Page 17 of Refuge for Flora

She startled him when she asked, “Is there a public library?”

“Uh, yeah. Of course.”

“Could you show me how to get there sometime?”

“Wouldn’t mind at all. You a big reader?”

“Yeah. And I could use the computer there.”

“Oh! If you need to use a computer, you’re welcome to come down and use mine.”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all!”

“What about tonight?”

“I’ll be gone tonight. Work. But some evening this week, sure.” He pulled up and parked at the door of the auto parts store. “I’ll just be a minute.”

“Hey, would you mind if I walked over there?” she asked and pointed at the big discount store across the parking lot.

“Of course not. Go right ahead. Got a phone number?”

“What?”

He grinned. “Got a phone number? I can call you when I’m finished to let you know I’m coming. If you’re not done, I can find a parking spot and tell you where I’m parked.”

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Perfectly okay.”

“Yeah. All right.” He pulled his phone out and she gave him her number. As soon as he had it entered, he called her phone and she smiled. “Got it.”

“Okay. You head on over there and I’ll be finished in just a few minutes.” He watched her slip out of the truck’s cab and walk toward the store, watching the traffic and jogging across the main drives.

There were a lot of people in the store, more than he’d ever expected, and it took him longer than usual. By the time he’d gotten the battery, the belt, the water absorber, and a gas can, forty minutes had gone by. He pulled up to the pump at the discount store’s station, filled the gas can, then topped off his own tank. When he was back in the cab, he hit her contact number. “Hey.”

“Hey. I’m finished and headed that way. You got everything you need?”

“Yep. Just pull up at the doors outside where the clothes and pharmacy are and I’ll be right out.”

“Be there in a second.” His truck had no more than rolled up into the crosswalk when she came out pushing her cart, so he loaded everything into the back seat while she took the cart back and they were on the road in seconds.

“Get everything you needed?”

Barrett nodded. “I think so. We’re about to find out.”

An hour and a half later, he turned the key in the ignition and the old car roared to life. Black smoke rolled out of the tailpipe, but the engine was purring. He threw open the garage door and in minutes, the smoke was gone and there was nothing except clear exhaust. “Wow! It’s running good!” he heard a voice say and turned to find Flora there.

“Yeah. It is. But we’ve got another problem.” She quirked an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t think to check the tires. They’re probably dry-rotted.”

“Oh. Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out. Back it out and let’s see what happens.”

Barrett took his seat behind the steering wheel and grinned. “Well, here goes nothing.”

The car creaked and groaned, but it rolled out of the garage and sat in the first sunlight it had seen in probably fifteen or more years. He got out and looked it over to find that, although it was dusty and dirty, the paint was in good shape. The tires were still inflated, but the air pressure was low. Barrett watched as she bent to look at a tire. “Well, whaddya think?”

“I think we need to take it to a gas station and air up the tires, see if they hold. If they do, they still need to be replaced. So let’s drive it to the discount store and park it outside their tire center. We can go in and make an appointment for them to put the tires on, and I’ll bring you back here. Then I can take you back when they get it done. Probably won’t be until the first of the week, but it’ll be there so they can do it as soon as possible. Sound good?”

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