Wolf Swan

Chapter 5 ✅

Edited ✔️

"Where are you going so early in the morning?" Charlie asks Maggie.

"Joshua Uley's garage," Maggie replies and she watches as her dad tenses up. "I'm getting better tires before school tomorrow."

"Why not go to Ballard's here in Forks, or Weston's up in Port Angeles?" Charlie offers.

"Because Sam suggested Joshua's when we texted last night," Maggie replies. "It is okay for me to go to the garage in La Push, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine," Charlie responds and he watches as Maggie leaves, he goes to his phone and calls Billy.

"Hello?" Billy says into his phone.

"Billy," Charlie breathes.

"Charlie, what's wrong?" Billy asks, immediately knowing something is eating up at his friend.

"Maggie's going to Joshua's garage," Charlie says.

Billy sighs. "Does she know the truth?"

"No, and I don't want to tell her," Charlie replies. "Sam has been quiet but..."

"Joshua might not," Billy concludes. "He's a a deadbeat father, anyway, but damn good at working on cars."

"Yeah," Charlie replies. "Could you...?"

"I'll call the garage and makes sure Joshua says nothing."

"Thanks, Billy," Charlie says.

"Anytime," Billy responds and he hands up before calling Joshua's garage.
*******

"Miss Swan?" The La Push local asks as Maggie parks her Jeep inside the garage.

"Yes, sir," Maggie replies. "Are you Joshua?"

"No, ma'am, but I'll go get him," the guy says and he heads into a small office.

Soon, a man with long, dark hair with even darker eyes leaves the office. He's in a pair of jeans and a mechanic's work shirt. He recognizes Maggie but he keeps his demeanor calm.

"Hello, I'm Joshua," he greets. "You're here for some new tires?"

"Yeah," Maggie replies. "It keeps getting colder out and the temperatures are soon going to freeze on the ground and my poor Jeep needs the protection."

Joshua kneels by each tire and he looks at them. "Oh, yeah. You brought your ride in just in time."

"I did?" Maggie asks.

"Yes, ma'am," Joshua replies as he stands up. "One or two tires would have busted soon if you didn't come in."

"Yikes," Maggie mutters. "That's a scary thought... How long will this take?"

"About forty to forty-five minutes," Joshua replies. "Would you have a ride someplace?"

"No," Maggie admits. "Is there anywhere here I can sit?"

Joshua leads her into his office. "Sit in here, Miss Swan. I'll get to work on those tires for you."

"All weather tires, how much are those?" Maggie asks.

"I'll total everything when you're finished," Joshua says.

Maggie nods, knowing she can afford it with the allowance she used to get that she saved up. Charlie would give her an allowance from the age of five up until she was sixteen and she never spent it. Charlie told her when she turned seventeen that when she ran out of her allowance money, that it was job time. Which is why she's looking into that waitress opening at the rez diner.

Joshua closes the door and when he's put of sight, he closes his eyes slightly at the surprising presence. He shakes it off though, and he gets to work on Maggie's car.
******

Maggie sits in silence as she texts Jessica, who insisted on Mags telling her where she is. It's been a good fifteen minutes since Joshua started working on the car.

Maggie chuckles as Jessica texts her a really long message about her liking Mike and about how jealous she is of Bella because of Mike gawking over her.

Maggie sighs and she calls Charlie.

"Hello?" Charlie says into the landline, Maggie is surprised he's home.

"Hey, dad," Maggie greets.

"Hey, Mags," Charlie greets and Bella glances at him. "How's your car coming?"

"Joshua has been working in it for fifteen minutes now," Maggie replies. "He seems good."

"He is, he knows what he's doing," Charlie replies as he steps outside. "I'm going to get Bella some new tires tomorrow."

"Before school?" Maggie asks as she peers out the window and watches as Joshua works after she stands from her chair.

"Yes, ma'am, when else?" Charlie asks with a chuckle. "Just be careful."

"I will, dad, thanks," Maggie says and she hangs up.

Joshua glances up at the window as Maggie turns to look at the pictures he kept of Sam and his ex-wife, Allison Uley. He regrets leaving her and Sam, but there's nothing he can do about that now. It's done, and Allison is long gone.

Maggie notices one picture, it's of Allison holding a baby girl. She smiles at the image and she sits in one of the plastic chairs and she gets on YouTube onto her phone to watch funny cat videos while her Jeep is being worked on.
******

"Thank you again," Maggie says for the third time after she lays Joshua for working in her tires.

"Of course," Joshua replies with a grin. "You be careful going home, Miss Swan."

Maggie smiles at the man before she heads out to her car. Her smile grows even more when she hears the beautiful purr of her engine and she pulls away from the garage and she heads back to Forks.

Once home, Mags makes a supreme pizza with cheesy crust and tells Bella to just pick the pepperoni and sausages off if she doesn't want them.

The Swan family eats their dinner together that night, and each one talks about their days.... While Bella sits in an awkward silence, as per usual.