“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.”
