“Hey, hon,” Mr. Roberts says. “You’re up early.”
“Apparently not early enough.” She walks across the kitchen and sits on my lap, defiant, like she’s daring her dad to say anything about it.
He grins and turns back to his paper.
“You want to go for a run?” she asks.
“Love to,” I answer. She slips off my lap, and I stand up. “Thanks for the coffee.”
Mr. Roberts nods.
This time I came prepared with running shoes and a change of clothes. I let Jess drive my car. I get the idea that she’s enjoying the drive, taking the long way around. We end up at a trail that runs through the middle of the woods.
The day is cold and damp with a little fog. Jess is wearing running shorts—short running shorts—and a WSU sweatshirt. She’s not wearing makeup, and her hair is pulled back in a ponytail. She looks amazing. No headphones this time. She stays beside me, and we talk while we run—nothing important, just talk.
We get down the trail a good couple of miles when the weather changes. “Maybe we should head back.” I’m watching an ominous black cloud heading our way.
“Afraid of getting wet?” she teases. “I thought you’d lived here long enough to get your webbed feet.”
“Up to you,” I say.
She looks at the cloud. “Yeah, maybe we’d better turn around.”
Five minutes later, the cloud erupts into a downpour. We’re getting completely drenched, and Jess is laughing. I grab her hand and pull her with me under a giant cedar. She whirls around to face me, still laughing. I brush my hand across her cheek to catch a drop of rain running down her face.
“Isn’t this great?” Her face beams.
“The rain?”
“The rain. Running. Being with you, just being alive. It’s incredible." She walks out into the rain again, throws her head back, and catches raindrops in her mouth.
I walk over, pick her up, and kiss her. We stand there kissing in the rain, like a scene from some cheesy romance—completely drenched but incredibly happy.
sixty-four
Parts
“Shot,” Tyler says, “shot, shot, shot, and almost shot.” He’s pointing out the parts of the Nag’s engine that need to be replaced. “I need to get an entirely new engine.”
Jess is leaning against the workbench like she’s bored. “Why don’t you get an entirely new car?”
Tyler looks at her like she’s an idiot. “And give up a body like this?” He touches the side of the Nag reverently. This car is vintage, Jess. You aren’t going to find anything better.”
“I already found something more reliable,” she says.
Tyler gives me a look that says,She doesn't get it.
Jess wanders away to the other end of the shed. She’s looking out the window through the rain. “Is that your old car, Jake?”
I walk up behind her and put my chin on her head and look at the canvas-enshrouded lump that used to be my car. “Yeah,” I say.
“Dad lets you keep that hunk of junk on our property?”
“Ouch,” I say. “Have some respect for the deceased.”
“Sorry.” She turns around and wraps her arms around me. “It’s just not like Dad. He’s usually so into keeping everything neat and junk-free around here.”
“He likes me. He said I was a good man.” I kiss her nose.
