Page 41 of Three Rules I'd Never Break

“That’s his baby. Asking you to help is...”

“Say it.”

“Atypical. Just like I’d never seen Eli kiss someone before breakfast in my shop. I’ve never heard of him asking a woman to hang out while he worked on his car. I hesitated to tell you because...” She shrugged.

“Because you don’t want me to get my hopes up in case it all comes crashing down.”

“Yeah. Not that I think it will. It’s obvious he likes you.”

“But now that he’s talking a little more, you wonder if he’s going to follow his pattern.”

“No, I don’t think he will. Really.” Tessa’s nose crinkled when she scrunched it up. “The thought has crossed my mind.”

The woman was as honest as the summer day was long.

I downed the rest of my coffee. “That thought has set up camp in my head. And installed a neon sign.”

People walked in, and our conversation came to an end.

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Keep me posted.” She waved as I ran out the door.

While one side of my brain pleaded that I proceed with caution, the other side shoved all the chips to the center of the table.

I wasn’t sure how this would play out, but I was all in.

* * *

On Saturday,after flipping the bolt on the front door and closing the blinds, I ran back to my room to change. I’d spent days thinking about what to wear. Something casual enough so that I didn’t look out of place working on a car, but something cute enough that he’d want to invite me over again.

I wasn’t too worried about that second part. He’d called every night. Sometimes we talked for more than an hour; other times we only chatted for a few minutes.

Staring at my clothes, I tried to think through how the day might go. Considering the entire engine was covered in grease, I expected that the carburetor was also. Having a change of clothes in the car was a must if I wanted to be prepared for anything.

Why was it so hard to decide what to wear? I yanked on a pair of shorts, then flipped through shirts, waffling on whether a tank top or t-shirt would be better.

My phone buzzed, and I held my breath as I read the first part of Eli’s message.Change of plans...

Was he canceling? I swiped to read the rest of the text.

Turns out they shipped me the wrong carburetor kit, so we won’t be fixing it today. You up for a horseback ride? If so, slip on your jeans and boots and I’ll be there at 4:30 to pick you up.

Sounds fun, but I’ve never been horseback riding before. I danced a small jig before slipping off my shorts and pulling on fitted jeans.

My turquoise boots had been sorely neglected because I hadn’t been dancing in ages, and other than that, I had little reason to wear them.

Every two seconds, I glanced at the phone, waiting for Eli to reply.

At twelve minutes after four, he knocked at the back door. I pulled on my second boot and ran to answer it.

Eli grinned. “Hey. No hurry. I’m here a little early.” His gaze drifted downward, then snapped back up. “Nice boots.”

“Come on in. I need to grab one more thing.” I ran back to my room.

He stood in the hallway outside my door. “Thanks for being flexible.”

“Thanks for asking me out.” Tying my lace-trimmed flannel around my waist, I stepped out of my room.

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