Читать книгу Hearts in Harmony - Gail Sattler - Страница 9

The engine began to spit. The car chugged, slowed and died.

Celeste Hackett steered her mother’s decrepit sedan onto the gravel shoulder of the deserted country road and came to a complete stop. The endless expanse of farmers’ fields seemed to mock the silence of the dead car.

She refused to accept being stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Celeste attempted to restart the car, but the engine only made a horrid grinding sound, turning over and over with no contact.

With a groan, she lowered her head to the top of the steering wheel. She had been a fool to trade cars with her mother. She should have known her mother’s hunk of junk wouldn’t make the long trip back without something going wrong, but she tried to convince herself now that it was far better that her own reliable car was sitting in her mother’s garage, ready for her mother to begin her vacation tomorrow, and that it was she, Celeste, who was stranded in the middle of nowhere. If the car couldn’t make the shorter trip fifty miles between her home and her mother’s home, it definitely wouldn’t have made the fifteen-hundred-mile trip from her mother’s home to her aunt’s home, which was where her mother was going on an extended holiday.

Celeste now had two options. She could either walk ten miles ahead to the gas station at the highway entrance to ask for assistance, or thirty-five miles back to her mother’s house where she could call for a tow truck.

At the thought of all that walking, Celeste gritted her teeth and whacked the top of the dashboard with her fist. The needle on the gas gauge quivered, then dropped to the E.

Celeste tried not to scream. Her mother had given her a list of the car’s problems but apparently had forgotten to mention the malfunctioning gas gauge. However, if her mother knew about it, list, or not, there would be a container of gas in the trunk.

Celeste froze. Carrying a can of gas in the trunk was dangerous, but it was also dangerous for a woman to be stranded alone in the middle of nowhere.

Praying for the best, Celeste pushed the heavy door open, trying to ignore the creak of the rusty hinge. As she stepped onto the highway, a blast of heat hit her in the face. She did her best to ignore the stifling temperatures and walked to the rear of the car, where the stench of the car’s last, fatal backfire caused her to cough painfully. Once she caught her breath, she jabbed the key in the trunk lock. After a series of calculated wiggles, a click sounded and the lock opened. When she hoisted the heavy lid of the trunk, gas fumes wafted up.

The gas can lay on its side. Beside it lay the plug for the container’s air hole. She picked up the plastic container and shook it, confirming that it was indeed, empty.

Celeste squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second. Taking the short cut through the country rather than the longer but well-traveled main highway had not been a good choice.

She slammed the trunk shut. The bang echoed into oblivion over the surrounding fields, taunting her.

Grumbling under her breath, she replaced the plug to the empty gas container, pocketed the keys, hiked her purse strap over her shoulder, and began the long walk down the deserted country road.

Monday morning, she was going to buy a cell phone.

Adrian Braithwaite glanced at his watch and smiled. Despite the abundant potholes, the back road was still faster than the main route. And it was that knowledge that was going to earn him a big, fat, chocolate donut from his friend Paul after the evening service tonight. After he beat Paul home, of course.

An abandoned vehicle at the side of the road loomed up on the horizon. He slowed to stare. It was some car—a variety of different colors, one door blue, the trunk red, while the main body of the car was probably at one time supposed to have been white. The antenna was bent at a ridiculous angle, and the muffler was tied up with wire. The car’s condition made him wonder if someone had bought it out of a junkyard, intending to restore the old beast, although he didn’t think it was exactly a collector’s item.

Adrian checked his watch again as he drove on. He could taste that donut already.

Although he could no longer see the old car, his thoughts returned to its absent owner. Now that he thought about it, the car probably belonged to a teenager, maybe a first car. Given the old car’s condition, however, it was more likely, it belonged to someone down on their luck.

A few miles further, he caught sight of a person up ahead, walking on the shoulder, or rather, he caught sight of a gas can, its bright red visible far in the distance.

Adrian slowed again to study the stranded motorist. A green T-shirt and jeans covered a narrow waist and a nice feminine figure.

He frowned. Familiar stories of women alone being attacked or abducted flashed through his mind. He didn’t want that to happen.

Expecting her to stick out her thumb to hitch a ride when she heard him coming, Adrian slowed even more, until he was parallel to her.

Not only did she not stick out her thumb, she didn’t even look at him. Instead, she remained on the left shoulder, walking determinedly against oncoming traffic—if there had been any other traffic.

She appeared to be a couple of years younger than himself, probably about twenty-five, with chin length brunette hair, and a pert little nose. An understandable scowl tightened pouty lips. To attract her attention, Adrian leaned out the window as he idled along the highway.

He smiled. “Hi,” he called across the empty lane. “Need a lift?”

A shiver of dread passed through Celeste. After walking for over an hour during the hottest part of the summer day, Celeste was tired beyond description, not to mention crabby. Her feet hurt, and her throat was so dry she thought she might soon dissolve into a little pile of dust.

Knowing the man was looking at her, Celeste didn’t turn her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she tried to determine if she’d seen him before.

Without altering her brisk pace, Celeste turned her head slightly so she could see him better.

The man appeared respectable, which alone lessened the likelihood that he was someone she might have met before.

From what she could see, he was well-dressed and clean-shaven. His dark hair sported a stylish cut, even though it was mussed from driving with the window open. He wore what appeared to be prescription glasses with clip-ons for sunglasses. However, his friendly smile and pleasant baritone voice were not enough to make her trust him. She’d encountered smooth talkers before, one in particular, and paid for it dearly. She would never make that mistake again.

Celeste faced forward, not altering her steady pace. “No thanks, I’d rather walk.”

The man kept smiling. “Are you sure? It’s still five miles to the junction and the nearest gas station. Maybe more. I’m obviously going right past it.”

Celeste groaned inwardly. She didn’t want to become another statistic. On the surface, the man seemed okay, but then so did every creep who was later discovered to be a serial rapist or mass murderer.

While inconvenient, the walk itself wouldn’t kill her.

“Thanks for the offer. I’ll walk.”

The man continued to drive beside her.

“Why is there never a cop around when you need one?” she grumbled between her teeth. The empty plastic gas can was useless as a weapon, as was her purse. Slipping her fingers into her pocket, she withdrew her keys slowly and threaded a few between her fingers in case she had to stab him in self defense.

“My name’s Adrian Braithwaite. What’s yours?”

Celeste’s heart pounded in her chest. She clenched her fingers harder around the keys. “Never mind,” she snapped.

He pulled a bit ahead of her so she could see his face without turning her head, then leaned out the window as he continued to drive slowly. He flashed an infuriating smile. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Mind. Or may I call you Never?”

Celeste remained silent.

“Now that we’ve been formally introduced, would you like that ride? I assure you, I’m a responsible citizen, and I go to church faithfully every Sunday. I’m only concerned for your safety.”

Celeste refused to acknowledge him. She’d been taken in before by tempting promises.

At her lack of response, he sat back properly in the car and fumbled with something beside him. One arm appeared out the window, and the car swerved close enough for her to take something out of his hand. “Here,” he called out. “Take this. It’s my cell phone. You can call my mother, she’ll tell you what a nice guy I am. Her name is Mrs. Braithwaite, but you can call her Stella. We’re already too far from your car to bother calling for a tow.”

“No thank you,” she mumbled, and kept walking.

The man shrugged his shoulders and retracted his arm. “I can certainly understand if you’re nervous. If you don’t want to get in the car with me, can I drive beside you until you get to the gas station? I would really hate to read in the paper that something bad happened. I’d never be able to live with myself.”

Celeste nearly stumbled at his words. She’d already developed a blister that had burst, making her deeply regret not taking the time to switch from pantyhose to soft plush socks when she’d changed from her dress to her jeans after church.

“Suit yourself,” she mumbled. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

He checked his watch and sighed. “Not anymore.”

A sudden breeze whipped up, blowing a lock of hair into her face. She spat it out and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand without missing a step.

“Nice weather we’re having,” he called out. “The weather report says it will be hot like this for four more days.”

Celeste closed her eyes for a couple of steps. The heat was getting to her without his reminder. Not a cloud was in sight to offer any relief. The farmers’ fields provided no trees for an occasional patch of shade. She couldn’t decide what was worse to walk on, the uneven gravel of the shoulder, or the steaming hot, broken pavement.

To keep from tripping or walking away from her straight path, Celeste opened her eyes and trudged on. She’d never thought her purse particularly heavy, but after carrying it on her shoulder all this time, it felt as if it weighed a ton. She switched the gas can to her other hand to relieve her numb fingers, at the same time swiping her forearm across her sweaty forehead. She’d never been so thirsty in her life. “Yeah, nice weather,” she grumbled.

“See the game on TV last night? Great, wasn’t it?”

She wanted to turn and give him a dirty look, but she didn’t want him to see her exhaustion.

“If you don’t want to talk, how about if I turn up the music? Although you’d hear it better if you got in the car.”

Celeste opened her mouth, about to reply, but snapped it shut again. She dearly wanted to accept the ride, but stubborn determination and self-preservation won. She valued her life.

She kept walking.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He reached forward and turned up the volume. To Celeste’s shock, one of the songs from her favorite praise album resounded through the open window.

She dearly wanted to trust him. Every step hurt. Her throat was so parched every bit of dust she kicked up while walking burned her dry throat.

For now, at least, the music was making the long walk slightly less intolerable. Despite the harsh dryness in her throat, Celeste found herself humming to her favorite parts, until they finally reached the gas station.

At the same time as Celeste filled her red container, the man topped up his tank. They walked into the building at the same time to pay. He headed straight to the cashier, but Celeste detoured to the cooler for a cold drink, allowing him to be first in line.

She placed the drink on the counter while he counted out his money to the clerk. At her height of five foot five with shoes, he towered above her. He had removed the clip-ons when they got inside, which allowed her to see friendly hazel eyes through his glasses. He remained silent as he paid the clerk. Judging from the paltry amount of money exchanged, he really hadn’t needed any gas.

Celeste opened the drink and took a long sip before she spoke. “Thank you for keeping an eye on me and caring for my safety on the long road here. I really do appreciate it.”

Adrian smiled and bowed his head. “You’re welcome, Miss Mind. Always willing to help a lady in distress.”

Not that she’d been in distress, but she supposed she could have been if another car with not such a nice driver had shown up on the deserted road. Now that she was safely at the gas station, Celeste could appreciate the thought.

He started to walk out, but stopped at the magazine rack. Instead of leaving, he picked up a magazine and started paging through it.

Celeste fished through her wallet while she spoke to the young attendant behind the counter. “Is there any way I could trouble you or any of the other staff for a ride back to my car? I would be happy to pay for the inconvenience.”

“Sorry, lady,” the young clerk replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “Like, I’m the only one here, you know, and I can’t lock up and leave. My shift just started. If you need a ride I’d be happy to oblige you, but you gotta wait for my shift to end and Josh to get here.”

Celeste contemplated her options. A cab would cost more money than she could afford, but she didn’t have anyone she could call to come and get her. She certainly wasn’t going to wait seven hours at the gas station for a ride.

Adrian appeared at her side. “I’ll gladly give you a ride back to your car. What would it take to convince you that my intentions are indeed honorable?”

She stared up at him. Her mind went blank.

“I know…” His voice trailed off as he dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Here.”

Celeste automatically accepted what he gave her. It was his driver’s license and a credit card.

“This proves I’m who I say I am. It’s a bad picture, but that’s me. See?” He frowned and closed one eye slightly more than the other to imitate a typical bad driver’s license photo. “And that’s my signature, right there. Besides, everyone at the gas station has seen us.”

Celeste somehow doubted that mass murderers gained the trust of their victims with photo I.D. and a major credit card.

She smiled politely, resigned to her fate, while she read the information on the driver’s license. The walk back would surely kill her anyway, even if Braithwaite, Adrian Andrew, single male, age twenty-nine, 185 pounds, six feet one inch tall, dark-brown hair, hazel eyes, didn’t. “You win,” she mumbled, trying to sound gracious. “I would be forever grateful if you could give me a ride back to the car.”

They walked in silence to his car, where in gentlemanly fashion, he opened the passenger door for her, then closed it firmly when she was settled in her seat. When he entered the driver’s side, Celeste pressed herself against the door and watched his every move.

He sighed as she continued to watch him. “Please, don’t be so nervous. Let me show you I really am a decent human being.” Instead of starting the car, Adrian reached between the seats, pulled out an envelope, and handed her the paper from inside. It was a phone bill.

“That’s my mother’s phone number. See how often I call her? You can even phone her yourself.” Triumphantly, he retrieved the cellular phone from under his seat and offered it to her again.

Celeste scanned the bill, showing a number of charges to the same number. “This bill is overdue.”

Adrian’s smile faded as he snatched back the paper. “No it’s not.” He studied it further. “That’s an old bill. See where I tore off the bottom part to mail it in?”

“How do I know it’s your mother? I only have your word for it.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “So then phone your mother.” He handed her the phone, then reached in front of her and flipped open the glove compartment, revealing a jumble of papers stuffed so tightly she didn’t know how the small compartment hadn’t exploded. He pulled out a plastic envelope, quickly pushed the papers back, and slammed the door shut. “Here’s my vehicle registration. You’ve already seen my driver’s license. Phone your mother and tell her who you’re with so if you go missing the cops will come and arrest me.”

As she pressed the power button and waited for the phone to locate the signal, she could feel his eyes upon her.

Celeste didn’t raise her head, only her eyes, and blatantly stared back. The privacy and confined quarters of his car allowed her to study his face closer than she had inside the gas station. He didn’t turn away. He only smiled, openly inviting her scrutiny.

Even with him looking right back, she couldn’t stop staring. Up close, his hazel eyes seemed more than friendly. They radiated sincerity and kindness. While he wasn’t exactly movie-star handsome, he wasn’t bad.

Summoning all her self control, she forced herself to quit staring and switched her attention to the phone. Quickly, she punched in her mother’s phone number, then held the phone up to her ear until it made the connection. While she waited she looked back up at Adrian.

He hadn’t moved. It suddenly occurred to her that while she had been studying him, he had been studying her. As soon as their eyes met, he crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, almost as if he could tell she needed more space.

Despite the fact that he’d been nothing but a perfect gentleman, her insides still quivered and she remained tense, ready to open the door and run.

“It’s busy. I guess I’ll just have to trust you.”

While Adrian started the engine, Celeste reminded herself that although it had taken hours to walk here, they would be back at her mother’s car in approximately ten minutes. However, by the time they reached it, Celeste was filled with guilt at having been so rotten to him. He had remained with her to ensure her safety, and now he was going out of his way to help her again.

He watched from a respectable distance as Celeste stood beside the gas cap and fumbled with the opening to the gas can.

She didn’t raise her head as she spoke. “I really appreciate all your help,” she mumbled, “especially after I was so rude when you were only trying to be nice.”

He answered her with a humorless smile. “Don’t worry about it. I understand. I’m glad I was able to help. You must be tired after that long walk.”

“Yes. Pride has its price.”

After a few chugs and a puff of black smoke, the car started. She rolled the window down and leaned out. “Thanks again, Adrian,”

“You’re welcome. Any time.”

She pulled onto the highway and watched in the rearview mirror as Adrian drove behind her. She stopped at the same gas station she’d just been at minutes ago, and waved at Adrian as he continued past.

It took so long to fill the car’s large gas tank that Celeste nearly fell asleep on her feet. However, when the pump clicked off to indicate the tank was finally full, the amount of money on the display jolted her to full wakefulness.

As she walked into the building once again and waited in line to pay, she tried to calculate how much more her mother’s sorry excuse for a car would cost while her mother was gone.

“I see you’re back. Anything else you need?”

Celeste shook her head and pulled her wallet out of her purse. Since she didn’t have that much cash on her, she was forced to charge the amount. As she ran her fingers over the slots in her wallet to pull out her credit card, her hand froze.

Tucked neatly in her wallet were Adrian Braithwaite’s driver’s license and credit card.