Read Online Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Garwood
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me.”
“I’m just being hospitable. You don’t need to snap at me.”
“How long will the repair take?”
“A day…maybe two.”
“Okay, then,” she said pleasantly. “I’ll be on my way.”
He didn’t understand until she walked around him and opened the car door.
“Wait a minute. You’re leaving with a leak…”
“Yes, that’s right.”
He snorted. “You won’t get far.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
He thought she was bluffing until she started the engine and began to back out of the garage.
“I could maybe fix it by noon,” he blurted.
“Maybe?”
“Okay, for sure by noon,” he agreed. “And I won’t charge you much.”
She put the brakes on. “How much?”
“Sixty-five, maybe seventy, but no more than eighty. I don’t take credit cards, and since you’re from out of town, I won’t take a check. You’ll have to give me cash.”
Lured by the promise that she could have her car back by noon, she agreed, and handed the keys over to Lloyd.
She walked back to the motel but stopped in the lobby to speak to Amelia Ann.
“I have several boxes of papers I need to photocopy,” she said. “The grocery store near the Parson’s Creek bridge has a copier, but it’s quite a walk from here and I was wondering if there are any copy machines closer.”
“Let me do some checking for you while you go have some breakfast. I think maybe I can find one for you.”
The Home Away from Home Motel had a closet-sized coffee shop. Jordan was the only customer. She didn’t have much of an appetite and ordered toast and orange juice.
Amelia Ann came looking for her. “I only had to make a couple of calls,” she said. “And you’re in luck. Charlene over at the Nelson Insurance Agency has a brand-spanking-new copy machine. The company put it in last week, and it’s on trial, so they don’t care how many papers you have to copy just as long as you pay for the paper you use. Steve Nelson carries the insurance on this motel, so he’s not going to mind doing a favor.”
“That’s wonderful,” Jordan said. “Thank you so much.”
“I don’t mind helping out when I can. Charlene said to tell you the machine has a feeder, so it will copy lickety-split.”
The news just kept getting better. The insurance agency was only three short blocks away from the motel, and the copier was in a room all by itself, so Jordan wouldn’t bother Charlene or her boss while she worked.
The copy machine was an absolute dream, and she made quick progress. She was interrupted only once when a client of the agency, Kyle Heffermint, stopped by to get some figures. While Charlene was gathering them for him, he spotted Jordan in the copy room and took it upon himself to act as the welcoming committee for the town of Serenity. He leaned against the wall and chatted as Jordan continued to feed pages into the machine. Kyle was a pleasant man, and she enjoyed hearing all about the history and politics of the community, even though his habits of repeating her name and punctuating his comments by raising one eyebrow were a bit annoying. After she declined his fourth offer to “show her around,” Charlene came to the rescue and ushered him to the door.
Jordan had copied two full boxes before noon. Staggering under the weight, she carried the first and the second box of originals back to her motel room and then returned for the copies. She stuffed some of the pages in her tote bag with her laptop so she could start reading while she had lunch.
It was a quarter to twelve when she arrived at Lloyd’s Garage to find the coolant reservoir and most of the engine lined up on a tarp.
Lloyd was sprawled out in a metal chair, fanning himself with a folded newspaper, but the second he spotted her in the doorway he tossed the paper aside and jumped to attention. He put his hands up as though to ward off a blow and blurted, “Now don’t get yourself in a roar.”
The radiator hose was draped over the coolant reservoir
“I’m just being hospitable. You don’t need to snap at me.”
“How long will the repair take?”
“A day…maybe two.”
“Okay, then,” she said pleasantly. “I’ll be on my way.”
He didn’t understand until she walked around him and opened the car door.
“Wait a minute. You’re leaving with a leak…”
“Yes, that’s right.”
He snorted. “You won’t get far.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
He thought she was bluffing until she started the engine and began to back out of the garage.
“I could maybe fix it by noon,” he blurted.
“Maybe?”
“Okay, for sure by noon,” he agreed. “And I won’t charge you much.”
She put the brakes on. “How much?”
“Sixty-five, maybe seventy, but no more than eighty. I don’t take credit cards, and since you’re from out of town, I won’t take a check. You’ll have to give me cash.”
Lured by the promise that she could have her car back by noon, she agreed, and handed the keys over to Lloyd.
She walked back to the motel but stopped in the lobby to speak to Amelia Ann.
“I have several boxes of papers I need to photocopy,” she said. “The grocery store near the Parson’s Creek bridge has a copier, but it’s quite a walk from here and I was wondering if there are any copy machines closer.”
“Let me do some checking for you while you go have some breakfast. I think maybe I can find one for you.”
The Home Away from Home Motel had a closet-sized coffee shop. Jordan was the only customer. She didn’t have much of an appetite and ordered toast and orange juice.
Amelia Ann came looking for her. “I only had to make a couple of calls,” she said. “And you’re in luck. Charlene over at the Nelson Insurance Agency has a brand-spanking-new copy machine. The company put it in last week, and it’s on trial, so they don’t care how many papers you have to copy just as long as you pay for the paper you use. Steve Nelson carries the insurance on this motel, so he’s not going to mind doing a favor.”
“That’s wonderful,” Jordan said. “Thank you so much.”
“I don’t mind helping out when I can. Charlene said to tell you the machine has a feeder, so it will copy lickety-split.”
The news just kept getting better. The insurance agency was only three short blocks away from the motel, and the copier was in a room all by itself, so Jordan wouldn’t bother Charlene or her boss while she worked.
The copy machine was an absolute dream, and she made quick progress. She was interrupted only once when a client of the agency, Kyle Heffermint, stopped by to get some figures. While Charlene was gathering them for him, he spotted Jordan in the copy room and took it upon himself to act as the welcoming committee for the town of Serenity. He leaned against the wall and chatted as Jordan continued to feed pages into the machine. Kyle was a pleasant man, and she enjoyed hearing all about the history and politics of the community, even though his habits of repeating her name and punctuating his comments by raising one eyebrow were a bit annoying. After she declined his fourth offer to “show her around,” Charlene came to the rescue and ushered him to the door.
Jordan had copied two full boxes before noon. Staggering under the weight, she carried the first and the second box of originals back to her motel room and then returned for the copies. She stuffed some of the pages in her tote bag with her laptop so she could start reading while she had lunch.
It was a quarter to twelve when she arrived at Lloyd’s Garage to find the coolant reservoir and most of the engine lined up on a tarp.
Lloyd was sprawled out in a metal chair, fanning himself with a folded newspaper, but the second he spotted her in the doorway he tossed the paper aside and jumped to attention. He put his hands up as though to ward off a blow and blurted, “Now don’t get yourself in a roar.”
The radiator hose was draped over the coolant reservoir
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