Page 20 of The Friendly Fall

I grab a cookie from the plate on the counter and inhale it, barely having time to savor the sweet, pumpkin spice flavor.

“You know we could’ve just eaten some dinner beforehand,” Granny points out, raising an eyebrow at me.

I eye her as I grab a paper towel to wipe my mouth. “Yeah, I know.”

“You’re leaving kind of early.”

I shrug. “I’m planning to take my time and explore a bit. I haven’t gotten out much since I got here.”

“You haven’t gotten outat all.” Granny laughs. Her white hair bounces against her shoulders, and I can’t help but hope my hair is that luscious when I’m her age. Everything about my granny sparkles, including her hot pink blouse that looks like someone went a little crazy with bejeweling it.

“Love you, Granny,” I say to my still-cackling grandmother as I head for the door. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Have fun. Love ya!” she calls from the kitchen as I rip open the front door. I take in the sight of the porch, remnants of the old ramp, and the temporary aluminum one. I hate to be a critic, but Nick is movingslow.I’m pretty sure Chicago construction workers could have built a whole skyscraper in this amount of time.

Okay, not literally, but still. I’m not going to complain. Maybe he’s a busy guy and doesn’t have a lot of time to work on it. After all, he’s a firefighter, too, right? Maybe he’s out saving another woman who fell through a rotten ramp.

My white Vans crunch through some of the leaves that have freshly fallen as I make my way to my car. I hit the unlock button on the key fob, but nothing happens. Annoyed, but not worried, I use the key to open the door, and slide in. I set the camera bag into the passenger seat, stick the key in the ignition, and turn it…

But nothing happens.

“What the heck?” I mutter, turning it again. The engine doesn’t even sputter. “It’s dead.” I groan and shake my head. More than likely, I forgot to turn off the headlights or something. Leaving my bag where it’s at, I slide out and jogbackto the house.

“Well, that was a short class,” Granny teases as I step into the kitchen.

“My car is dead. I think it’s the battery, but I don’t know for sure.”

“Take the truck then,” Granny says with a smile, nodding toward the keys hanging on a little rack by her landline.

A little intimidated, but not about to give up and miss my class, I grab the keys and tell her thanks before jogging back out to my car and grabbing my bag.

When I open the door to the nineties model Ford parked on the right side of my Hyundai, my heart sinks.

I can’t drive a stick shift. Does Granny drive this thing?

I sit and ponder for a moment. Considering this truck is her only vehicle, I’m going to say that she can, anddoes,drive it. “I guess she’ll have to drive me to class tonight,” I mutter.

Just as I turn around, I see Nick pulling into the yard in his white work truck.

So much for missing him…

And now he gets to witness mygrandmadriving me to class.

Great.

I straighten my shoulders, trying to convince myself that it’s no big deal, and head back to the house for thethirdtime…

But I don’t make it.

“Hey!” Nick greets me with a warm smile. “You look a little stressed.”

“Uh … thanks?” I stop next to my car.

He chuckles. “Car trouble?”

I narrow my eyes at him, ignoring the way his tight burgundy Henley clings to his biceps. “How’d you know?”

“Maybe the open doors and two sets of keys?” he offers, shrugging his shoulders as he heads around to the back of his truck. “You want some help?”

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