Page 18 of Willow Vale

“Say bye to Travis, we have to go now,” I said, waiting only long enough for River to wave goodbye before I added, “If you’re sure about me not paying for your phone, then we’ll be heading off. See you later.”

“Delilah—”

I was practically running down the aisle by the time I heard him say my name. I’m not sure what was wrong with me only that being this close to him again was sparking all kinds of emotions in me that I wasn’t ready for. The strange familiarity between us blurred by this awkwardness I didn’t like.

And I didn’t know how to clear any of it up.

I wasn’t sure that was possible at this rate.

Checking out at the register never went by so slowly. After paying for the groceries, I hurried out of the store.

The sun had begun to settle over the trees across the main road, painting the Bronco parked close to the entrance in a light hue of orange. Wasting no time, I tossed our groceries into the back before settling River into his seat. Buckling him in, I closed his door hopped in next to get the Bronco started. But not for long because the familiar roar of the engine was followed by a stutter and a dry hacking sound before the engine died on me.

“Come on. Don’t do this to me.” I just took it to the mechanic for an oil change and everything looked fine according to them. I turned the keys one more time, only to have the same thing happen again.

Groaning, I slumped in my seat. Then I let out an incredulous chuckle that probably bordered on manic.

Someone’s luck could not bethisbad.

Turning the key one more time, tears stung the back of my eyes when the same unfortunate events occurred with the engine. Gripping the steering wheel, I rested my forehead against it. “I can’t believe you died on me.”

“Is Beth not working?” River asked from behind me, referring to the Bronco he named for us a while ago.

“No, she’s not.” I sighed then said under my breath, “You lazy cow.”

I started debating heading back into the store to ask someone if they could give me a jump start when a tap at the window startled me.

Travis stood next to my truck with an arched brow, a bag of groceries in one hand and keys in the other. Given the opened door and groceries in the passenger side I spotted from here, the black Chevy behind him had to belong to Travis. Because, somehow, I’d managed to park next to the only other vehicle on this side of the parking lot.

“Need some help?” he asked from the other side of the window.

I was officially convinced in this moment, that the universe really did have it out for me.

CHAPTER 9

Travis

“I can just calla tow truck and have a mechanic take a look at it. It’s probably just the battery. Really, you don’t have to help,” Delilah insisted again as she stood outside her Bronco.

Given the horrible sound I heard coming from her truck the moment I walked out of the grocery store, I’d say there were bigger issues with it.

“It’s fine, I got the cables in the back of my truck. Just give me a sec. Pop the hood for me, will you?” I said over my shoulder, already rounding the Bronco and heading to my truck without letting her get another word in. Delilah could argue with a wall all day if she thought she was right, and I wasn’t about to let her go on about how she didn’t need any help when she clearly did.

It was good to see some things never change.

I reached into the toolbox in the bed of my truck and retrieved the jumper cables. When I turned around, I found her standing next to the opened passenger door, talking to River in his car seat.

“How’re you doing, little man?” I heard her ask him.

River chirped, “Good. Where are we going now?”

“I just need to get Beth started up and we’ll go see the babysitter. Desmond’s wife said she’d watch you while I go to work. That sound good to you?”

River gasped. “Desmond’s the cowboy! Yeah, I want to go see the horses! Can I?”

Delilah’s soft laugh made me stop in my tracks. It was airy and with a slight rasp to it. Beautiful. Just like her. It’d been so long since I last heard her laugh around me. A genuine one that lit up her eyes and made a slight blush sweep over her cheeks. It was…nice. Reminding me of a sunny day in the middle of winter.

I watched as she kissed the top of River’s head and his little hands dove into her hair, messing up the curls with a mischievous giggle.

---