Page 50 of Storm Warning
“Rhett, did you hear what I said?” Ma’s voice snaps me out of a daze.
“Uh, no not really. Sorry Ma, I’m all ears now.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine Ma.”Lie. I’m not but I’ve already upset one parent and I’m not aiming for a second. “Sorry I was just doin’ somethin’ when y’all called, is all.” I look back at all the plants I just potted. “Do ya know anythin’ about flowers?”
“Yes and no,” she replies. “I guess it depends on what type of flower, and what it is you need to know about them. Your boss has you landscaping now too?”
I let out a chuckle and finger through the packs of unopened seeds I bought. Multiple flowers I hope to grow. Unsure how the fuck to even do it.
The silence builds and builds, thickening like a cloud of fog, but Ma’s voice finally pierces through the quiet like a ray of sunshine as she continues, “Most need a lot of tending to. Sometimes some extra determination, because they can be rather moody when it comes to finding what’s just right for them. But just like anything worth having, they need love.”
My mind drifts to my fiery little angel. So rough and hard around the edges, but softer and more layered than anyone I’ve ever known. I smile at Ma’s sentiment. Always saying the right thing without even realizing she’s doing it.
“Thanks, Ma. That actually helps a lot.”
30
RHETT - JULY 20, 2004
One minuteI’m speeding down the road, the next I’m fucked.
This damn truck.
Climbing out of the cab, I yank open the hood. Smoke billows out, and with it, so does my chance of being to work on time.
This would be the day Sawyer decided to stay the night at Daisy’s.
I throw my head back, questioning how I can take two steps forward and ten steps back at nearly every turn. What the fuck am I supposed to do now? I look down at my engine, smoke slowing since I released it from its confinement, and yet there’s no clear indication of what’s wrong beyond it just being a pile of shit. Peering back toward Sawyer’s place, I consider my next move. If I walk back it’s not like I’m walking toward anything but the horses and I can’t take one of them to work. I look the other way, and besides some driveways that lead to who knows where, there’s nothing.
I groan as I get back in the cab, pulling out my phone to check the time. Thirty minutes until work. Not long enoughfor Sawyer to come get my ass. I toss my phone to the side, dropping my forehead to my steering wheel, setting off the horn.
Where did my luck go? I swear, up until my accident it felt like if there was a game of chance, I was the winner no matter what the cost. And now? I bet I couldn’t even find a penny on the street.
Leaning back on the headrest, I close my eyes. Well, damn it all to hell, I guess I better quit being a sad sack and try to fix this shit instead sit here feeling hopeless. I hop back out of the truck, slamming my door behind me, not out of my frustration, but more so because it’s the only way to make the door latch, and then I laugh. The universe itself is telling me it’s time to quit the charade. Working to work isn’t my calling, it’s never going to be.
The rumble of an engine approaching draws me from my thoughts. A familiar rusty red truck slows to a stop beside me.
Billy rolls down his window as I raise my hand to wave. “Engine trouble?” His tone is simple, never seeming to be jolly nor indifferent, just lacking in emotion all together. I wonder if he’s always been like this? Or if something made him this way?
“Yeah, not my forte,” I chuckle. “Ya know anythin’ about vehicles?”
He glances around, as if to assess my truck from his seat, then looks down at the clock on his dash. “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do. But aren’t you gonna be late for work?”
“Add it to the list of reasons I should be fired.” I laugh again, trying to make light of my misfortune.
“Get in. I’m going to town, anyway.” His tone remains smooth, emotionless.
“Yeah, let me get my phone real quick.” I swing my door back open, leaning across my seat, then notice a little green bag in the passenger door.
Kaylee’s prize? Why didn’t she mention leaving it?
I take a peek into the bag, finding a goofy looking bunny with angel wings, and below it a line that reads,nice…mostly, and I laugh.
She would.
I snag my phone, slamming my door once more before hopping into his cab.
