Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Jacob stepped inside the lobby of Main Street Auto, Rosewood Beach’s only auto repair shop. It was run by Dean Owens, and Jacob always liked going there, even though it meant that there was something wrong with his car that needed fixing. Even though cars weren’t his specialty, as a man who repaired things for a living, he knew how much knowledge and skill went into maintaining machines. He had a great deal of respect for Dean and the other men who worked at the auto repair shop, and he felt grateful that he could trust the people who were working on his car. He’d dropped his car off the day before and he was there to pick it up, having gotten a phone call from one of the mechanics earlier.
He could see Dean in the garage through an indoor window in the lobby. Dean was clearly still working on his car, but Jacob didn’t mind, since he’d showed up a little early. He glanced at his watch, and decided to go say hello to his friend and ask him how long it would be before his car was finished.
He went through the door that led into the garage, smiling a little as he inhaled the strong scents of oil and grease. He associated the smells with the satisfaction of getting things done, and he liked them.
“Hey, Dean!”
Dean looked up with a grin. “Hey, Jacob! I’m just finishing your car up now. I’ve just got to replace this valve cover and then she’ll be all set.”
“Sounds great, thank you.”
“Of course. Sorry it wasn’t ready to go when you got here.”
Jacob shook his head. “You’re all good. I was a little early. No rush—I can go wait in the lobby while you finish it up?”
Dean glanced at his watch. “I’m due for a break, actually. I’ll ask Keith to finish it up and I’ll go chat with you while we wait.” Dean wiped his hands on a blue paper towel and started to walk toward the door that led to his office. “I have a lot more energy than I used to, but my osteoarthritis starts to act up if I don’t take regular breaks. Thanks to physical therapy, I can take fewer breaks and shorter ones, but I still need to take them if I want to not be totally worn out by the end of the day.”
“Makes sense.” Jacob offered Dean a sympathetic smile. He was impressed by the other man’s determination in the face of his troublesome diagnosis. It was clear that Dean was putting in the work in order to combat his condition, and Jacob was glad that his effort was producing success. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, that’s great news.”
“Thanks. I’m glad too. Welcome to my office, take a seat,” Dean said as they stepped into his plain but comfortably furnished office. There were a couple of chairs set against the wall near the desk, and Jacob sat down in one of them.
Dean flopped down into the swivel chair behind his desk with a sigh. “Oh, sometimes I don’t realize how tired I am until I sit down.” He chuckled. “It feels nice to take a minute.”
“I hope you didn’t push yourself too hard over my car. I could have waited longer.”
Dean waved his hand through the air, dismissing Jacob’s concern. “No, not at all. I always work at the same pace—not too fast, not too slow. I think it’s usually like that with things we enjoy doing.”
Jacob nodded. “I can second that. I always enjoy my work, even when I’m getting a little run down.”
“I think about that sometimes.” Dean shook his head. “About how busy you must be. You’re the only official handyman in town. We’ve got some folks who can fix certain things here and there, but they don’t do it for work. Not that we wouldn’t have hired you anyway, but Mom said that you were the only person in town who could replace the air vents at the pub.”
Jacob nodded, chuckling. “Sometimes it ends up being a lot, but it’s usually decently staggered. Sometimes if I get really lucky, I get a couple of days off in a row.” He grinned.
“Well, we all appreciate you, I know that much. I remember when you fixed Mom and Dad’s refrigerator right before they were hosting a big dinner for a family reunion. Mom was so relieved.”
“Oh, man, I remember that. That was right when I was starting out. I remember being grateful that they trusted me.” Jacob laughed.
For a moment, the two men sat there smiling at each other. They’d known each other for many years, and there was an easy comradery between them.
“So,” Jacob said after a moment, his mouth curving upward a touch slyly. “How’s that new relationship of yours going? With your physical therapist?”
“With Noelle?” Dean’s eyes lit up as soon as she was mentioned. “Well, she’s not my physical therapist anymore. That’s how we met, but I switched to Chip before asking her out.”
“I heard that, I’m just teasing.”
“Oh yeah? People have been talking about us, huh?”
“Oh yeah, all the time. You’re Rosewood Beach’s cutest new couple. Besides, I work for a lot of older women who like to talk about the local romances.”
Dean laughed. “Well, I’m glad they think we’re a cute couple. I have to agree with that sentiment. She’s just about the cutest thing in the world.”
“You’ve got it bad, huh?”
Dean coughed gently, grinning. “Anyway, so about your car?—”
“Right, my car. What about my car?”
“She’s all fixed up. Or will be once Keith is done. Got the oil changed and a new head gasket in. We also replaced the shocks and fixed that dent in the muffler.”
“Fantastic. Sounds like a lot of work.”
Dean shrugged. “It wasn’t too bad. My guys had to help me out here and there—in the past, I would have been able to do all that myself no problem, but now I’ve got to try to take it easier.”
“I’m glad you’re figuring it all out. I bet it feels good to be able to continue working, even if it’s not as much as usual.”
“That’s for sure. It’s such a relief to be able to do as much as I have been doing. And Noelle’s such a cheerleader for me. Whenever I get pessimistic about how hard it is to manage my osteoarthritis, she’s so encouraging.”
“That’s great, Dean. I’m happy for you guys.” Jacob smiled, meaning the words sincerely, but he felt a bittersweet ache in his heart.
It would be amazing to not be single anymore, he thought. I would love to have someone like that to support me in my life. It would be wonderful to have a partner at my side through all of the ups and downs of life.
For a moment, he and Dean were both quiet, presumably lost in their own thoughts. Jacob’s eyes wandered around his friend’s office, and he noticed a picture of the Owens family hanging on the wall behind Dean. It was a photograph of them on a hiking trail somewhere, and most of them were standing on the path with their arms around each other. Hazel, however, was in a nearby tree, a huge grin on her face.
Jacob couldn’t help smiling when he saw the picture. He’d always liked Hazel a great deal, even in high school. He felt as though they had a kind of special connection, and she’d always made him laugh more than other people could.
He thought about seeing her in The Lighthouse Grill the night before. It had been a while since he’d seen her, and he realized that he’d missed spending time with her. He remembered that there had been a time when he’d hoped to get her attention romantically, but he’d always pictured her wanting someone with more savoir-faire than him. Other men were more flashy and romantic, and he thought she deserved someone like that, not a regular guy like him—someone who was often dirty from working and had only worn a suit once in his life.
He felt a surge of admiration for her as he looked at the picture. He’d always been impressed by how she’d raised Samantha all on her own, and it was clear that she was always strong for her family.
She deserves the best, he thought, still smiling as he thought about her. She’s really an incredible woman. It’s too bad things never took a romantic turn for us.
He figured that ship had sailed, but he had to admit to himself that he was glad he had an excuse to see her more often. He expected she would be at the pub fairly often while he was working there replacing the air vents. He felt his heart lift at the thought. She’d always been a good friend to him, and even if there wasn’t anything romantic going on between them, he would enjoy getting to see her.