"That's normal," Jude said calmly. "The car wants to move forward when it's in drive. You control that with the brake. Now, very gently press the accelerator."
The car moved forward at a crawl, and Kiara let out a nervous laugh. "I'm doing it! I'm actually driving!"
"You're doing great," Jude said.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Angela watching intently. It didn’t surprise him at all that Kiara had volunteered to go first. He had a feeling that this was the norm for them. Angela needed to observe first.
For the next half hour, Jude guided Kiara around the roads of the estate. It was actually the perfect place to practice driving,since there was no other traffic and the pattern of the road was a meandering circle, so they could just keep going around and around.
“Okay,” Kiara said. “Your turn, Angie.”
They’d come back around by the house, and Kiara was doing really well. No real surprise. She’d had confidence even before getting behind the wheel.
“Maybe we should do it another day,” Angela said.
“Nope.” Kiara turned in her seat to stare at Angela. “It’s your turnnow.”
Jude could see the apprehension on Angela's face. Where Kiara had been eager and excited, Angela looked like she was facing an execution.
"Hey," he said gently, turning in his seat to face her. "We don't have to do this today if you're not ready."
"No, I need to do this," Angela said, her voice barely above a whisper. She took a shaky breath.
Something in her tone made Jude's chest tighten. He wondered what other fears she'd had to overcome since leaving that farm.
They switched places, with Kiara sliding into the back seat and Angela taking the driver's position. Jude watched as she adjusted the seat and mirrors with careful precision, her movements deliberate and controlled.
"Take your time," he said, settling back into the passenger seat. "There's no rush."
Angela's breathing was shallow as she gripped the steering wheel. "What if I crash into something?"
"You won't," Jude said with quiet confidence. "And even if you do, it's just a car. Duncan has plenty of them."
"But what if I hurt someone?"
"Angela." Jude kept his voice firm but kind. "Look around. There's no one here but us, and we're surrounded by open space. The worst thing that could happen is that you drive into a snowbank."
You've got this," Kiara said from the back, her voice encouraging. "It's actually easier than it looks."
Angela's hands trembled slightly as she gripped the steering wheel. Jude noticed immediately.
"Take a deep breath," he said, his voice softer than he'd intended. "There's no rush."
She followed his instructions, her shoulders relaxing marginally. "Okay. Brake on the left, gas on the right."
"That's right. And remember, gentle pressure on everything. This car responds to the lightest touch."
Angela shifted into drive, and the car lurched forward just as it had with Kiara. But instead of pressing the accelerator, Angela immediately slammed on the brake, sending them all forward into the restraining strap of their seatbelt.
“Ack!” Kiara squawked as she flopped back into the seat once the car settled.
"Sorry!" Angela’s knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Jude said, fighting the urge to reach over and place his hand over hers. "That happens to everyone on their first time. Even Kiara did it. Just ease off the brake slowly."
Angela took another deep breath and did as instructed. The car settled into a gentle forward motion.
"Good," Jude said. "Now, just a little pressure on the gas."
