give you the name and number, and you see what they have on hand. Give me a second to look that up for you.”
“Oh, thank you,” Cathy said, and then wrote down the information.
“You’re welcome. If you need a ride down there, give me a call back. I’m heading to Bloomer’s Hardware in about thirty minutes. I can swing by and pick you up on the way.”
Cathy sighed. “You must be the best landlord in the world,” she said. “If they have anything, I’ll give you that call.” Then she heard him chuckle.
“I don’t know about best landlord, but it is truthfully the best job I’ve had. Way better than arguing court cases.”
He disconnected, and she quickly made the call. After a brief conversation, she realized she had her choice of three different cars, but since she didn’t have insurance of her own anymore, she’d have to get insurance to go with it. Whatever it took to be mobile again was fine with her, and she called Dan right back.
“I’ll be needing that ride,” she said.
“Pick you up in about ten minutes.”
“I’ll be watching for you, so don’t get out. Just honk.”
“What about your ankle?” he asked.
“Oh, it’s all better. No problems there.”
“Okay, then I’ll see you soon.”
Cathy disconnected, then went to get her purse and make a quick change of clothes. The first thing she was going to do after she got wheels was go shopping in Savannah. All the clothes she owned now were what she’d had in that backpack.
She was sitting out in the porch swing in a clean pair of jeans, a white tee, and her jean jacket when Dan pulled up into her drive. She picked up her purse and headed down the steps to his work truck and got in.
“I’ve ridden in this truck before,” Cathy said.
Dan grinned. “Yes, I remember. I picked you up in front of Crown Grocers and took you to look at houses.”
She grinned. “House. I picked the first one you showed me, remember?”
“That you did. Are you settling in okay here in Blessings?” he asked.
She thought of Duke and smiled.
“Yes, I’m settling in just fine.”
Chapter 8
“Thanks for the lift,” Cathy said, as Dan dropped her off in front of the insurance agency.
Dan grinned and gave her a thumbs-up, then drove away as she went inside.
She smiled at the woman sitting at the front desk.
“Hello. I’m Cathy Terry. I just called about renting a car.”
“Oh. Yes. We have three cars. A white Ford Focus, a black Jeep Cherokee, and a tan Hyundai…our economy model.”
“I think the Jeep Cherokee,” Cathy said. “And as I mentioned, I haven’t had a car of my own in a while, so I don’t have insurance. We’ll need to take care of that through the rental agreement.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the clerk said. “I’ll need your driver’s license and a credit card.”
Cathy had a couple of credit cards, but she had yet to use them. “I’ll use a bank debit card for that,” she said.
“That’s fine,” the clerk said. “Just have a seat while I get the paperwork together.”
Cathy sat down beside the desk. It did cross her mind that doing this might somehow reveal her location, but she was counting on the fact that Blaine had given up. Kind of an out-of-sight, out-of-mind reaction. It was time to trust the universe on this one, because she was tired of running.
A few minutes later, the clerk finished the paperwork, and Cathy signed the rental agreement.
“You’ve rented it for two weeks, so if you think you’re going to need it longer, let us know,” the clerk said.
Cathy nodded. “Yes, I will, but I’m certain I won’t. As soon as I can, I’m going to Savannah to lease or buy one.”
“If you have any problems with this one, you have our number. They’re bringing the Jeep around to the curb, and they’ll explain all of the features to you.”
“Thank you,” Cathy said, then took her paperwork and went out the front door.
A couple of minutes later, she saw the car coming and smiled. It was a far cry from the white Lexus she’d driven in Vegas, but it suited her.
The driver pulled up to the curb and got out. After they checked out the Jeep’s condition together, Cathy got inside and started it up. The driver explained a few more details, and then Cathy backed away and drove straight to the Crown for groceries. It was wonderful not to be dependent on others anymore.