Disappointment and heartache were part of life, and no amount of pretty words or good intentions could change that.
It was a hard lesson to learn, but Matt was strong. He’d make it. Even if he didn’t understand it now, someday he would, and hopefully he’d be able to look back and know that she had done what was best. Someday he’d understand what it meant to love someone so much that you would sacrifice nearly everything for them.
She’d loved Matt that way from the moment she found out she was pregnant. He was a precious Gift, and everything else was second to that. She suspected she loved Kieran that way, too. It was exactly why she couldn’t allow herself to be selfish. To constantly take and never be able to give back.
A few phone calls confirmed her initial thought that she could not afford air fare to Georgia and back.
She cursed softly as she drove through Pine Ridge in search of a garage, alternately coaxing the wipers and the defroster in turns, since running both at the same time played havoc with the electrical system. The earlier warm front had long since moved on, plunging the temperatures back to where they should be.
Faith released a sigh of relief when she finally pulled into the brightly lit station. It was a testament to how distracted she was that she didn’t realize who owned it until a large, muscular man with jet black hair and all-too-familiar blue eyes came out to speak to her. He looked exactly like Shane – if Shane had suddenly developed a badass attitude since the last time she’d seen him.
Sean Callaghan wiped the grease from his hands and walked into the customer waiting area, looking like a doctor forced to give bad news. Faith’s eyes looked up when he entered, but the little bit of hope she had died quickly.
“Faith, right?”
She nodded. “Did it pass inspection?”
She knew it was a silly question, but she asked anyway. The look on his face said it all. His eyes darkened, and his jaw clenched as if holding back what he really wanted to say. But she had to hear the words.
“No, I’m sorry,” he said.
And there they were.
Her hope faded, but she wasn’t all that surprised, not really. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and looked him right in the eye. “What will it take to make it passable?”
“A miracle,” he said honestly. He started to explain when she held up her hand and stopped him. “I’m not a mechanic,” she said. “In English, please.”
He took a deep breath. Faith almost felt a pang of sympathy for him; he was clearly trying to soften the blow. She appreciated that, but in her opinion, it was better to just say it and get it over with.
“The only thing that’s good for is the junk yard.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d heard that. The middle-aged fry cook she’d bought it from had said the same thing when his conscience nagged him at the last minute. So had every other mechanic she’d dealt with since. Despite their words of doom, they’d always been able to find a way to make it last a little longer. They didn’t have all the shiny, fancy equipment Sean Callaghan did, so they’d had to get creative. But surely, with all this high-tech gadgetry he could do something.
“You can’t fix it?”
He scratched the back of his head and exhaled. “I can, but it would be a hell of a lot cheaper to buy a new one. The truth is, I would have sold it for parts years ago.”
“How much?” she persisted.
Sean named a figure that had her eyes widening. She swallowed hard. Blinked once. It would be cheaper to fly first-class to Georgia and back.
“Well, thank you, Mr. Callaghan,” she said quietly, her face pale. “I appreciate your honesty.”
She held her hand out for the keys. “Sorry, Faith,” he said, sounding like he really was. “I can’t let you drive that home.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s not safe, Faith.”
“But it’s all I have,” she sputtered before she could think better of it. “How will I get home? How will I get to work? How will I pick up Matt?”
“I have a loaner I could give you till you find something.”
The words hit her like a slap across the face. It was charity. More charity. Just like all the home improvement materials. The labor. The MMA classes. Offers of flights to Georgia and free legal counsel.
And she was so done taking charity from these people. The trembling stopped, and she stood taller again. “No, thanks. How much do I owe you?”
Sean waved her off. “Nothing. I feel awful about - ”
“How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing.” Sean stood up to his full height and crossed his arms over his chest. He towered over her, fixing her with a laser-like stare that told her he was used to being obeyed. Faith bit her lip, then reached into her purse for her wallet anyway.