Page 20 of Saving Grace

“What on earth possessed you to buy a tiny blue tin can for a vehicle?” Mackinlay’s frown is almost comical as he sits cramped up in the passenger’s seat.

“Blue isnota tin can. She’s sweet. She’s a classic. Size isn’t everything.”

His face is flat.

The second the words register, heat flushes my face.

After Joel, the last thing I want is another man. Let alone be considering size. Or talking to this ass about anything related to that...

Good Lord. “I, um?—”

A half smile cracks over his face.

I brush a stray strand of hair from my face. That’s the first time I’ve seen anything but a scowl or hard concentration on this man’s face. Much less an almost smile.

I narrow my eyes at him, and he snaps his gaze toward the windshield.

Right. Time to go, Grace.

My smile grows exponentially as I start Blue up and roll down the driveway. He stares out the window, turned away from me.

“It’s okay, you know,” I offer.

After a beat, he says, without turning back, “What is?”

“To have happiness after everything.”

He scoffs and stares out his window. The tension that now hangs between us ratchets up in his shoulders as he whispers, “No, it’s not.”

He can’t honestly believe that. Every night I cry into my pillow until sleep drags me under. For the things I lost back in Mississippi, for the life I threw away before I ever reached Raymond. I have come to peace with the decisions I made. I can’t take them back, and punishing myself for them, or feeling sorry for myself, won’t improve things. I can only go from here. Am I still grieving what I went through? Still trying to wrap my head around how I got so far down that dark, sordid rabbit hole? You betcha. But I’m not in that makeshift house anymore. I’m clinging to that particular fact, every minute of every day that passes.

“Keep to the right,” Mackinlay says harshly, breaking my train of thought.

I move Blue over a little. I’m not used to driving on unmarked gravel roads. Guess he’s right, we’d drifted to the center. Not exactly safe.

“You never answered me before,” I say, looking ahead at the road.

“About what?”

“Did you need anything in town?”

“Nope.”

“Fine.”

I turn onto the highway that leads to town. Blue rattles up to a good speed and we make it in under an hour. By the time I pull over on Main Street, I can see the unease written all over Mackinlay’s face. He’s been in one position too long. Cramped in the small seat space. It’s possible this is a bad idea.

Maybe he shouldn’t be such an ass.

I kill the engine and move to his door. He has it open and is leaning forward before I have a chance to help. “Got it!” he snaps.

“I need to grab my purse,” I say with a huff.

I shift to the right and lean past his shoulder and pluck my bag from behind the seat. It’s when warmth presses against my arm that I still. He didn’t move.

I’m pressed into his shoulder. I glance back. His jaw is tense. His hands gripping the door and off his crutches. Dark blue eyes swing up to mine. Shit.

“I, ah—” I swipe up the bag and scramble backward away from the car. Without hesitation, Mackinlay pushes up out of Blue and steps clear of the door, slamming it behind him. I step around him and lock the door with the key. I push on my sunglasses and tug out my hair band, letting my long hair fall around my shoulders in soft waves.

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