Chapter 34
“Okay, Buddy,” Mike said, glancing over his shoulder at the big dog sitting squarely in the middle of the back seat. “I think it’s time for our first rest stop. You’ve been an excellent travel companion, but I’m guessing we both need to stretch our legs.”
Buddy thumped his tail against the seat in agreement.
Mike eased the SUV off the highway into a roadside rest area and parked in front of two low cinderblock buildings that housed the restrooms. The parking lot was half full of passenger vehicles.
Four long-haul trucks idled in a separate section across the lot, their diesel engines rumbling softly in the cold morning air.
He clipped Buddy’s leash to his collar, and they headed toward a grassy strip behind the restroom buildings.
Buddy took care of business immediately, then trotted beside Mike as they circled the perimeter of the area three times.
“My turn,” Mike said, leading Buddy into the men’s room. “Ready to hit the road again?” Mike asked when they emerged.
Buddy turned toward the parking lot. But instead of stopping at their SUV, he tugged the leash forward.
“Hey,” Mike laughed. “Where are you going? That’s not our car.”
Buddy had a destination in mind. He pulled Mike between rows of parked vehicles toward a sedan tucked into the first row nearest the highway.
The car looked like it had lived a long, respectable life.
It was a faded tan color that might once have been metallic, its paint worn soft by decades of sun and weather.
The chrome trim still gleamed faintly where someone had polished it with care.
The body was straight but carried the small dents and scratches of years of use.
A crocheted blanket lay folded neatly across the back seat, visible through the rear window.
The left rear tire, however, was completely flat.
An elderly man and woman stood at the open trunk. The man struggled to lift the spare tire while the woman tried to steady it.
Mike and Buddy jogged toward them. “Here,” Mike called. “Let me help you with that.”
The man looked over his shoulder but didn’t release his grip.
“I’ve got it,” Mike said gently.
The woman stepped aside, and Mike lifted the heavy tire easily from the trunk, setting it against the rear bumper. “Thank you, young man,” she said with relief.
Mike stepped around the car to inspect the problem. “That’s a nasty one,” he said.
The man nodded. “We didn’t want to pull over on the shoulder of the highway. The rest stop was close, so we limped in. I hope I haven’t ruined the rim.”
Mike crouched and examined it. “I think it will be fine. Do you have a jack?”
The man retrieved it from the trunk and handed it to him.
“Do you mind if I take care of this?” Mike asked.
“I’d be most grateful,” the man said. “I’m afraid my days of changing tires are behind me.”
Buddy sat nearby, observing like a furry foreman supervising the operation.
Within minutes, Mike had the new tire mounted. He placed the flat tire in the trunk. “I’m no expert,” he said, brushing off his hands, “but I don’t think it’s repairable.”
“I’m afraid you’re right,” the man said.
“We only have another forty miles to get home,” the woman said, handing Mike a roll of paper towels from the trunk.
Mike wiped the grime from his hands. “You should have no problem making it.”
The man pulled a worn leather wallet from his back pocket and opened it.
Inside was a small stack of folded bills.
He thumbed through the ones until he found a five-dollar bill.
“I know this isn’t much,” he said, offering it to Mike, “but I’d like to buy you a cup of coffee.
I don’t know what we would have done without you. ”
Mike shook his head. “That’s not necessary. It only took a few minutes. Buddy and I are on a long drive. We needed the break.”
The man hesitated, then looked at his wife.
She bent toward Buddy, who stepped forward and placed his muzzle gently into her hand.
“Oh my,” she said, stroking his ears. “This fellow looks just like our Gladys.”
Her husband smiled.
“She’s been gone many years,” the woman continued, scratching Buddy under the chin. “But we still miss her. Best dog we ever had.”
Buddy leaned into her affection, tail wagging.
The woman looked up at Mike. “Would you take the money and buy this handsome boy some treats? That would make us both happy.”
Her husband nodded in agreement.
Mike accepted the bill. “Thank you. I’ll remind him they’re from you.”
They watched as the elderly couple got into their faithful old sedan. The engine turned over with a determined rumble before the car rolled toward the ramp to the highway.
“Well,” Mike said as they walked toward their SUV. “Look at you, being the Good Samaritan.” He glanced down at the dog. “How did you know that sweet couple needed help?”
Buddy looked up at him and raised his expressive golden retriever eyebrows in that unmistakable way that made it seem like he understood everything.
Mike laughed. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s what I thought.”