Page 22 of The Friendly Fall

I raise a brow. “How many pizza places are in West Falls, exactly?”

“Believe it or not we have three. Parker’s is the only one worth mentioning, though.” He chuckles as we drive past the inviting pizza parlor adorned with twinkling lights and colorful umbrellas on the outdoor patio. “But they do it right. You’ll have to try a slice sometime.”

I nod, a small smile playing on my lips. I doubt it holds a candle to Chicago style pizza, but I’ll never know unless I try it, I suppose.

“To your right is my family’s hardware store, Walters Hardware.” Nick glances over at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “If you ever need a hammer or nails, you know where to find them.”

I chuckle, feeling more at ease than I have all day. “Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind for my next home improvement project.”

“Stop by any time. And when you do, be sure to grab some ice cream next door at Mrs. Henderson’s shop. Her homemade ice cream is a town favorite,” Nick adds with a grin. “One scoop is never enough.”

Despite the unexpected turn of events with my car, spending time with Nick, and getting a glimpse of the town hasn’t turned out to be so bad after all.

A minute later, the truck comes to a smooth stop in front of the auto parts store just past Main Street, and Nick jumps out before rounding to my side and holding the door open for me. “Let’s go find that battery.”

We enter the store, greeted by the faint smell of motor oil and rubber. Nick heads straight to the counter where an older man with a friendly face stands, wiping his hands on a rag.

“Hey, Tom! This is my new friend, Eliza Willis. She just moved to town, and we need a new battery for her car,” Nick says, nodding in my direction.

“Welcome to West Falls, Eliza,” Tom greets me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m Tom, and I run this place. You’re in good hands with Nick here. Let’s get you sorted with that battery.”

“Thank you! It’s nice to meet you, Tom,” I reply with a smile, grateful for the warm welcome. He asks me a few questions about my car before disappearing into the back and returning with a brand-new battery.

“This one should do the trick. And it’s thirty percent off today since you brought my good friend Nick along,” Tom says, a kind smile on his face.

“Wow, thank you both so much for all your help,” I say, feeling overwhelmed by their kindness as I pay for the battery.

Nick grabs it and heads toward the door, holding it open for me once again. “Now let’s get you to class.”

We hop in his truck and head back toward the high school, the new battery riding shotgun between my feet. The sun is beginning its slow descent, casting a warm golden glow over the town as we drive. The fall weather has painted the trees hues of red, orange, and gold, creating a picturesque scene.

“Be on the lookout for my best friend’s wife tonight. I think you two will hit it off. Her name’s Vanessa Morrow.”

“Okay, I’ll look for her.”

“She shouldn’t be hard to find.” He chuckles as we pull into the high school parking lot. “All right, we’re here with ten whole minutes to spare.” Nick beams, putting the truck in park.

“Impressive,” I reply, a grin tugging at my lips.

“Now I’m gonna head back to your Granny’s house and get this battery installed. But here, let me give you my number.” Nick pulls out a bright red Walters Hardware branded business card with his name and cell phone number on it from his glove compartment and hands it to me. “Whenever class is over, just shoot me a text and I’ll come pick you up.”

“Thank you, Nick. Really. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Well, maybe sometimes, but this time, I’m acarsaver,” Nick jokes, shooting me a wink. I can’t hold back my laughter. “And just so you know, I’d be happy to teach you how to drive a stick shift sometime. You know, in case you ever need to drive your Granny’s truck.”

“I might have to take you up on that.”

“Great! I’ll see you later, Eliza.”

“See you later.”

Chapter Eight

Nick

“See you tomorrow, son. I love you.” Mom pats me on the back as I lock up the hardware store for the night.

“Love you, too. Have a good evening.” I wave her goodbye as she heads toward her car.

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