Baggar Vince

"Hello there, cutie pie!" Margaret said as Jayden zipped right on by her without responding.

"He's kind of starstruck with Vince," Maren told her.

The older woman never missed a beat as she said, "Who isn't?"

Maren laughed hard enough that she stopped unloading her groceries to cover her mouth.

"I'm standing right here, you know?" Vince said as though he were offended.

"Oh, we noticed," Margaret shot back.

"He is kind of cute, isn't he?" Maren said to her while looking at Vince and smiling.

"If I was 20 years younger," Margaret said, getting another laugh before saying, "Oh, hell. I'd run away with him right now!"

Once she got everything out of her cart—and stopped laughing—Maren introduced herself and Margaret did the same.

Jayden wasn't paying any attention to anyone or anything but Vince and the groceries he was 'helping' with, so he missed the rest of the back and forth between his mom and the cashier, none of which he'd have understood anyway.

"He just graduated from UF, so he won't be around long. Someone's gonna hire him any day now, and then I'll have just to settle for the guy I married 23 years ago."

Again, without missing a beat, Margaret said, nodding toward Vince, "You know, back when I was his age."

Vince saw Maren looking at him, but it was a different look. Evidently, actually hearing his age somehow mattered to her. Or at least that's what he thought when the smile she gave him was...odd...to say the least.

Vince repacked Jayden's best efforts and thanked him for his help as the boy spun around and hopped down then started talking about his birthday party again.

"I just told him about it this morning, and he can't talk about anything else. Except for you," his mother said when she noticed he was talking Vince's ear off.

"I can't blame him for being excited. I mean, you only turn five once, right?"

She smiled at him again, and this time it was more like it had been in the past, but it still wasn't quite the same. She pulled her credit out, took the receipt, then told Margaret it was very nice meeting her.

"You too, hon," Margaret told her as the next customer moved up to take Maren's place.

"So I guess congratulations are in order, Mister College Graduate," she told Vince as he pushed their cart after putting Jayden in it.

"Oh. That. I uh, I suppose so," he modestly replied.

"That's a very big deal, Vince. And quite an accomplishment."

He thanked her then said, "I'm finding out the hard way what 'no experience' means on a resume, though."

Maren laughed then told him the only way to get experience was to dive in and start getting it.

"You're right. I just have to get in gear and start sending out resumes. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with it, but it's kind of kicking my..."

He looked at her, and the laugh he got told her he didn't need to finish the sentence.

"It's brutal out here today," she said about the oppressive summer heat and humidity as they got to her car.

"You're from Ocala, right?" he asked as she popped the trunk.

"Yes, but it's still awful during July and August. My husband grew up in Naples, so this was no big deal to him. I suppose I should be used to it, but there are days when it's just awful."

"Again, I'm so sorry about your husband."

Maren forced a smile then said, "He was a wonderful guy. Funny, smart, and very handsome."

Vince didn't reply, he just finished loading her up while she opened Jayden's door to put him in his carseat.

"Can Vince do it?" the boy asked.

"He's busy, honey," she told him as Vince shut the trunk.

She buckled him in, stood up, closed the door, then thanked Vince for bagging her groceries again—and for listening to her.

He smiled, bowed slightly then said, "Bagger Vince, at your service, ma'am."

She got it immediately and laughed but quickly stopped once she remembered something.

"Oh! I forgot to give you our address."

She ran around to the driver's door, opened it tried to start cooling the car down before getting out a pen and piece of paper. But when she hit the start button, nothing happened. Nothing other than an odd noise she didn't recognize.

"Oh, no!" Vince heard her say as he got closer.

He'd followed her around, but hadn't seen her try and start the car, but he did hear the noise, and was pretty sure he knew what was going on. He wasn't a mechanic by any means, but he did know the difference in sounds between a dead battery and a bad alternator.

"My car won't start!" she said before punching it again.

She hit it one more time then said, "I just replaced the battery last month!"

The noise it was making told Vince it was almost certainly the alternator, so even if they got the car running, the battery wouldn't be getting recharged and would be drained in short order.

"I think you've got a bad alternator," he told her.

"How bad is that?" she asked as she looked up at him, squinting as the sun hit her eyes.

"Bad enough that you're going to need to get it replaced, but in the meantime, you need to get these groceries home before all of the cold stuff is ruined."

Vince moved over to shade her eyes from the sun, and when he looked down at Maren, he could tell she was on the verge of crying.

"Sorry," she said when she realized he'd noticed.

She wiped her eyes then said, "I never used to get emotional like this."

"It's understandable," he said just as Jayden called out, "Mommy? It's hot!"

"I have an idea," Vince said.

He offered her a hand to help her stand up then said, "Come on."

"What? Where are we going?"

"Nowhere. Just get Jayden out of his carseat and open your trunk then be ready to move your groceries to my car when I pull up behind you, okay?"

He didn't wait for her to answer. He was parked about 30 yards away where employees were required to leave their cars, so he ran over, started his car, then drove around.

"What about your job?" she asked when he pulled up and jumped out to help her transfer the bags.

"I'll call my manager on the way to your place, so don't worry about that. Publix is huge on customer service, and he'll be totally fine with me doing this."

"I don't even know how to thank you," Maren said as she helped him move the bags as the sun beat down on them.

Jayden was outside, too, and all he could think about was riding in Vince's car.

"Oh, you might want to grab his car seat," Vince said. "I'll get the rest of these."

Two minutes later they were in his semi-cool car and on their way.

"You are totally a life saver," Maren told him with genuine sincerity as he slowly maneuvered through the busy parking lot of the strip mall where the grocery store was located.

"Well, maybe a...grocery saver," Vince suggested.

When Maren smiled her old smile at him, he felt relieved.

"I like your car, Vince!" Jayden told him as he looked around.

"Yeah? It's pretty old, but it still runs."

"We have a new car," Jayden announced.

"It's only new to us," his mother explained. "We just traded in our really old car, and I'm not very happy that this one is already giving us problems."

"Oh. Speaking of your car," Vince said as he grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Dad? Hey. I have a problem. Are you free?"

Maren heard a man's voice say, "I can be. What's going on?"

Vince filled him in, and then she heard the other man say, "Okay. Just call me when you head back to the store, and I'll bring the truck."

"Great. Thanks, Dad," Vince said before hanging up.

"Now what are you doing to help me out?" Maren asked very sweetly.

Vince laughed then explained that his father had a truck with a towing hitch and chains.

"We'll get you to a garage so they can check your alternator."

When she didn't say anything for several seconds, Vince looked back over at her and saw that she was tearing up again.

"I uh, I have some tissues in the glove compartment."

"Thank you, but I have some in my purse."

Maren dabbed her eyes then managed a little smile.

"You okay?" Vince asked.

"I just can't remember the last time anyone did something this nice for me. I know you said 'customer service' and all that, but this is way 'above and beyond'."

"Speaking of customer service, I forgot to call Charlie," Vince replied rather than addressing her comment. "My manager."

"So I'll be back as soon as I know she and her son are safe, okay?" Maren heard him tell someone.

The store manager was adamant that Vince take as much time as needed and thanked him for helping out a customer.

"He seems nice, too. Like your dad," Maren said. "And...you."

Vince smiled at her then said, "Yeah, Charlie's a good guy. And my dad is the best."

"I never knew my father," Maren said quietly so that Jayden wouldn't start in. She didn't mention that her mother was an alcoholic who lost custody of her and her sister, or that they were raised by their grandmother who also passed away several years ago.

"I'm sorry about that, too," Vince replied just as quietly.

"Thank you, but I need to apologize. You're going far, far out of your way to help me, and I'm getting into personal stuff you don't need to be bothered with."

"I don't mind at all, Maren," Vince told her just as quietly.

She turned away when he said that then let him know to turn left at the next light.

One more left and two rights and they were pulling into her driveway. The three of them carried the groceries inside, and again she thanked Vince profusely and offered to pay him.

"Money? No. No way. This was my pleasure, and helping people is its own reward."

She smiled sweetly then waited.

"And now we need to move your car," he reminded her.

"Are you sure? I can call a tow truck."

"You can, but there's no way I'm letting you," Vince told her in no uncertain terms, before saying he needed to give his dad another call.

"Okay. I'll be there in 5-10 minutes," his father told him after getting a good description of her car and where it was parked.

Maren was genuinely thankful and kept gushing about how grateful she was, especially after meeting Vince's father who, like his son, downplayed the whole thing.

"It's our pleasure to help," he assured her before backing up to the front of her car before someone took the empty spot.

"Have you ever driven a car being towed?" the elder Barrow asked Maren once the chains were in place.

"No. I can't say that I have."

"In that case, I suggest the three of you ride in my truck, and I'll steer yours if that's okay."

Maren had no choice but to trust him, so she agreed.

"It's gonna be hot as hell back there, Dad," his son warned as though his father wasn't well aware of that.

"You're welcome to steer it, son," his dad, who was already sweating heavily, replied with a laugh.

"Yeah, I uh, I really should drive her car," Vince insisted because he'd never steered a towed vehicle, and knew that it wasn't as easy as it looked.

At 54, his dad wasn't old nor was he in bad shape.Vince just felt terrible about him being trapped in a hot sardine can for any length of time—even with the windows rolled down.

"Nah. It's fine. You stay up front with your friend here, and I'll handle the towed vehicle."

"Okay. You heard him," Vince said as he opened the truck door for Maren before realizing they still needed Jayden's carseat. Again.

"Oh. Is the Pep Boys on College Road okay? he asked Maren.

"Um...sure. If you trust them, then yes," she told him.

"Dad? That okay with you?"

"They've been taking care of us as long as you've been alive," his father replied.

For some reason, a second age comment in front of Maren didn't sit well with the younger Barrow, but he ignored it and said, "All right. Pep Boys it is—Pop."

He helped Maren get up and into the cab then lifted Jayden up who immediately said, "This truck is so cool!"

Once Vince climbed in, his dad got into the hot box and pushed in the clutch then shifted into neutral. Had it been an automatic, towing it in neutral for any length of time could possibly damage the transmission.

The battery wasn't dead yet, so the horn and the power windows still worked. So once he was ready, he tapped the horn and rolled down the glass to lower the temperature from around 125 degrees to a balmy 110 or so. And once they started moving, the warm air flowing through it might even bring it 'all the way down' to a mere 100.

Vince then slowly took up the slack in the chains until he felt them pull taut. His dad tapped the horn again, and once he knew the towed driver was ready, he began slowly pulling out. He'd never driven a towed car before, but his father had, and there were no issues getting to the service station.

Jayden couldn't stop talking about the truck all the way there, and his mother apologized again for her son just before they pulled in.

"It's okay because boys love trucks. Right, Jayden?" Vince said with a smile.

"I'm a boy, and I love trucks. Expeshally this one!"

"See?" Vince said with a laugh as he looked over at Maren.

"Some girls like them too, you know," she informed him with a smile.

"Fair enough. Maybe we can discuss your love of trucks once we get your car going again?"

Maren gave him a very serious look then said with a playful flip of her head and ponytail, "I didn't say I was one of them."

She held the laugh back until Vince looked at her then both of them let 'er rip.

"What's so funny, Mommy?" Jayden asked when his mother spurted then nearly cackled with laughter.

"I don't know, buddy. I guess I just feel...happy."

Vince saw her look at him when she said it, but she turned away when he looked back. Even so, he couldn't help but smile as they slowly crept into the parking lot of the repair shop.

When Wayne got out of Maren's car he was nearly drenched in sweat from his forehead to his lower back. Maren noticed and told him how sorry she was.

"She apologizes for everything," Vince pretend whispered.

"I do not!" she said somewhat playfully but also a little defensively.

Wayne laughed then said, "One of the perks of being self-employed is being able to leave when you need to. I can run home, shower, change, and get back to the office, so no harm, no foul."

"Still, I feel bad for dragging you—and Vince—into this," she replied.

"Nonsense. People need to help each other out, and we're glad to do it," the older man said as sweat continued pouring down his face in the hot summer sun.

"Okay. But...thank you. Very much," Maren told him sincerely.

"My pleasure. But now we need to find out what's wrong with your car, and get Vince back to work."

"Yes. Right. I uh, I'm sure I can handle it from here," she told him in a way that said she wasn't quite sure.

"How about this?" Vince said. "My dad can run me back to Publix, I'll get my car and come back here, and he can head home then back to work."

"Wait. Don't you need to get back to work?" Maren asked him.

"Not really. I'll give the manager another call and let him know I can't make it, and that'll be that."

"But I don't want to..."

"Done deal," Vince told her with a smile and a tilt of his head before she could finish just as someone from Pep Boys walked up and said 'hello'.

"Can you pull it over close to bay #2?" the man about Wayne's age asked when he saw the chains attached.

"Sure thing," Vince told him.

"I'll get your wife and son inside while you guys move the car," the man said to him without a second thought.

Vince looked at Maren who looked horrified and quickly said, "No. We're not. She and I are..."

"He's...my knight in shining armor," Maren told the man while smiling at Vince, confusing him even more after the look on her face was replaced with a beautiful smile.

"Sorry. I should know better than to assume. It's just that both of you are good lookin' folks, and well..." the man said a little sheepishly as he shrugged his shoulders.

Maren had picked Jayden up, and her big diamond ring was right in front of him, and Wayne didn't seem to make sense as her husband, so it wasn't that much of a stretch.

"Any idea what you think it might be?" the man asked Maren as they walked.

"Vince—my friend—thinks it's the alternator."

"Okay. We'll take a look and let you know for sure," he said as he opened the door for his newest customers.

Once the car was as close to bay #2 as possible, Wayne got out again, undid the chains, and put them in the truck. He and Vince switched places after the younger Barrow thanked his dad sincerely.

"Sure thing. But let's see if they need us to help push her car inside before we 'blow this pop stand'."

Vince chuckled at his father's attempt to be hep, then saw two mechanics who were, of course, called 'automotive technician's, come outside. One of them got in and the other got ready to push. Without being asked, both Wayne and his son joined in until the car was over a rack.

Once they were done, Wayne told his son he'd meet him in the truck. Vince, in turn, popped his head into the waiting area and let Maren know he'd be right back.

"Vince? You really don't have to do that. I'm sure they'll get it running, and I'll be fine."

"I'm sure you're right, but unless you have someone to call and come get you just in case, I'm coming back."

"Okay," she said very sweetly with a pleasant smile followed by, "and thank you again."

He told her he'd be just a few minutes then jumped in the air-conditioned truck his father was sitting in so he could cool down.

Just as he'd predicted, Charlie had no problem with his employee taking off. He just wanted to know the customer was okay, and Vince promised him he'd make sure she was, and that was the end of the discussion.

Just before they got back to the store, Vince's father said, "She's a very beautiful woman."

"Yeah. She really is," his son agreed.

"You mind me askin' where her husband is?"

Vince began explaining, and before he could finish, his father apologized.

"That's...awful. That poor woman. And the little boy will never know his father."

"It might just be a front, but she seems pretty tough, Dad."

"Maybe so. You just never know. But it may have been long enough ago that she's learned to accept it. Still..."

He pulled the truck up next to Vince's car then said, "I'm really proud of you for doing this, son."

"Hey, I had a good mentor," his son told him with a smile. "Now go home and take a shower because—you stink."

His father laughed then said, "See you whenever you get done."

By the time he got back to Pep Boys, Vince arrived just in time to overhear Maren getting the bad news.

"So you can get a rebuilt alternative for $419—parts and labor—or a new one for about $125 more."

Maren saw Vince come in and knew he'd heard most of that.

"What do you think, Vince?" she asked.

"Personally, I'd buy a used alternator. But if money's no issue, new is almost always better."

He could tell she was still torn so he said, "They do a good job rebuilding them, and the odds are it'll last a good, long time."

"And we warrantee them for 30 days," the man said. "Ninety on a new one."

"Okay. Let's do that then. I'll take the rebuilt," Maren told him, not sure if she was doing the right thing.

"Yes, ma'am. We'll get right on," he told her.

They sat down, and almost immediately, Vince asked if they were hungry or thirsty.

"I am!" Jayden said, suddenly aware of the conversation.

He'd been playing something on his mother's phone to keep him busy, but the mention of food caught his attention.

"Honey, we'll be fine until we get home, okay?" his mom told him, unaware it would be well over an hour before they could leave.

"But I'm really hungry!" her son protested.

She knew he'd only had a small bowl of cereal early that morning. She was going to go straight home from Publix and make lunch for them both, but her 'new' car had other plans for them.