“What’s the problem here?” she muttered, easing off on the pedal and punching it again. This time the car shuddered and stopped dead. “For heaven’s sake.” Only mildly annoyed, she started to turn the key to start it again, and glanced at the dash. The little gas pump beside the gauge was brightly lit.
“Stupid,” she said aloud, berating herself. “Stupid, stupid. Weren’t you supposed to get gasbeforeyou left town?” She sat back, sighed. She’d meant to, really. Just as she’d meant to stop and fill up the day before, right after class.
Now she was two miles out of town without even fumes to ride on. Blowing the hair out of her eyes, she looked out at the home of M. Taylor and Sons. A quarter-mile hike, she estimated. Which made it a lot better than two miles. And she had, more or less, been invited.
She grabbed her keys and started up the lane.
She was no more than half way when the boys spotted her. They came racing down the rocky, pitted lane at a speed that stopped her heart. Surefooted as young goats, they streaked toward her. Coming up behind was a huge yellow dog.
“Miss Davis! Hi, Miss Davis! Did you come to see us?”
“Sort of.” Laughing, she crouched down to give them both a hug and caught the faint scent of chocolate. Before she could comment, the dog decided he wanted in on the action. He was restrained enough to plant his huge paws on her thighs rather than her shoulders.
Zack held his breath, then let it out when she chuckled and bent down to rub Zark’s head and shoulders. “You’re a big one, aren’t you. A big beauty.”
Zark lapped her hand in perfect agreement. Nell caught a look exchanged quickly between the twins. One that seemed both smug and excited.
“You like dogs?” Zeke asked.
“Sure I do. Maybe I’ll get one now. I never had the heart to lock one up in a New York apartment.” She only laughed again when Zark sat and politely lifted a paw. “Too late for formalities now, buddy,” she told him, but shook it anyway. “I was out driving, and I ran out of gas right smack at the bottom of your lane. Isn’t that funny?”
Zack’s grin nearly split his face. She liked dogs. She’d stopped right at their house. It was more magic, he was sure of it. “Dad’ll fix it. He can fix anything.” Confident now that he had her on his own ground, Zack took her hand. Not to be outdone, Zeke clasped the other.
“Dad’s out back in the shop, building a ‘rondak chair.”
“A rocking chair?” Nell suggested.
“Nuh-uh. A ‘rondak chair. Come see.”
They hauled her around the house, passed a curving sunroom that caught the southern light. There was another deck in the back, with steps leading down to a flagstone patio. The shop in the backyard—the same cedar as the house—looked big enough to hold a family of four. Nell heard the thwack of a hammer on wood.
Bursting with excitement, Zeke raced through the shop door. “Dad! Dad! Guess what?”
“I guess you’ve taken another five years off my life.”
Nell heard Mac’s voice, deep and amused and tolerant, and found herself hesitating. “I hate to bother him when he’s busy,” she said to Zeke. “Maybe I can just call the station in town.”
“It’s okay, come on.” Zack dragged her a few more feet into the doorway.
“See?” Zeke said importantly. “She came!”
“Yeah, I see.” Caught off-balance by the unexpected visit, Mac set his hammer down on his workbench. He pushed up the brim of his cap and frowned without really meaning to. “Miss Davis.”
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. Taylor,” she began, then saw the project he was working on. “An Adirondack chair,” she murmured, and grinned. “A ‘rondak chair. It’s nice.”
“Will be.” Was he supposed to offer her coffee? he wondered. A tour of the house? What? She shouldn’t be pretty, he thought irrelevantly. There was nothing particularly striking about her. Well, maybe the eyes. They were so big and brown. But the rest really was ordinary. It must be the way it was put together, he decided, that made it extraordinary.
Not certain whether she was amused or uncomfortable at the way he was staring at her, Nell launched into her explanation. “I was out driving. Partly for the pleasure of it, and partly to try to familiarize myself with the area. I’ve only lived here a couple months.”
“Is that right?”
“Miss Davis is from New York City, Dad,” Zack reminded him. “Kim told you.”
“Yeah, she did.” He picked up his hammer again, set it down. “Nice day for a drive.”
“I thought so. So nice I forgot to get gas before I left town. I ran out at the bottom of your lane.”
A flicker of suspicion darkened his eyes. “That’s handy.”
