So, he had to rent a car, so what? And so what if he was going to have to stop and buy himself clothes and supplies to get him through the trip? Worse things could happen. But the worst of it all was how it was going to take him longer than the planned four days. Finn believed in being smart and not overdoing things and knew driving for ten hours a day alone wouldn’t be smart or safe.
Something Dave had mocked him about on their original trip.
There was a flash of lightning, and the rain was really coming down. At this point, Finn knew he would be smart to grab a car and then find a hotel and start driving first thing in the morning. With a sigh, he sat back and stared out the window until they pulled into the rental car parking lot.
“Holy crap! Did you see that?”
Finn looked out the front window toward the building and saw…wait…what was he seeing? “What the hell is that?”
The driver laughed awkwardly. “Looks like a bride–or at least, someone in a wedding gown.”
And sure enough, that was what they were seeing. Whoever they were, they fell getting out of the car and were now in a heap of white satin on the pavement. Finn quickly climbed from the car–thanked his driver–and immediately ran over to help her.
At her side, he held out a hand to her and noticed the guy who was with her coming around to do the same. “Hey, are you okay?” Finn asked, noting the dirty gown and the curses flying out of the woman’s mouth. He pulled her to her feet and held on until she was steady. The rain was pouring down on them and he did his best to guide them up onto the sidewalk and through the doors of the rental office.
She was a little breathless and pointed toward the car she’d just vacated. “My bag,” she said, shaking her hand. “My bag is still in the back seat!”
“No problem,” he said, hoping to calm her. “I’m sure your husband will bring it in.”
Pushing him aside, she walked back out the door and slapped a hand on the trunk of the car as it was about to pull away. Finn watched with mild curiosity as she opened the back door and grabbed her bag before slamming the door shut again.
Okay, not her husband, he thought.
Because he had manners, he moved to open the door for her. “Thanks,” she muttered, shaking the rain off herself–and onto him. He wanted to be mad, he seriously did, but what would be the point?
With a shrug, he walked over to the agent at the counter and did his best to smile. “Hey…Carl,” he began, reading the agent’s name tag. “I would like to rent a car.”
The agent smiled but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Then you’ve come to the right place!” he said in a semi-flat tone. Finn would bet good money this was a repeated exchange at a car rental office.
Beside him, the bride stepped up and said the same thing to her agent–an older woman named Tammy. He looked over and gave her a small smile and wasn’t surprised when she didn’t give him one back. Any bride trying to rent a car while still in her wedding gown couldn’t possibly be having a good day.
Finn handed over his license and credit card and waited. The only sound in the place was the typing coming from Carl and Tammy’s computers. Finn looked around and saw the office was a little run-down and there weren’t any cars in the parking lot.
That’s when he started to worry.
The cars could be around the back, couldn’t they?
“Um…”
“Oh, uh…”
Both agents spoke at the same time as they glanced nervously at each other. “Is there a problem?” he and the angry bride asked at the same time.
“Well, it looks like,” Carl began.
“There seems to be,” Tammy started.
“Oh, for the love of it!” angry bride snapped. “What’s the problem?”
Finn had to hand it to her, she was pretty fierce. Even he stiffened up at her tone. Deciding that one of them should be respectful, he looked at the agents and smiled. “Is there a problem?” he asked.
“We only have one vehicle available,” Carl said.
“Oh, well…okay.” This didn’t seem to be a problem for him since he got here first. “I’ll take it.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” angry bride said, moving closer to him. “Why do you get it? We got here at the same time.”
“Actually…we didn’t,” he corrected. “I got to the counter first, and that was after I held the door for you to come back in.”
If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man for sure.
“Look, um…I know this is a bad situation,” he reasoned, “but it can’t be helped. It’s been a really bad day and I need this car.”
“Oh, really?” she asked sarcastically, motioning to her ruined gown. “And do I look like someone whose day has gone well?”
“Uh…”
“Because it hasn’t!” she cried. “If we’re going to get into some sort of contest over whose day was worse, believe me, buddy, I’d win!”
He was beginning to see that.
Unfortunately, he needed this car too. Maybe if he reasoned with her…
Holding out his hand, he said, “I’m Finn. Finn Kavanagh. And you are…?”
Swiping her dripping blonde hair away from her face, she eyed him cautiously. “Grace. Grace Mackie.”
She didn’t shake his hand.
“Look, Grace, it seems like we’re both in a bad way right now. But you have to believe me when I say I have to have this car. You see, my brother stole my car, and I’ve got to get back to Atlanta and…”
“Today was supposed to be my wedding day and I found out my fiancé has been cheating on me with his assistant…”
“Okay, that does sound bad, but you see, I’ve got a business and…”
“And she’s pregnant with his baby,” she continued. “Oh, and he was
