Page 9 of Chasing Stars
I purse my lips—they must have really gone deep last night getting to know each other. I think I know Jenna’s cousin, Jake,but I want to be sure before I blurt it out. “What gym does your cousin work at?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “I don’t even know. My aunt lives in a condo now, I think. But I’m not sure exactly where Jake lives. And I won’t be knocking on Aunt Leona’s door without him, that’s for sure.” Jenna leans her head back on the seat, staring out the window as we head north toward Monarch Street. Then, as an afterthought, she adds, “Their last name is Walker.”
That’s when it dawns on me. “Jake Walker. That’s it. I know who he is. He surfs at my beach. He’s younger than me but I’ve hung around him a little.” My memory of Jake is he’s a single guy who works at the Local Fitness on the west side and surfs every chance he gets. “He works at my gym. I could take you there,” I offer. As far as I know, he’s an okay guy, but Jenna seems hesitant.
Jenna scrunches her nose and shakes her head. “I think I’d rather figure out the house stuff first.”
“Okay.” I don’t push it. I turn down Monarch Street and park behind Jenna’s silver Camry. “Is there anything you want to get out of your car?” I ask, putting my own in park and unbuckling my seat belt.
“Oh, good idea. If I’m going to call a tow truck, I should probably get the rest of my things.” Jenna unbuckles her seat belt and hurries out of my car with me at her heels. She opens her trunk, and I watch as she struggles to pull out a very large suitcase.
After a minute, I reach in and grab the handle, giving it a swift tug. I flash her a satisfied smile and she rolls her eyes. “Anything else?” I ask her.
“Just my sunglass—” She walks around to the driver’s side but abruptly stops and looks my way, narrowing her eyes. “This tire was flat last night.”
I nod in agreement. “Indeed, it was.”
“And now it’s not.”
“Correct.” I chuckle. “You’re observant.”
Jenna puts her hands on her hips and cocks her head at me. “Did you change my tire this morning?”
“No. I changed your tire last night. After Liam took you to Ellie’s.”I grin.
“Miles.” She swipes her tongue over her lips. “I didn’t even have a spare.”
“I know. Even if you did, your car was locked. Luckily, I had one,” I say, pleased with myself.
Jenna lets her tote bag drop to the street. She strides definitively over to me and wraps me in a tight hug. “Thank you,” she murmurs into my T-shirt.
Unsure if I should hug her back, I awkwardly pat her shoulder blades. “It was nothing,” I say, pulling back. This woman barged into my life less than twenty-four hours ago and she already has me doing nice things for her because I can’t stand to see the defeated look on her face for another second.What have I gotten myself into?
5
JENNA
Miles pulls away from my embrace and I’m instantly self-conscious about my impulsive hug. My gaze darts away before it lingers on him and I step back, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. “Sorry. It’s just…no one has done anything this nice for me in a really,reallylong time,” I admit, tilting my head.
Miles runs his hands through his tousled hair. “It was nothing,” he says with a casual shrug. “I wanted to. But maybe before you leave town, I should show you how to change a tire.”
Memories flood my mind and suddenly I’m eight years old again, hanging out the backseat window while my dad changes the front tire on my mom’s station wagon.
He kneels next to the axle and cranks, all the while telling me, “Someday, Jenna, I will teach you how to change a tire. It’s something all girls should know how to do.”
“Why, Daddy? I’ll have you do it for me,” I say, gleefully.
Dad shakes his head. “I may not always be nearby. You’ll need this life skill one day.”
If I close my eyes, I can see him winking at me with black grease on his hands.
I shudder at the memory running through me and tears prick the back of my eyes. I missed out on so much life with my dad, and being back here is a stark reminder of everything I don’t have. No dad, and now, no mom either.It’s not fair. Miles interrupts my thoughts with the clearing of his throat.
“You okay? You went somewhere else for a minute.” Miles eyes me cautiously, like he’s afraid I might break.
I shake away the sadness. “I’m good. Yeah. Let’s check out the house.”
Before he can stop me, I trek across the lawn and back into memories of the past.
