She managed to pull safely onto the half-shoulder, bumping a little on the mound of plowed snow just in time for the engine to die completely.
Gray clouds were darkening in the sky, and with the battery dead, her flashers weren’t going to work.
This could cause a serious accident.
She hopped out of the car to find the flares she was pretty sure were in the back, and call a tow truck.
Within seconds, she felt frozen through. The wind up on the bridge was harsh and cold. It whipped her long, dark hair into her face, and by the time she got it out of her eyes, she could see a red pickup truck pulling up behind her, lights flashing.
She had a moment to be nervous, but then reminded herself that she was in Trinity Falls. Folks stopped to help each other here, not to take advantage.
A large, familiar form hopped out of the truck and began striding toward her, and her heart forgot how to beat.
Can that actually be him?
But of course it was. She would know Jensen Webb anywhere. He had a beard now, but it only seemed to set off his gray eyes even more. A sense of relief settled over Willow as he approached, just like when she was a kid, and she felt her shoulders go down a tiny bit in relief.
“Willow?” he said suddenly, stopping in his tracks.
“Hey, Jensen,” she replied, suddenly feeling like she was twelve again, scribbling his name in her diary surrounded by puffy hearts.
“What happened?” he asked, his eyes moving to the car.
Suddenly, the weight of her brother’s anger landed on her again and she felt guilty for being so happy to see his best friend.
“I think my battery went,” she said. “Radio turned down, and it just sort of spluttered and died.”
“That’s a bad alternator,” Jensen said right away, his deep voice calm and certain. “Come sit in my truck while we call the shop.”
“Uh, okay,” she reluctantly agreed.
With Willow’s luck, the next person to drive past would be her brother and he’d be convinced Jensen was trying to lead her into morebad decisions. But there was no point arguing, because the wind seemed to be going through her coat and directly into her bones.
Jensen jogged ahead and opened the passenger door for her.
“Here you go,” he said.
“Oh,” she said, noticing the toddler in the backseat, who was looking at her with interest.
“This is Henry,” he told her. “Henry, this is my friend, Willow.”
My friend Willow,she thought to herself with satisfaction.Not my best friend’s little sister, Willow.
But it only reminded her that the two men weren’t speaking anymore, and the satisfaction turned back into guilt.
“Hi, buddy,” she said to the little boy, who was taking her in with gray eyes just like his father’s.
He blinked at her, wrapping his little fist around the brown teddy bear on his lap.
“Give me a sec,” Jensen said, closing her door and then getting on the phone.
She watched him pacing and talking for a second, then glanced back at Henry.
“Your daddy will be right back,” she told him.
He looked a little worried, but maybe that was just how toddlers looked. Willow didn’t have a lot of experience with kids, since she had always been the youngest.
This one looked like he’d rather be with his dad, but it was probably best that he was staying with her in the nice warm truck, even if he didn’t know her yet.
