Page 55 of Forgiving Paris
Now as he looked at the gauge he could easily see the problem. It read the same as it had on campus that morning. He let his head fall back against the seat. What was he going to do now? He was miles past the last exit and the afternoon sunlight was waning fast. He grabbed his cell phone and used his GPS to figure out where he was exactly. Then he called the gas station at the last exit.
“Please… someone answer.”
Finally, a man picked up on the other end. “Harvey. Texaco.” The guy sounded tired. “How can I help you?”
Cole explained the situation. “It wouldn’t be so bad, but I have a flight to catch.”
“Sorry? Can you say it again?” The man had a drawl that was almost impossible to understand. “You’re breaking up.”
The call dropped. Cole forced himself to take slow breaths. Getting worked up wouldn’t help anything. He was about to call Harvey at the Texaco again when a tow truck pulled up behind him.Yes. Cole’s shoulders dropped as an ocean of relief came over him. He must’ve gotten enough details to the man, after all. Despite the bad connection.
A tall blond man walked up to the car and stopped at Cole’s window. “Out of gas, is that right, son?”
“Yes.” Cole couldn’t look away from the man’s eyes. Like they weren’t of this world. “Um… did Harvey send you?”
“Harvey?” The man smiled. “No. Your father called. Said you were out of gas and needed help.”
“My father?” Cole couldn’t make sense of the story, but it didn’t matter. “I’m… I’m trying to catch a flight out of Indiana in a few hours. My gas gauge broke and I’m completely empty.”
“Then I’m your guy.” The man gave a slight salute. “I’ve got five gallons in the back of my truck. That should get you to the next station.”
“Definitely. Thank you.” Cole was in shock. Who had called the man and how did he have just enough gas to get his car to the next station? He was about to climb out to help the guy when the man looked back at him and shook his head.
“Stay in your seat. I’ve got this.” He glanced at the traffic. “Most dangerous place on the interstate is the shoulder.”
The man was right. Following his orders, Cole stayed seat belted in his car and watched the guy fill his tank with the contents of three containers.
When the stranger was finished, he walked back to Cole’s window. “Your father knows about your flight, Cole. You’ll make it just fine.” He patted Cole’s hand, which was still on the steering wheel. “Keep your eyes open. There’s more going on around you than you’ll ever know.”
“Yes, sir.” Cole caught a glimpse of the man’s name tag. The one stitched into his tow truck shirt. A simple name, just three letters.
JAG. And his company was Blue Sky Towing.
Cole shook the man’s hand and again he had thestrangest feeling. Like this guy wasn’t any ordinary person. Cole chuckled. “Anyway… thank you. I’m not sure how it all worked out, but you were exactly who I needed to see. Again, thanks.”
“You asked for help.” The man grinned at Cole and made the strange salute sign again. “So here I am. At your service, Cole. Have fun in Paris.”
“Yeah. I will. Thanks… Jag.” Cole watched him climb back into the tow truck and pull out into traffic. But even before he could do the same thing, Cole’s mind began to race. When had he told the man his name? And he was sure he hadn’t told him about Paris.
Just that he needed to catch a flight.
Also how in the world could his dad have contacted the man? His father was in France. He never would’ve known the trouble Cole was in or even that he was headed to his mother’s show. Let alone that he was out of gas somewhere on the interstate, hours from home.
His heartbeat wouldn’t slow down as he merged back into traffic. Jag hadn’t asked for any sort of payment. He’d have to look up Blue Sky Towing later, when they were on the way to the airport. He’d call tomorrow and find out what he owed. Maybe he could pay a little extra as a tip for Jag. Or maybe jump on a call with the guy and ask him a few questions. Like how the whole thing had played out and where he had actually heard about Cole’s roadside trouble.
He found another Matthew West song and sang along. Not until he pulled into his grandpa John’s driveway didhe remember Jag and Blue Sky Towing and the strangest help he’d ever gotten.
When they were both in the car headed to the airport, Cole looked at his grandfather. “I almost didn’t make it.”
“Wow. That would’ve been bad.” His papa looked at him. “What happened?”
Cole told him the whole story, right up to the part where Jag told him his father had reached out.
“Your father?” Grandpa John kept his eyes on the road. “Cole. That’s impossible. Your dad doesn’t even know you’re coming.”
“I thought about that after he left.” Cole felt chills on his arms. “He said some other strange things.” One at a time, Cole remembered them. “He told me to stay in my seat, said that the shoulder was the most dangerous place for people on the interstate.”
“True.” His papa nodded. “What else?”
