Enjoying the peaceful melodies, I rested my head against the window.I blinked slowly, and when I opened my eyes again, I spotted a sign stating we were turning onto a new highway.
“Ever been on the Coq?”Tristan asked, his face sharpening into focus.
“No.Drugs are bad.”
The ease and warmth of his laugh tickled me.“The Coquihalla.It’s a highway.With higher speeds for a bit.You should enjoy it there.”
Feeling foolish answering before clearly thinking things through, I stared at the odometer as it continued rising.
He delighted me with fun facts about the highway like how it was the only highway in all of British Columbia to have tolls, which ceased to exist after the mid-eighties.And how it had two summits, the Surrey Lake summit, which we just passed, and the Coquihalla Pass, which was well after our next stop.
Completely comfortable, the lightness lingered, right until the van hiccupped.
Tristan’s hands tightened on the wheel.“No.No.NO!”
Chapter Eight
“There!”Tristan pointedto a sign readingClapperton Brake Check.
Turning off the highway, into a rest area of sorts, the engine sputtered and lost power, and the whole vehicle lurched before Tristan guided it onto the gravel shoulder.
He shut off the ignition, jaw flexing once.“Fantastic.”
Reaching under the dash, he popped the hood release and jumped out of the van, slamming the door.
Exiting slowly, I followed even though I knew nothing about engines other than don’t touch the hot thing.
The headlights cast ghostly beams into the open compartment, lighting the metal like a crime scene.
Tristan braced both hands on the frame, head hanging for a second.
“Do you know what’s wrong?”I asked, stepping closer to the engine compartment.
“No.”A long lingering sigh blew out.“But I know guys who stand around and stare at engines because that’s what we’re supposed to do and somehow things happen.”
Josh did that with his friends too.Whenever someone got a new car, they’d pop the hood and purr and praise the metallic thumping beast in the frame.I didn’t understand it at all.
