I look down at the engine. I try to think back on what I should do. Check the oil? Oooh, maybe I should check the battery terminal.
I’m trying to figure it out just as Ryker comes jogging down the driveway.
“Izzy, are you okay?”
I clench my eyes shut and then open them. Of course this would happen to me. I stutter. “Uh, yeah, I wanted to see the swing.”
He is standing next to me now. “Honey, you can come here anytime you want…” He smiles at me. “To see the swing, to see me.”
All I can do is stare at him. I can’t believe he’s here. We silently stare at each other.
He gestures to my van. “Can I take a look?”
He doesn't wait for answer. He leans over the open hood. “Did it just stop?”
“Uh, yeah. Sputtered and then turned off. It won’t restart.”
He nods as he fiddles with a few things. I should probably pay attention to what he’s doing, but my gaze is focused on his face. He stands up and slams the hood closed and announces, “Fuel pump.”
He waves at the painters. “Hey guys, can you help me push this into the driveway?”
“Oh no, you don’t have to?—”
I don’t even finish the sentence because the men are all lumbering toward me. I get a few ‘Hey Isabels’ from them, but they are focused on doing what Ryker asked them to do.
I stand to the side as they move my car into Ryker’s driveway. Once it’s parked, I walk over and grab my purse and phone out of the van.
“I’m going to call a tow truck.” I look at my phone. “Shoot, I’m going to be late picking up my son.”
Ryker puts his hand on my back and guides me up the driveway. He pushes a button on his phone, and the garage door opens. “I'll drive you.”
I stop. “What? No.” Panic sets in. “I can call Caroline.”
He opens the passenger door. “Come on. This will be the quickest.”
I look at my phone again. “Fine.”
I get into his SUV, and as I settle into the plush leather seat, he grabs the seatbelt, reaches around me, and clicks it into the harness. I’m trying to catch my breath as he closes my door, grabs a set of keys off the hook in the garage, and then walks around to the driver’s side.
He’s typing out a text as he opens his door. “Can I have the keys to your car?”
I point out the back window. “They’re in it.”
He gets into the car. “Okay. Tate Jennings is coming to pick it up.”
“I could have called them. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I’m usually on top of things. I?—”
He is backing out of his driveway, and he glances over at me. “Oh, I know how you are, Ms. Independent. It’s okay to let someone help you sometimes. Plus, Tate’s a friend. He’s helped me a few times when I was on the road and Dad’s car was acting up.”
I nod and rest my head against the back of the seat. “Okay.”
“I'll call him in the morning to see when it will be ready. I told him I needed it by the end of the day tomorrow because I knew you wouldn’t want to go without a car.”
I sigh softly. How nice is it to just let someone take care of things. “Thanks, Ryker.”
He waves me off as if what he’s doing is no big deal. “We going to the high school?”
“Yes, please.”
