from her to Julian. “In a roundabout way, yeah – I guess you could say that.” He turned to Julian. “Where’s the car?”
“It’s over at the Yarrow Center. You two going to be in town long?”
“Long enough to pick up the car and then we’re heading home.” Drew raised his eyebrow at Julian. “What happened to your forehead?”
Julian touch his forehead and then glared at his brother. “I’ll tell you later.”
“Wait, you drove all the way here from Bryton to pick up the car?”
Drew shrugged. “Of course, I get the whole dating thing.”
“We’re not dating. In fact, we met for the first time last night.”
“You’re not?” Ethan gaped at Julian.
“Nope.” Julian shrugged. “This isn’t even a date.”
Drew pointed at Liza. “Wait, are you the girl whose car I towed last night?”
“If it’s the one your mother hit.”
“You two—” Drew threw his head back and laughed. “That’s priceless.”
“Stay out of my head, bro.” Julian glared at his brother, who couldn’t get his laughter under control. “I’ll call you later.”
Drew bent to Julian’s level, but made no effort to lower his voice. “Aunt Laura was right.”
Julian punched his brother in the arm, hard.
“Come on, Ethan, let’s leave the lovebirds alone.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Ethan walked away from the table.
“I think I’ve already surpassed that, Ethan, I touched her hand earlier,” Julian called after his friend.
Ethan flipped him off as he and Drew headed toward the door.
“What was that about?” Liza found the family dynamics to be entertaining.
“Nothing. My brother and Ethan can be a riot when they want to be.”
“I didn’t give them the keys.” Liza tugged the keys from her purse.
“Drew’s got a key to both my vehicles.”
“Well let’s hope he takes the right one home.” Liza smiled. “How long do you think it will be before the insurance company has my car fixed?”
“Your car’s totaled. Drew’s a mechanic. We talked in great detail about your car this morning.”
“Totaled? What does that mean for me?” She was screwed. Now she’d have to get a new vehicle. Maybe she could call her parents and try to work something out with them.
“Well, according to industry terms it means it’s going to cost more to fix than the vehicle is worth,” Julian explained. “A normal insurance company would give you about four or five grand.”
“I could get a decent car for that.” Liza nodded. “Or at least have enough for a good down payment.”
“You won’t have to worry about it. I’ll make sure everything is handled and you get something reliable.”
“You mean the insurance company will?”
“Yeah, that’s what I meant. I’m sure whatever they come up with will be perfect for your needs.”
“Hell, I’ve driving around in a ten year old car with a missing side mirror. It has been in desperate need of an oil change for the last two months. It needed new tires. I’m going to guess four to five grand will get me something better.”
“I figured the side mirror was missing from the crash.”
“I wish. It would make for a much easier explanation.” She shook her head.
“Okay, you’ve got my curiosity piqued, what happened?”
“You know the Yarrow Center has a residential campus for juveniles, right?” When he nodded, she continued. “Anyway, I used to work nights on campus and was coming off a twelve or sixteen hour shift at six am. It was dark and foggy. I was driving home when this man, dressed in dark clothing, stepped off the curb. I swerved to miss him, but heard a bang. I stopped, he hands me my mirror, and tells me he swung his bag and hit the mirror. I spent the next three weeks in terror thinking they were going to find a guy hit by a car dead in the alley.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I would have filed a police report and tried to have him arrested for being an idiot. He should have at least paid for the
“It’s over at the Yarrow Center. You two going to be in town long?”
“Long enough to pick up the car and then we’re heading home.” Drew raised his eyebrow at Julian. “What happened to your forehead?”
Julian touch his forehead and then glared at his brother. “I’ll tell you later.”
“Wait, you drove all the way here from Bryton to pick up the car?”
Drew shrugged. “Of course, I get the whole dating thing.”
“We’re not dating. In fact, we met for the first time last night.”
“You’re not?” Ethan gaped at Julian.
“Nope.” Julian shrugged. “This isn’t even a date.”
Drew pointed at Liza. “Wait, are you the girl whose car I towed last night?”
“If it’s the one your mother hit.”
“You two—” Drew threw his head back and laughed. “That’s priceless.”
“Stay out of my head, bro.” Julian glared at his brother, who couldn’t get his laughter under control. “I’ll call you later.”
Drew bent to Julian’s level, but made no effort to lower his voice. “Aunt Laura was right.”
Julian punched his brother in the arm, hard.
“Come on, Ethan, let’s leave the lovebirds alone.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Ethan walked away from the table.
“I think I’ve already surpassed that, Ethan, I touched her hand earlier,” Julian called after his friend.
Ethan flipped him off as he and Drew headed toward the door.
“What was that about?” Liza found the family dynamics to be entertaining.
“Nothing. My brother and Ethan can be a riot when they want to be.”
“I didn’t give them the keys.” Liza tugged the keys from her purse.
“Drew’s got a key to both my vehicles.”
“Well let’s hope he takes the right one home.” Liza smiled. “How long do you think it will be before the insurance company has my car fixed?”
“Your car’s totaled. Drew’s a mechanic. We talked in great detail about your car this morning.”
“Totaled? What does that mean for me?” She was screwed. Now she’d have to get a new vehicle. Maybe she could call her parents and try to work something out with them.
“Well, according to industry terms it means it’s going to cost more to fix than the vehicle is worth,” Julian explained. “A normal insurance company would give you about four or five grand.”
“I could get a decent car for that.” Liza nodded. “Or at least have enough for a good down payment.”
“You won’t have to worry about it. I’ll make sure everything is handled and you get something reliable.”
“You mean the insurance company will?”
“Yeah, that’s what I meant. I’m sure whatever they come up with will be perfect for your needs.”
“Hell, I’ve driving around in a ten year old car with a missing side mirror. It has been in desperate need of an oil change for the last two months. It needed new tires. I’m going to guess four to five grand will get me something better.”
“I figured the side mirror was missing from the crash.”
“I wish. It would make for a much easier explanation.” She shook her head.
“Okay, you’ve got my curiosity piqued, what happened?”
“You know the Yarrow Center has a residential campus for juveniles, right?” When he nodded, she continued. “Anyway, I used to work nights on campus and was coming off a twelve or sixteen hour shift at six am. It was dark and foggy. I was driving home when this man, dressed in dark clothing, stepped off the curb. I swerved to miss him, but heard a bang. I stopped, he hands me my mirror, and tells me he swung his bag and hit the mirror. I spent the next three weeks in terror thinking they were going to find a guy hit by a car dead in the alley.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I would have filed a police report and tried to have him arrested for being an idiot. He should have at least paid for the
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