Read Online Second Chance (Cold Springs Series Book 1) by Nancy Henderson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nancy Henderson
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flight of stairs that snaked up the side of Burt’s garage. Inside, he found Burt inspecting his truck.
“Problems?”
“This damn thing is making noise again.” Burt pushed himself out from under the truck.
Ian grabbed his hand and hoisted him up. “I can look at it for you.”
“No, I think I got it.”
“What’d you do?”
“I put some more oil in her.” Burt wiped his greasy hands on his shirt. “I put a quart in just about a day or two ago.”
“Why don’t you let me take a look at it?”
“Because you got things to do.” Burt stepped in front of him, preventing him from looking under the hood. “Where you off to?”
Ian didn’t want to tell Burt. He didn’t like keeping things from him, but he didn’t want Burt taking the pizza night between himself and Sam as anything other than appreciation for her business. Still, he could lie to Burt no more than he could believe in Santa Claus. “I’m taking Sam Stone for pizza. She hired me for a couple of jobs. It’s the least I can do.”
Burt’s expression told him more than he wanted to hear. “You two would make a good pair. Sam’s got a lot of Jean in her, and Jean was a good woman.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Not now, but maybe later, if you play your cards right.”
Ian smiled and patted Burt on the shoulder. “I’ll look at that engine right after I get back. Don’t drive it until I look at it.”
Burt sent him off with a wave of his hand. “I know how to take care of my own truck. Now get out of here.”
Ian smiled and hopped in his beater truck. It only took two tries to start, and he slowly back out of the driveway and into the street.
Cold Springs was having a brilliant sunny day, not too hot and not too cold considering northern New York was a land of temperature extremes. Today was easy and slow. Just the way he liked it.
He pulled up to Sam’s diner and stepped out of his truck. Anxiety hit him hard. Maybe he should have called first. Sam had likely changed her mind about the whole thing. Especially after what her mother had said about him. Not that everything she said wasn’t true. He had no business having anything to do with her or messing up her life.
He knocked on the front door.
The little bell above the door rang as Sam opened the door. “Hi.”
“Hi, Ian. Come in.”
“I didn’t know if I should call first. You probably don’t—”
“That’s fine. I was ready anyway.” She grabbed her purse. “Where do you want to go?”
Panic formed a knot in Ian’s gut. He hadn’t thought this thing through. For an entire year he’d been careful not to draw attention to himself. He’d never intended on going into a public place with her. A restaurant could raise the stakes to dangerous levels. He didn’t give two shits what others thought about him, but he didn’t want Sam to be humiliated by his doing. There were no pizza delivery places for miles so he’d picked up two frozen pizzas at the grocery store the next town over. If word got around that they were seeing each other, when in fact they clearly were not, the town wouldn’t let Sam forget it. Any customers she hoped to gain in this town would be lost.
He swallowed hard, nodded to the brown paper bag he carried. Nothing good ever came from lying. “I was hoping we could eat here. I bought a couple pepperoni pizzas. I thought we could cook them up here. I hope that’s okay.”
She seemed confused. Or disappointed. But what did it matter? This wasn’t a date. Just a payment of gratitude. Nothing more.
“That’s…fine,” she answered, slipping the handle of her purse over the coat rack. “We certainly have plenty of places to sit.”
She strolled into the kitchen and appeared with a bottle of wine. “It isn’t fancy.”
“I don’t
“Problems?”
“This damn thing is making noise again.” Burt pushed himself out from under the truck.
Ian grabbed his hand and hoisted him up. “I can look at it for you.”
“No, I think I got it.”
“What’d you do?”
“I put some more oil in her.” Burt wiped his greasy hands on his shirt. “I put a quart in just about a day or two ago.”
“Why don’t you let me take a look at it?”
“Because you got things to do.” Burt stepped in front of him, preventing him from looking under the hood. “Where you off to?”
Ian didn’t want to tell Burt. He didn’t like keeping things from him, but he didn’t want Burt taking the pizza night between himself and Sam as anything other than appreciation for her business. Still, he could lie to Burt no more than he could believe in Santa Claus. “I’m taking Sam Stone for pizza. She hired me for a couple of jobs. It’s the least I can do.”
Burt’s expression told him more than he wanted to hear. “You two would make a good pair. Sam’s got a lot of Jean in her, and Jean was a good woman.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Not now, but maybe later, if you play your cards right.”
Ian smiled and patted Burt on the shoulder. “I’ll look at that engine right after I get back. Don’t drive it until I look at it.”
Burt sent him off with a wave of his hand. “I know how to take care of my own truck. Now get out of here.”
Ian smiled and hopped in his beater truck. It only took two tries to start, and he slowly back out of the driveway and into the street.
Cold Springs was having a brilliant sunny day, not too hot and not too cold considering northern New York was a land of temperature extremes. Today was easy and slow. Just the way he liked it.
He pulled up to Sam’s diner and stepped out of his truck. Anxiety hit him hard. Maybe he should have called first. Sam had likely changed her mind about the whole thing. Especially after what her mother had said about him. Not that everything she said wasn’t true. He had no business having anything to do with her or messing up her life.
He knocked on the front door.
The little bell above the door rang as Sam opened the door. “Hi.”
“Hi, Ian. Come in.”
“I didn’t know if I should call first. You probably don’t—”
“That’s fine. I was ready anyway.” She grabbed her purse. “Where do you want to go?”
Panic formed a knot in Ian’s gut. He hadn’t thought this thing through. For an entire year he’d been careful not to draw attention to himself. He’d never intended on going into a public place with her. A restaurant could raise the stakes to dangerous levels. He didn’t give two shits what others thought about him, but he didn’t want Sam to be humiliated by his doing. There were no pizza delivery places for miles so he’d picked up two frozen pizzas at the grocery store the next town over. If word got around that they were seeing each other, when in fact they clearly were not, the town wouldn’t let Sam forget it. Any customers she hoped to gain in this town would be lost.
He swallowed hard, nodded to the brown paper bag he carried. Nothing good ever came from lying. “I was hoping we could eat here. I bought a couple pepperoni pizzas. I thought we could cook them up here. I hope that’s okay.”
She seemed confused. Or disappointed. But what did it matter? This wasn’t a date. Just a payment of gratitude. Nothing more.
“That’s…fine,” she answered, slipping the handle of her purse over the coat rack. “We certainly have plenty of places to sit.”
She strolled into the kitchen and appeared with a bottle of wine. “It isn’t fancy.”
“I don’t
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