Page 53 of Stranded with the Billionaire
Dixby pulled out a couple twenties, tossing them on the counter. “Didn’t know about your cash only policy?”
“It only says it on the pumps, the door, and the till,” Judy rolled her eyes and took Dixby’s money, popping it into the till.
The bell rang as Katie Sutton came breathlessly into the gas bar, laying money on the counter. “Here Judy. Oh, hey Dixby. If you happen to see my hubcap lying around, could you get it for me? I’m late and I’ve just spilled my coffee all over myself and some guy who looks like he’s going to a funeral or a wedding. Judy, I’ll grab a quart of oil from the stand on the way out. The car just keeps acting up. Thanks!”
She bustled out, the bell tinkling as she left.
“That girl needs a new car,” Dixby commented.
“That girl needs a man to rescue her from herself,” Judy shook her head as she put the cash in the till. They watched as Katie tried to start the small rusting hatchback at the pump. After a few tries, it roared to life and a black cloud belched from behind as she pulled out of the parking lot minus one hubcap.
“I am going to miss this place when everyone leaves,” Dixby sighed with a little nostalgia at the idea. He could afford to stay since his place was paid off, however many other people would have no choice but to leave to find work, creating a ghost town.
“You and me both,” Judy grabbed a peppermint and offered it to Joy who happily accepted as she tried to tie Dixby’s short hair into a ponytail. “Pendle just won’t be the same.”
“What do you think that stranger is here for?” he asked casually.
“Not sure. He didn’t strike me as the type to share confidences,” Judy wiped down the counter. “You going across the street to wait and see if he comes back needing directions?”
“I figure Joy and I will loiter at the hardware store and then settle at the Milk Box for a little ice cream,” Dixby confirmed. “If Mr. Snooty happens to need directions, that’s where we’ll be.”
Judy chuckled as Dixby left, still letting Joy play with his hair as they passed the even less pleased than he was before stranger who now sported a large coffee stain on his white shirt. Two hours later, Dixby and Joy were finishing up their sundae and chatting to a group of people in the Milk Box, a local ice cream and bakery shop when the car and the stranger returned for more gas.
“I think this is my cue,” Dixby smiled in satisfaction. Putting Joy on his shoulders, Dixby made his way across the street. Ignoring the stranger who was pumping gas again, he entered the gas bar to lean against the counter.
“You think he would have put a full tank of gas in the first time,” Judy commented. “GPS can be unreliable at times.”
“It certainly can,” Dixby agreed affably. He lifted Joy off his shoulders, letting her sit on the counter where he grabbed his handkerchief and wiped away a few smears of strawberry from her cheek.
The stranger came in to pay for his gas, this time having the cash ready. “Would you happen to know where the Hawkins family has relocated to? I see the farm is to be auctioned.”
Suddenly it clicked in Dixby’s mind. This was Jake Ramesly. It had to be. Perhaps the man had finally come to his senses and was going to talk to SaraLee. Dixby smiled pleasantly as his mind ran through all sorts of possibilities. “They’ve gone to Ma Benson’s old place. You need to take Second Line out past the Milner’s, turn right before the bridge, take the left fork in the road to find Ma Bensons’ old place which is now the Talbot’s since they bought it three years ago. If you find the church that burnt down last spring, you’ve gone too far.”
“That would imply that I know where the Milners are,” Jake sighed. “I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the area.”
“Oh, we’re aware of that,” Judy said pleasantly. “We don’t get many strangers in this part of the country.”
“I’ll draw you a map,” Dixby grabbed an old flyer and pulled a pencil out of a jar near the till. He proceeded to make it as complicated as he could with information that really wasn’t needed. “Here’s the old peach yard, over there is the brickyard which shut down in fifty-five, now it’s just a big wet hole in the ground but my granddaddy used to work there. Most every home around here that has bricks, those bricks came from that yard. Now, if you follow this road you’ll get to Hawk’s trailer park but if you do, you’ll have to turn around and come back cuz you’ll have passed the cut off. The sideroad that goes to Second Line is here, but you could take Fairweather Road, it’s a shorter way…”
Midway through Dixby’s ramblings, Jake put a stop to it. He’d already followed the directions of five other people and hadn’t managed to find Sterling. “Why don’t you just take me to the Hawkins directly? I’ll gladly pay you for your time.”
“Well that’s a good idea,” Dixby looked surprised, as though that wasn’t his intention all along. “Judy, do you mind looking after Joy for a little while? It won’t take all that long.”
“Sure thing Dixby,” Judy was plaiting Joy’s hair into a braid. “Joy and I will get up to all kinds of fun.”
“You’re a peach,” Dixby said to the woman who just smiled and waved him away. As they walked to Jake’s car Dixby stuck out his hand. “Dixby Cooley.”
“Jake Ramesly,” Jake shook Dixby’s hand in greeting.
Theory confirmed, thought Dixby with some satisfaction. He got into the passenger seat of the no longer shiny rental. Jake had been going down some gravel roads, Dixby acknowledged. He happily provided all sorts of conflicting directions as they drove, pointing out landmarks and telling a little history about the country as it passed by. Once or twice, he made Jake backtrack, saying he’d been too busy telling Jake about a particular property’s story that Dixby had plum forgot to tell Jake where to turn.
Sensing Jake’s growing impatience, Dixby had him drive onto Fairweather Road. It was a gravel road and a decent drive until they came to a brushy area where Jake halted the car.
“You want me to go through that?” Jake looked at the mud on the road.
“Yup,” Dixby had neglected to say that the road was called Fairweather because the only time it could be driven was during a bout of fair weather. It had rained two days ago and near the brush was the usual quagmire of mud after any sort of precipitation. “You act like you’ve never been mudding before.”
“Will the car even make it?” Jake didn’t look confident.
