Page 75 of Cowboy's Last Stand
“Let’s go see the ducks,” she said to Marcus.
He accompanied her to the shore of a small pond, where he raced along the edge.It was a beautiful day, crisp and bright.Warmth from the sun permeated her sweater.She loved Texas in late fall, when the humidity ebbed.She wondered if she could live in a place like Montana, where it snowed all winter.
They left the grounds and returned to the parking lot, which was almost empty.There were a few other cars, but none nearby.She noticed something was wrong immediately.Her car appeared slumped to one side.
She had a flat tire.
Cursing under her breath, she rushed forward to inspect the rear tire on the driver’s side.She didn’t see a nail or any punctures.She straightened, scanning the parking lot again.Her heart began to race with unease.
“What happened?”Marcus asked.
“I don’t know.”She pulled the phone from her pocket to call Jason.
“Hello?”
“There’s a problem.”
“What is it?”
“I have a flat tire.”
“Where are you?”
She described the location.“I’m ten miles away.”
“Do you have a spare?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll call a cab and come to you.”
“I think I can change a tire myself.”
“Have you done it before?”
“No.”
“I’ll walk you through it.”
“OK.”
“First, tell me what it looks like.”
She handed the phone to Marcus.“You’re going to be my helper,” she said.“Sit down right here and hold up the phone up so I can hear Jason.”
Marcus nodded and did as he was told.She looked at the tire again.
“Any damage?”Jason asked.
“The cap is missing on the air thing.Maybe it fell off.”
“Hmm.”
Jason helped her locate her spare and the necessary tools in her trunk.Then he talked her through the process of changing the tire.He made it sound easy, and all of the steps were familiar.She’d watched Mike do this before.Marcus held the phone, and he took care of the lug nuts by tucking them into his pocket.
Twenty minutes later, she was finished.She rose, dusting off her hands.
“You did it,” Marcus said.“Good job!”
