Page 54 of Since the Day We Kissed

Ethan’s pulse hammered, but he forced a smile. “Yeah ... something like that. Appreciate you stopping.”

Clyde winked. “Don’t go thanking me yet. I haven’t fixed a dern thing.”

Kara stepped back as Clyde made his way over to look under the hood.

“Dead battery?” he asked.

Ethan shrugged. “I think so. It was working fine earlier—”

“No worry there. I’ve got jumper cables in my cab.” Clyde walked back over to his truck.

Ethan glanced over at Kara, giving her a sympathetic smile. She let out a chuckle, pulling her phone back out as Clyde came back with the cables.

“All right, you wanna hook those up, Ethan?” Clyde asked, holding out the two cables.

“Of course.” He grabbed the cables from Clyde’s hand and hooked them up to his battery.

“Let me start ‘er up,” Clyde said. “Then you can give yours a go.”

Kara turned off her phone’s flashlight and leaned against the side of Phil’s Diner.

“You want to wait in the truck?” Ethan asked, opening the driver’s side door.

Kara shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’m good here.”

“Alright. Hopefully we can get going soon.” Ethan climbed into the truck and waited. After hearing Clyde’s truck roar to life next to him, he held his breath and turned the key. The truck turned on like clockwork. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ethan jumped out of the truck and unhooked the cables.

“Thanks a million, Clyde. Really.” He handed the jumper cables back.

“Not a problem at all. And you get that little lady home safe, you hear?” Clyde pointed at Kara.

Ethan nodded. “Will do. Thanks again.”

As Clyde’s taillights disappeared down the road, a gentle silence settled over the parking lot. Ethan and Kara stood as if they were each waiting for the other to say something first.

“Uh, should we get going?” Kara asked. “Now that the truck is running?”

Ethan nodded and circled to the passenger side. “Of course. Let me get your door,” he said, opening the door as Kara approached. Offering his hand, he helped her up into the seat, then gently closed the door behind her before hurrying back to his side and sliding into the driver’s seat. Ethan fired up the engine, and they pulled onto the road.

Stars twinkled like scattered diamonds over Hadley Cove as they cruised down Main Street. Wisps of clouds, barely visible, floated across the deep indigo sky. They passed the market, its windows shimmering with the warm glow of the streetlights, while the brass fixtures of Hadley Cove Savings & Loan glinted in the moonlight.

“Hey, there’s the old ice cream place,” Ethan pointed out. “You still like butter pecan?”

“Of course—it’s the only flavor worth getting. Charlotte loves it too. It’s her favorite.”

“She’s her mother’s daughter,” Ethan said, smiling at Kara.

She gave him a small smile, then looked away. “And there’s the old pizza place.”

“Do their pies still taste like cardboard?” Ethan asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Kara said with a chuckle. “Don’t know how they’re still in business.”

“Well, if they’re still the only pizza place in town, I guess folks don’t have a choice. It’s cardboard or nothing.”

Kara chuckled. “They still are. But I seem to remember you eating a slice or two.”

“Only because I was sharing it with you,” Ethan said, turning onto a road that went along the water.

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