Page 16 of A Second Chance

“It’s a good thing I came along,” he said, climbing behind the wheel.

“Better for Lu, if you can get the electricity back up and running.”

“I can get the electricity back. I’m still not sure how much work it’ll take to make the building safe. It’s a wonder that building hasn’t caught fire.”

“That’s comforting.”

He laughed.

“Are you already working for someone here in town?”

“No, haven’t even looked yet. Got a call this morning from Weasel asking me to come help.”

“That sounds like self-employment, then.”

“Didn’t think of it like that,” he said, parking the truck back next to her car.

Gwen slid from the front seat of the truck. “I want to know how to do this. Show me.”

Jason walked her through the process of the pulling out the old battery and installing the new one. Gwen tried to ignore the awareness of him so close to her under the hood of the car, and steel herself against the brush of his hand against hers or resting on the small of her back while teaching her. Unfortunately for her heart, electricity still sizzled between them. In the blink of an eye, her car roared to life.

Gwen jumped out of the car. “I did it,” she cried.

“You sure did,” he said, amusement spread across his face.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me,” she said. “I didn’t grow up working on cars.”

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I wouldn’t dream of laughing at you.” He closed the hood.

“Yeah, right.”

“No, it’s true. And up next, I’ll teach you how to do an oil change. When’s the last time you had one done?”

Gwen shrugged. “I’ll take care of that. Anyway, thanks for the help today.” She put the car door between them, but his hand landed on top of hers where she held the top of the door.

“Anytime,” he said catching her eye.

His warm hand sending shock waves through her body; the breath stuck in her chest. “Okay,” she managed to say, pulling her hand out from under his, and sliding into the car.

Seven

The Bar, White Oaks Watering Hole, was bustling on the Friday evening. The white, clapboard dive bar sat there for as long as he could remember of his thirty-two years. Jason sat at a back corner table with Dan.

“I hear you helped Gwen out the other day.”

“Car battery,” he replied, and gulped down a ginger ale.

“Making progress?”

“Dude, she hates my guts, and I have no idea why.” Autumn had sent out a text with his new cell phone number to everyone in the group, including Gwen, and she was the only one who didn’t respond. “Thought I’d made an in with the battery…” He recalled the way she’d started to relax, but her guard slammed back into place at the end.

“She’s not the only single woman in town.”

His sister hadn’t been either, but that hadn’t stopped Dan. He kept his mouth shut since they were happily married. “True.” But so far, she was the only one who’d captured his interest. “But it’s like she automatically doesn’t trust me.”

Dan eyed him and shook his head.

“Did you do anything tocauseher not to trust you?” Hannah asked, sliding into a chair next to him. Her husband, Justin, followed and grabbed another seat at the table.

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