Read Online A Husband in Time by MAGGIE SHAYNE - Free Book Online Page B

steering wheel, and then punched a button. Loud music—or something that vaguely resembled music—flooded the vehicle.
    Amazed, Zach slid inside, settling himself behind the wheel and ignoring the deafening sounds.
    â€œIt’s really easy to drive it,” Cody said loudly. “Even I know how.”
    â€œYou?”
    â€œSure. I watch Mom all the time.”
    â€œYour mother owns an automobile?”
    â€œSure she does. How do you think we go anyplace? It’s in the garage, over there.” He pointed, and Zach noticed the small outbuilding near where the pony shed used to be. “Look, it’s simple,” Cody went on. “First, you turn the key, like this…”
    Cody turned the key still farther, and the vehicle came to life. Zach felt a smile splitting his face as the vibration of the motor moved through him, smooth and efficient and quiet. Far removed from the autos he’d driven.
    â€œThen you just move this shift, here,” Cody went on, as if thrilled with his role as teacher. “Push that pedal to go, and the other one to stop. Simple.”
    â€œThere’s no choke? No clutch?”
    â€œNope.” Cody’s eyes had taken on a decidedly mischievous gleam. “Wanna try it?”
    Zach chewed his lip, truly torn. On the one hand, this was not his machine, and he had no business experimenting with it. On the other…oh, the wonder of it! He could barely contain the excitement coursing through him.
    The decision was taken from his hands a second later, when Cody yanked on the shifting lever and the auto lurched backward. Its hindquarters were pointed directly toward the guest house at the end of the drive, and Zach barely managed to turn the wheel and alter its direction in time to miss the building. He stomped on the pedal that he thought was supposed to stop the thing, but instead it went faster.
    â€œTarnation!” he exclaimed, steering madly as the auto raced backward in a loopy pattern across the lawn.
    â€œI shifted wrong!” Cody shouted, and yanked on the lever yet again. There was a horrible grinding sound. The vehicle lurched and bucked, suddenly changing direction and heading forward now.
    Jane and a heavyset, bejeweled woman had emerged from the guest house. Both waved their arms and shouted, though Zach couldn’t hear what they said, with the music blasting in his ears and Cody’s uproarious laughter. The auto bounded over the grass, across the drive, and pointed its beak right at the two women. They split as it rolled betweenthem. Zach glanced over his shoulder to see the older woman picking herself up off the ground. If her face was any indication, she was hopping mad.
    He tried the other pedal, and the vehicle ground to a stop so suddenly that he had to grab hold of the boy to keep him from being flung forward and hitting his head. He didn’t dare remove his foot from the pedal. Though when the two women came running toward him, he was tempted to do just that. Free up his feet for a quick escape.
    Jane got to the vehicle first, yanked the door open and reached past him to move the lever once more. With a snap of her wrist, she twisted the keys and yanked them out of the car when the motor died.
    â€œWhat in the name of God do you think you’re doing?” she screamed at Zach. Then her face softened as she sought the eyes of her son. “Cody, sweetheart, are you okay?”
    â€œSure, Mom. I was just showing Zach how to drive, is all.” He slanted a glance at Zach. “He’s not very good at it, though, is he?”
    The other woman had arrived now, spluttering and red-faced. “Who is this person, and what in the world is he doing in my car?”
    â€œIt’s all right, Mrs. Curry,” Jane said soothingly, turning to the woman. “No harm done. The car is fine, see?”
    Cody got out his side, and Zach figured it would be a good idea to do the same. He was embarrassed beyond