she stood staring at her car in disbelief. She actually rubbed her eyes, certain she had to be hallucinating.
“I’m not seeing things, am I? It’s really there, right?”
“Well, unless we’re both seeing things, then it is really there.” Duncan Jones agreed. The deputy sheriff was a big man. He’d been a linebacker for the New York Giants and he was still built tough and strong. He was intimidating even without the uniform. She felt like a midget next to him. She couldn’t help but compare him to Saxon. Saxon wasn’t built big like Duncan; his frame was smaller, but she was pretty certain that beneath his clothes was a body to die for.
Despite the fact he’d never been anything but nice to her, Duncan made her feel nervous. And now she also felt stupid. Because Laken had called him to report her car as stolen and when Aspen had gone out to show him where it had been taken from, there it was. Pretty as you please.
“Could the thief have returned it?” Why though? Mind you she couldn’t really understand why they would bother taking the heap of junk in the first place.
“Maybe,” he said a little doubtfully. “Perhaps you better check and make sure nothing was taken.”
“I just don’t understand. It wouldn’t start last night. How did they even drive it away? Plus, they didn’t have the keys.”
“Was it locked?”
“Um, no.”
He gave her a stern look. “You left it unlocked?”
“I just wasn’t thinking . . .” Great now she felt even more stupid. “You can check with Laken, it really wasn’t here this morning.”
“I didn’t mean to imply I didn’t believe you,” he replied calmly.
Now she felt stupid and rude.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “I just feel a bit embarrassed that you were called out for nothing.”
“Well, not nothing. I get to stop into the diner and grab a piece of cherry pie to share with my wife.” When he spoke of Laken his whole face lit up. It was really kind of sweet. “But I would like to know who took your car and returned it. I’ll do some asking around.”
She shook her head, the gesture almost automatic. Having a cop sniffing around her business wouldn’t lead to anything good. “Please don’t. It’s fine. I’m just glad to have it back.”
Well, maybe glad was a bit of a stretch.
“I’d be interested to know if it runs now.” He raised an eyebrow and reached out an imperious hand for her keys. She sighed and reached into her handbag, which she’d grabbed in case she needed her license, and handed him the key. He squeezed his large frame into the driver’s seat and turned the key.
It started on the first try. In fact, the engine practically purred. Normally, it took a few attempts to get it to start and then it usually made a whining noise, almost like it was protesting having to start up. But it had never sounded like this. Not even when she’d first bought it.
He turned it off. “You all right, Aspen?”
She rubbed a hand over her face. “Yeah, it just sounds really good.”
“It does. Almost like someone might have fixed it. You don’t happen to keep a spare key in here, do you?”
“No, of course not. Oh, shit.” She opened the passenger door and pulled down the sun visor. A key slipped free. “My mom often puts hers here. I forgot all about it.”
Idiot.
Duncan sighed, no doubt having that same thought. “If it had really been stolen, I doubt your insurance company would have paid out on an unlocked car with a key in it.”
She didn’t bother telling him she didn’t have insurance. Last thing she needed was a fine for driving without any. “I know.”
“I think I might just go pay Matt a call.”