LITMIR.BIZ

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around. Fear flashed through her eyes, before warning replaced it.

      He immediately pulled back, giving her space.

      “I’m an old hand at working on cars. Let me have a look at it.”

      “It’s not necessary—”

      “Think of me as a knight in shining armor,” he teased, smiling at her. “My mama would come back from her grave and tan my hide if I left a lovely woman like you stranded with a broken-down car.”

      The first smile he’d seen cracked her lips. It transformed her face, made her eyes look even greener.

      Oh, boy, he thought, stunned by her effect on him.

      He quickly exited the car. Going over to the compact, he popped the hood and looked under it. “Uhhuh, here’s your problem,” he said, fingering a belt “I have a friend who owes me a favor. What say you let me have your car towed to your house, and I can fix this for you?”

      She stiffened. “I don’t think so. I’ll take care of it myself.”

      Puzzled by the sudden anger in her eyes, he wondered what he’d said. “I’ve got a cell phone in the truck. Just hang on….”

      “I can’t pay for the repair,” she finally confided, lifting her chin haughtily.

      Realizing she was embarrassed, he smiled. “There’s no charge. Like I said, he’s a friend and I’ll put the belt on for you. The belt is only a couple of dollars.”

      “I can’t ask you—”

      He strode back over to her, touching her shoulders. Her arms felt small through the slicker.

      When she stiffened again, he immediately let go. “You aren’t asking me for anything. But there’s no way on this earth I’m leaving you out here in this downpour to get soaked.”

      He turned, swiped a hand at the rain pouring down his face, then went back to his truck to make a call. By the time he was done, the rain had almost quit.

      And Maggie was again looking nervous. When he walked up she surprised him. Instead of trying to talk him out of helping again, she offered a tentative smile. “Thank you.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      “Your friend doesn’t mind getting out in this?” she asked, looking up at the sky.

      He smiled. “Nah. He’s a good guy.”

      She had the front of his truck between them, and he allowed it. After all, he was a stranger. It was only right that she be cautious. He wanted to reassure her but wasn’t sure how to put her at ease. The road was deserted, lonely. She had a right to be wary.

      “Am I keeping you from something?”

      He smiled, trying to help lessen the tension. “No, ma’am. As a matter of fact, I was just on my way home.”

      “Do you need to call your wife or something?”

      His grin widened. “No wife or something. No relatives at all.”

      She ducked her head.

       Interesting.

      He sidled over to front of the truck. “Have you lived here long?”

      She shrugged. “Two months.”

      “I bet you live in the trailer park about two more miles up the road.”

      She looked up, surprised.

      He answered her unspoken question. “It’s the only thing up the road besides the church and a couple of subdivisions.”

      “How do you know I don’t live in one of those subdivisions?” she asked.

      “I don’t. But the hat you’re wearing wouldn’t pay the rent on those houses. Unless you’re independently wealthy and just work at the fast-food restaurant for fun.”

      She opened her mouth to comment, when suddenly her stomach growled.

      Red crawled up her face to her hairline.

      He grinned. “My stomach’s telling me the same thing.”

      Her lips formed a small smile again. “I get hungry a lot.”

      The sound of a truck caught their attention, and they turned. Jake was relieved. He’d never had such a stilted conversation in his life. He was down-to-earth, always putting everyone at ease. This woman had a wall thicker than the Great Wall of China built around her. “That’s Tyler. Go ahead and get in the truck. We’ll hook your car up and then you can give us directions to your house.”

      He started to walk off, but the woman called his name.

      “Yes?” he asked, turning.

      “When we get to my house, I’ll be glad to feed you dinner for your help.”

      He could tell that offer cost her a lot. Still, he was glad for the invitation. He nodded. “That’s very nice of you, Maggie. Go on, now. Get in the truck. I’ll be right there.”

      “She sure is a pretty little thing,” Tyler said as Jake walked up. He and Jake worked on getting the car hooked up to his truck.

      Jake glanced back to see the woman sitting alone in the dilapidated old truck. “Yeah, I suppose she is.” He remembered the haunted look in her eyes.

      “So she’s caught your eye, has she?” Tyler joked.

      Jake turned back around and chuckled. “How could she not? She’s beautiful.” It was the honest truth. He saw no reason not to admit that to Tyler. But he didn’t mention there was something more than beauty that had snared his attention. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was the simple fact that she needed someone, and Jake was the giving type.

      Tyler laughed. “I’m surprised you even noticed.”

      Jake raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. “I’ve dated, Tyler. You know that I just have too much to do and no time to go looking.”

      “I know other preachers who’ve gotten married,” Tyler replied, going around to the other side of the car.

      “I have, too. Some of them are my friends. But the right woman has just never come along.”

      He finished adjusting the chains, then nodded. “Follow us. Maggie said she’d give me directions.”

      “Sure thing, Jake,” Tyler said, and headed toward the truck.

      Jake went back to his truck. Marriage. Now, where had that come from? He supposed many in his congregation wondered why he’d never married. He was finally realizing a lifelong goal in his inner-city ministry program. He honestly didn’t believe he had time for marriage with all that going on. Or he, at least, had no time to look.

      “It shouldn’t take too long,” he said, turning his attention to Maggie when he got in the truck. He was pleased when she smiled….

      He started the truck. “Which way?”

      She pointed one long slender finger. “You were right about the trailer park. If you turn in the second entrance, I’m the first trailer on the right under the big oak tree with the long patio porch.”

      “So,” he said, pulling back out onto the highway, watching as Tyler slowly followed, “do you have any new job prospects?”

      If she thought his question too personal, she didn’t show it. She only shrugged. “I’ll find a job.”

      “What type of work do you do?”

      If he hadn’t chosen that moment to glance at her, he was certain he would have missed the flash of bitterness in her eyes. As it was, she covered it quickly. “I do a bit of everything. I’ve done inventories, was an executive secretary, a cook, fast-food.”

      Surprised, he

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