Travis, he was right proud of the way you took to mechanicking and hunting and fishing.”
After Travis was born, everyone started calling her grandpa Big Travis.
“I know how.”
“You’re lucky you got a model you can work on. Most cars these days, you gotta be a computer technician to climb up under the hood.”
“I know. That’s why Grandpa insisted on this truck and why he helped me rebuild it.”
“Your granddaddy was a smart man.”
“He was.”
Clyde grabbed hold of the truck’s bumper and levered himself up. He wiped his hands clean on a red rag. “I miss talking to him.”
“Me too.” Bekah swallowed an unexpected lump in her throat. “I appreciate you coming out here to get me, Mr. Walters.”
Clyde waved that away. “I can’t refuse your grandma anything. I promised your granddaddy I’d help look after her, so that means I’m helping look after you and your young’un too. Let’s get in my truck. I got a couple sodas in the cooler. I bet you could use one about now.”
Driving carefully over the cattle guard at the entrance to the small ranch, Clyde honked the horn a couple times and headed on past the house to the barn in the back.
“I suppose you want the truck in the barn?”
Bekah nodded. “I’ll probably pull the carburetor tonight.”
“Mighty ambitious, aren’t you?”
“It’s not going to fix itself.”
“True enough, and the Good Book always noted that God helps those who helps themselves. Or maybe that was Andy Rooney.”
Bekah smiled a bit, but she couldn’t help thinking that, given everything going on in her life lately, God had been a little shy on the helping-out part. She finished the Coca-Cola Clyde had given her from the cooler between the seats. “Stop for just a second and I’ll open the barn.”
“Yep. It’s a lot easier that way. Won’t have to replace the doors.” Clyde grinned at her, and his good nature was infectious. He brought the truck to a halt and she got out. By that time her granny was standing on the front porch with Travis.
“Hi, Momma!” Travis waved excitedly.
“Hi, Travis.” Bekah set herself and shoved the barn door open, then walked inside and switched on the lights. The stalls were empty at the moment, but tack for horses hung on the walls along with milking stools. A hoist for working on the tractor and the vehicles hung from the ceiling rafters.
Deftly, Clyde slipped the truck into the barn, and they each took a side to unhook the vehicle.
Bekah coiled the chain and put it on the back deck of the tow truck. Then she headed back to her own truck to get her tools and get started.
Clyde wiped his hands on the red rag again. “Your grandma’s got supper waiting.”
“The sooner I get started on this truck, the sooner I’ll have it running again. I need it running.”
“Let me make you a deal. Your grandma invited me to supper tonight too. What say we go eat, and then I’ll come back and help you tear down that carburetor? Four hands work faster than two.”
“Mr. Walters, I already owe you for the tow.”
Clyde waved that away. “No, you don’t. Least I can do for one of our soldiers. And for your grandma. From time to time, she makes a meal and asks me to stop by. I’m getting a home-cooked meal out of this tonight. The way I figure it, I’m coming out ahead. My good fortune. And I like working on cars. Don’t get to do it as much as I used to because everything’s so new and can be cantankerous.”
Grinning in spite of her situation, Bekah held out her hand. “You’ve got a deal.”
“Good. I’ll try not to feel bad what with me getting the better end of things. Let’s get on to the house.”
Bekah led the way across the yard that she had mowed countless times while growing up. She loved the smell of the dark all around her, the way the world was cooling down and the breeze was finally sighing through the trees. Fireflies glimmered in the deep shadows around the yard, and moths bumped the
After Travis was born, everyone started calling her grandpa Big Travis.
“I know how.”
“You’re lucky you got a model you can work on. Most cars these days, you gotta be a computer technician to climb up under the hood.”
“I know. That’s why Grandpa insisted on this truck and why he helped me rebuild it.”
“Your granddaddy was a smart man.”
“He was.”
Clyde grabbed hold of the truck’s bumper and levered himself up. He wiped his hands clean on a red rag. “I miss talking to him.”
“Me too.” Bekah swallowed an unexpected lump in her throat. “I appreciate you coming out here to get me, Mr. Walters.”
Clyde waved that away. “I can’t refuse your grandma anything. I promised your granddaddy I’d help look after her, so that means I’m helping look after you and your young’un too. Let’s get in my truck. I got a couple sodas in the cooler. I bet you could use one about now.”
Driving carefully over the cattle guard at the entrance to the small ranch, Clyde honked the horn a couple times and headed on past the house to the barn in the back.
“I suppose you want the truck in the barn?”
Bekah nodded. “I’ll probably pull the carburetor tonight.”
“Mighty ambitious, aren’t you?”
“It’s not going to fix itself.”
“True enough, and the Good Book always noted that God helps those who helps themselves. Or maybe that was Andy Rooney.”
Bekah smiled a bit, but she couldn’t help thinking that, given everything going on in her life lately, God had been a little shy on the helping-out part. She finished the Coca-Cola Clyde had given her from the cooler between the seats. “Stop for just a second and I’ll open the barn.”
“Yep. It’s a lot easier that way. Won’t have to replace the doors.” Clyde grinned at her, and his good nature was infectious. He brought the truck to a halt and she got out. By that time her granny was standing on the front porch with Travis.
“Hi, Momma!” Travis waved excitedly.
“Hi, Travis.” Bekah set herself and shoved the barn door open, then walked inside and switched on the lights. The stalls were empty at the moment, but tack for horses hung on the walls along with milking stools. A hoist for working on the tractor and the vehicles hung from the ceiling rafters.
Deftly, Clyde slipped the truck into the barn, and they each took a side to unhook the vehicle.
Bekah coiled the chain and put it on the back deck of the tow truck. Then she headed back to her own truck to get her tools and get started.
Clyde wiped his hands on the red rag again. “Your grandma’s got supper waiting.”
“The sooner I get started on this truck, the sooner I’ll have it running again. I need it running.”
“Let me make you a deal. Your grandma invited me to supper tonight too. What say we go eat, and then I’ll come back and help you tear down that carburetor? Four hands work faster than two.”
“Mr. Walters, I already owe you for the tow.”
Clyde waved that away. “No, you don’t. Least I can do for one of our soldiers. And for your grandma. From time to time, she makes a meal and asks me to stop by. I’m getting a home-cooked meal out of this tonight. The way I figure it, I’m coming out ahead. My good fortune. And I like working on cars. Don’t get to do it as much as I used to because everything’s so new and can be cantankerous.”
Grinning in spite of her situation, Bekah held out her hand. “You’ve got a deal.”
“Good. I’ll try not to feel bad what with me getting the better end of things. Let’s get on to the house.”
Bekah led the way across the yard that she had mowed countless times while growing up. She loved the smell of the dark all around her, the way the world was cooling down and the breeze was finally sighing through the trees. Fireflies glimmered in the deep shadows around the yard, and moths bumped the
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