Chapter Three #2
“Everything’s great. Just before we go in there, I want to say thanks. You know I’ve wanted to do this for a long time – right from the beginning. And I know you had other stuff going on and the timing wasn’t right, but now we’re here. I’m glad you’re finally ready to give us a chance.”
She swallowed hard. She had to tell him.
It wasn’t fair to let him think she was ready to see where things might go between them when she wasn’t.
Well, she was – she’d love to – but until she knew that she was in the clear, that her mom’s old mess wasn’t going to come back to haunt her again, she just wasn’t prepared to get involved with Jake.
He’d help her, she knew that; he’d probably make it all a lot easier.
But she wouldn’t do that to him. She knew all too well what it was like to carry someone else’s burden – the toll it took, and the doors it closed for you in life.
He met her gaze and held it as he asked, “You are, aren’t you?”
She inhaled to steady herself before she spoke, wishing this conversation had happened later – that they’d been able to enjoy the evening first. But she wouldn’t lie to him.
They both jumped when the sound of Jake’s phone ringing cut through the moment. He gave her a pained look as he checked it. “I’m sorry, it’s only because of the business. I …”
“There’s no need. Take the call, it’s okay. I understand.”
He closed his eyes briefly before he answered.
“This is Jake … That’s right … Where is she?” He glanced over at Savannah. “Okay. Yeah. Tell her I’ll be there within half an hour.”
He blew out a sigh as he ended the call.
“It’s okay,” Savannah reassured him. “That’s a job, right? You should be happy – business is picking up.”
He nodded, looking anything but happy. “The guy said his daughter broke down on her way up the hill. She’s only sixteen. He’s on his way back from Sacramento and can’t get to her himself.”
“We’d better get moving, then!”
His eyes widened. “You want to come?”
“Oh! I … sorry.” She reached for the door handle. “I didn’t think. You should get going. I can get home easy enough from here.”
“Savannah, wait! I’m not saying I don’t want you to come. I just didn’t expect you’d want to. I ruined our date. I’d love it if you wanted to come with me. I mean, this girl will probably feel more comfortable if you’re there, too.”
She met his gaze, and he nodded. “Please?”
“Okay.”
“Fasten your seatbelt again, then.”
As they rode up the eastern shore toward the garage, she asked, “Did the guy say what’s wrong with the vehicle?”
“No. They rarely do. Most people don’t know anything more than ‘it’s broken down, it won’t run anymore.’ Some will get as far as, ‘it overheated.’ And to be fair, he was reporting second-hand from what his sixteen-year-old daughter told him.”
That made her smile.
He chuckled. “Okay, so when you were sixteen you could repair, replace, and retune engines at will, but you’re the exception, not the norm.”
She made a face. “I never did manage normal.”
He shot her a quick look before returning his attention to the road. “Why would you want to be normal? My point was that you’re exceptional.”
The way he smiled sent a rush of warmth through her veins.
It felt so good to be around people who seemed to not just accept her, but value her.
Watching his profile silhouetted against the lake, she decided that even though this evening hadn’t turned out as she’d hoped, she wanted to enjoy at least one date with him – maybe a handful – before she told him that it was better for them to go back to being friends.
And she so hoped that he’d be okay with that – she’d hate to lose his friendship.
~ ~ ~
It didn’t take long to stop at the garage so they could take the tow truck.
Jake hoped he’d be able to get the girl on her way again rather than have to tow her in.
She could hang out with them at the garage until her dad got back if she needed to, but he figured she’d be as keen to get on with her evening as he was with his.
When he spotted the silver Civic pulled onto the shoulder almost at the top of the hill, it made him smile.
“What’s up?” Savannah asked. “Do you recognize it – is she someone you know?”
“No.” He smiled. “It’s in almost the exact same spot where Sadie’s minivan broke down the night Uncle Dom met her.”
Savannah smiled back. “I love the story of how they met. Sadie’s awesome.
I never did like Josh’s dad, and Dom’s a million times better than he ever was.
” She peered out through the gathering dusk at the Civic as Jake pulled up behind it.
“I’m not surprised either of them broke down here, though.
The hill must have been the death of hundreds of vehicles over the years. ”
“It’s easy to see why,” said Jake. “Let’s go see if this one’s done for or if I can get it running again.”
The girl was standing beside the little silver Civic, arms wrapped around herself, and Jake guessed she was trying to look braver than she felt. Her eyes were red, and she gave him a nervous smile when he climbed out of the truck.
“Hey there,” he said gently. “You must be Cara? Your dad called me to come and get you. I’m Jake, and this is Savannah.”
She glanced at Savannah, who gave a small wave. “Hi. This guy’s good. He’ll get you fixed up again, if anyone can.”
Cara nodded. “It just… died. Right here. I didn’t do anything weird, I swear.”
The warmth in Savannah’s voice when she spoke again made Jake’s heart squeeze in his chest. “Hey, this isn’t on you – we know that.
It’s this hill; it’s a lot of work for vehicles to climb.
It happens more often than you’d think – people not making it to the top.
You did the right thing, pulling over and calling your dad. Don’t worry, we’ll get you sorted.”
“Thanks. I’m so glad you came straight out – Dad said the other place can take hours before anyone shows up.” Cara looked around and shuddered. “I’d be scared stupid if I had to wait that long – it’s starting to get dark.”
Jake glanced at Savannah. He was disappointed the call had interrupted their date, but—
She put it into words for him when she told Cara, “I’m glad you didn’t have to wait, too. No way would I want to be stuck out here in the dark by myself, either.”
Since Savannah seemed comfortable keeping Cara calm, Jake popped the hood, flashlight beam cutting through the twilight.
“Can you see what’s wrong?” Cara asked.
“Battery’s good. Belts look fine. Not overheated.” He straightened, brow furrowed. “Try starting it again for me?”
Cara slid in and turned the key. The engine cranked but didn’t catch.
He frowned. “Power’s fine, so it’s not the battery. Could be the pump.”
“Try it again,” said Savannah. When Cara did as she asked, Savannah tilted her head, listening. “You didn’t hear it prime, did you?” she asked Jake.
“Can I try?” he asked Cara. She got out, and he slid behind the wheel to turn the key. Then he shook his head. “Nope. Dead quiet.”
Savannah came closer, peering at the car. “You know, these early Civics have a temperamental main relay that cuts out sometimes – especially on steep climbs, or when the tank’s low.”
Cara blinked. “It is low! I was going to stop for gas when I got back to Hidden Valley.”
Savannah smiled gently. “That’ll do it. They get heat-soaked. Sometimes you can coax it back.” She crouched by the open door, and Jake’s heart hammered when she rested one hand on the seat right next to his thigh.
He had to clear his throat before he could make his voice work. “Want me to get out so you can—”
She shook her head. “It’s fine.” She reached under the dash and gave three sharp taps with her knuckles. “Try it now.”
He turned the key again, and this time the engine coughed, sputtered, and caught.
“Oh my gosh!” Cara exclaimed. “Thank you!”
Jake let out a low whistle. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Savannah grinned up at him. “It’s a temporary fix. The relay needs replacing, but she’ll get home.”
He laughed softly, shaking his head. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“Just observant,” she said, rising to her feet.
Jake got out to stand beside her and only remembered Cara when she let out a shaky laugh. “Thank you both. I thought I’d broken it.”
He smiled. “You didn’t do anything wrong – in fact, you did everything right. We’ll follow you to the gas station, make sure you don’t run out of gas on the way, and then we’ll make sure you get home.”
“Thank you so much! I’m really sorry. I bet you guys want to get home, too.
” She turned to Savannah. “You used to work at the diner in Hidden Valley, didn’t you?
I remember you.” She shot a quick glance at Jake before turning back to Savannah.
“I can see why you moved away – your husband’s awesome. ”
Jake inhaled sharply, and Savannah’s gaze darted toward him for a second, but she didn’t say anything.
Cara’s eyes grew wide. “Oh no, did I put my foot in it? You’re not married, are you? Shoot. I’m so sorry.”
Jake laughed. “It’s okay, it’s not a problem.” He met Savannah’s gaze, and she nodded.
“It’s all good,” she said lightly.
“Do you want to call your dad and let him know we’re following you home?” Jake asked.
“Yep. I’ll do that now – before I go.”
“Take your time, we’ll be right behind you. There’s no hurry.”
They watched Cara get back into the Civic, and once she was on the phone, Jake and Savannah climbed back into the tow truck.
As the Civic pulled away, Savannah turned to him with a smile – she must have felt his gaze on her.
“What?” she asked. “What’s that look for?”
He didn’t know if he could explain it to himself, let alone to her; he was half impressed, half something else he didn’t dare name.
“Remind me again who the mechanic is here?” he asked.
She met his gaze, her lips curving. “Maybe we both are.”
And that gave him an in he’d forgotten to hope for. “There’s no maybe about it. And… I’ve been wanting to ask you, and tonight’s convinced me that I should…”
“Ask me what?”
He couldn’t read her expression in the darkness of the cab and didn’t have time to study her before turning his attention back to the road. So he trusted his gut – that she was curious, not wary – and went for it.
“If you’d want to help out at the garage sometimes. I know you’re busy at the restaurant, and I don’t want to—”
Her laughter hit him right in the chest. “Yes!”
He laughed with her. “Just yes? Just like that?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Not only yes, but hell yeah! I loved working there whenever I could, when Art still owned the place. If you need any help, you let me know, and I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’d love to help you.”
He glanced over at her. “I’d pay you and everything – I’m not looking for a favor.”
“You don’t need to. You’d be doing me a favor. Seriously.”
“That’s good to know, but I will pay you, okay? It’ll only be for jobs that need an extra pair of hands.” He gave her a rueful smile. “Or when I can’t figure it out for myself and need to call in the mastermind.”
She laughed again. “I’m no mastermind. You have to remember; Art was the closest thing to a father or grandpa I had. I hung out at the garage to…” Her smile faded, and she changed tack. “The days I spent with Art were some of the best of my life.”
Jake simply nodded. From what Josh had told him, she used to hang out with old Art whenever she had free time away from caring for her mom. Eventually Art had given her a part-time job after school so she could earn some money – for food, not for teenage girl stuff.
He wished he could tell her he knew, but if she wasn’t ready to share it herself, saying so would only hurt. He just had to hope she’d trust him enough to let him in someday – and until then, he’d wait.