Roy grinned widely at this exchange, looking inexplicably pleased. Perhaps he was just happy to have secured the repair job, or perhaps he was relieved she hadn’t asked to sleep in a corner of the garage.
Or perhaps people in small towns like Bear Creek simply enjoyed seeing problems solved.
“Let me call my brother, Matt, for a ride,” Caleb said, stepping away to make the call.
Roy moved closer to her car, running his hand along the faded blue hood with surprising gentleness. “I can see she’s well cared for,” he said, his voice gruff but kind. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to her.”
The way he touched it, as if he knew its real worth, made Hannah’s chest tighten unexpectedly.
She hadn’t realized how much tension she’d been carrying until that moment. How braced she’d been for dismissal, for impatience, for the subtle judgment she’d encountered in other garages. Instead, Roy treated the car as if it mattered simply because it mattered to her.
The lump in Hannah’s throat caught her by surprise. She blinked rapidly, blaming the sudden emotion on exhaustion and the day’s unexpected turns.
“She’s the first car I ever bought,” Hannah admitted, embarrassed by how much it mattered. “I saved every penny I could. Paid cash. No loans.”
To prove to herself, more than anything, that she could stand on her own.
Roy glanced over his shoulder at her, his expression softening. “I’ll take care of her for you.”
For a moment, Hannah wondered if he was teasing her, but his eyes held nothing but sincerity. People in Bear Creek seemed to say exactly what they meant. It was unsettling... and strangely disarming.
She wasn’t sure how to respond.
So she was relieved when Caleb rejoined them. He moved with unhurried certainty, as if at this moment, this rain-slicked garage was exactly where he was meant to be.
There was an ease about him that went beyond confidence. It spoke of familiarity. Of roots. Of knowing not just where he belonged, but who would show up when he needed them.
She felt a flicker of envy before she could stop herself.
“Matt’s here,” he said, turning as a red pickup truck pulled into the lot.
“That was quick,” Hannah said. “He didn’t have to rush.”
“He was just around the corner.” Caleb lifted a hand in greeting, relaxed and unbothered, as if help arriving was simply part of how things worked here.
The man who climbed out of the truck was unmistakably Caleb’s brother. He was taller, perhaps, but with the same solid presence and dark hair. He nodded a greeting to Roy before Caleb made the introductions.
“Matt, this is Hannah. Her car broke down on the pass. Hannah, my brother Matt.”
Matt’s grin was wide, almost too wide, as if Hannah’s presence was somehow amusing. “Nice to meet you,” he said, offering a hand that engulfed hers completely. “Welcome to Bear Creek.”
The words seemed to carry more weight than they should. Hannah couldn’t shake the feeling she was missing something in the exchange, some subtext beneath the surface. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all...
But she was committed now, both to the repairs and to staying with Caleb. There was no backing out.
Not without creating more problems than she already had. The kindness of strangers was so alien to her that she found herself bracing for the moment the hidden cost would be revealed.
“What do you need from your car?” Caleb asked, his tone practical, setting her at ease once more.
Hannah popped the trunk, considering. “Not much. Just enough for a couple of nights.”
Because then she would be on her way again.
She pulled out her overnight bag and laptop case, then paused over a box of neatly labeled folders and notebooks. Menu drafts.Operational checklists. Notes she’d made for Slateford, things she should probably review so she could hit the ground running.
Her fingers lingered on the edge of the box.
Not tonight,she decided. There would be time later.
