Page 25 of An Uncertain Road

To Jensen’s disbelief, Flora responded to Sam’s obvious flirtation with a giggle. “Give me the chance and I’ll take it from you without a problem.”

Jensen had heard enough. Turning away from the pair, he marched across the yard to the hotel. If she wanted to flirt instead of focusing on the tour, so be it. But he didn’t have to stand around and watch it happen.

CHAPTER 12

Flora’s heart dropped as Jensen trudged toward the hotel. His broad shoulders were rigid, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

What had she done to upset him? She thought back over the conversation with Sam. Had their light-hearted teasing about how badly the Harrison Goods team had done that day bothered him that much? He’d seemed to accept her decision, but was he still angry over her insistence that they take the makeshift ferry earlier?

Sam, on the other hand, had acknowledged her driving skill and made her smile. He didn’t question her ability to make informed decisions. While she’d agreed to let Mr. Harrison’s racing crew work on her car at the shop, she’d hoped once they were on the road, Jensen would work together with her to keep the car running well. But he made no effort to include her when he checked over the car each evening, and now he’d stomped off without a word.

The officials finished with their inspection, and Sam joined her when she climbed into the car, needing a few minutes of peace even if it meant enduring the humid heat of the summer evening. Flora pulled at a loose button on her white shirtwaist. The little irritation made her miss Isabelle, who always took care of the mending tasks Flora would never get to if left to herself. How was Isabelle faring as a guest of the Harrisons? Flora resolved to write a letter to her that night updating her on their progress.

Sam stretched his legs out and put both hands behind his head, looking as comfortable as a person could be. “Jensen seemed mad. What’s he got to be upset about? You made it in time.”

“Who knows what makes that man feel anything.”

Sam laughed, a hearty, loud guffaw that brought an unintended smile to Flora’s lips. He was enjoyable company. But something about seeing him in the passenger seat made her miss Jensen. A larger part of her than she would have expected wished it was him enjoying the evening with her instead of Sam.

The thought forced all lightheartedness from her mind. She was coming to rely on Jensen’s presence far too much. She would need to be able to do this on her own if she wanted to continue racing when he was no longer being forced to ride along. “Sam, I’m going to take a quick look at the engine.”

Sam fixed his gaze on her. “Is there something wrong with it?”

“No, but Jensen usually does all the maintenance, and I haven’t had my hands in the engine in too long.”

Sam sat up with a nod. “So I was right to guess that you know what you’re doing with an engine.”

Warmth settled over Flora at Sam’s easy confidence in her, a nice feeling after all the doubt she faced with Jensen. “It’s good to be around someone who accepts that I’m capable of handling myself.”

Sam swung down out of the car and came to stand by Flora as she pulled back the hood. She spent a few blissful moments checking the oil and fittings before closing the cover again. She’d grabbed a cloth to wipe the grease off when Sam reached out and put his hand over hers, stilling her work. “While it’s just the two of us, there’s something I came over here to tell you. I keep trying to talk myself out of saying it, but I’d hate to see anything bad happen to you because I didn’t.”

A chill washed away the nice feeling of finally having a friend. Sam was never this serious. “Something bad? What does that mean?”

Reaching out absently, Sam twisted the radiator cap back and forth, as though he was searching for the right words. “Archie told me something he overheard at the stop last night, a conversation between Jensen and one of the other drivers. I hate to believe what he heard because I’ve known Jensen for so long, but Archie doesn’t have a reason to lie about it.”

Flora tried to keep up with what Sam was saying, but it didn’t make any sense yet. “What did Mr. Franklin overhear?”

“He heard them talking about ways a car might be damaged without it being obvious. Letting the oil tank run dry, pouring dirt in the radiator, all kinds of things that would disable a car enough to need major repairs while looking natural.”

A ringing started in Flora’s ears. She let her hip press against the side of the Decauville for support. If only she could erase the doubts about Jensen that now filled her mind. “And why does that lead you to think something bad is going to happen to me?”

Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “Archie said when he talked to Jensen himself earlier, Jensen kept saying how he didn’t want to be racing, how he wished there was a way it could be over already. Flora, I don’t want to believe it, but could he be planning to damage your car so your team can’t finish the race?”

She didn’t want to believe it either. But didn’t the idea fit with Jensen’s frustration about being talked into joining the tour? Didn’t it seem possible that he would try to find a way to eliminate them before there was any chance of injury?

To her horror, tears started gathering in her eyes. Her heart ached at the mere thought that he would do something like this when it meant so much to her. And the reality that he could hurt her so easily was terrifying. “What am I supposed to do now, Sam? He’s our mechanic, with full access to the car any time he wants. How can I keep going with doubts about his integrity?”

Seeing her tears, Sam reached out and pulled her into an embrace. It was nothing but friendly and reassuring. Exactly what she needed. With Sam, there were no worries about unpredictable emotions or losing control of her heart.

With one arm still comfortably around her, Sam met her gaze. “I don’t know if what Archie said is true. I’ve known Jensen for years and would never have believed he could do something like this. Maybe that other driver is the one who moved the markers so teams got lost and he’s looking for ways to sabotage others. But I thought you should know so you can keep an eye on things.”

His words brought a bit of relief that washed away some of her worries. Archie Franklin wasn’t the most reliable source, and Jensen’s hesitancy to race didn’t mean he would destroy her dream to get out of it.

Forcing herself to relax, she finally pulled away from Sam and tried to smile so he wouldn’t worry about her. But then, she saw Jensen. He stood far enough away that he couldn’t hear them but close enough to see their embrace. His jaw was tight and his expression blank. What must he think after seeing such a display of affection? Should she go explain?

Following the path of her gaze, Sam waved at Jensen, then looked at Flora when Jensen turned and walked away again. “Seems as though there’s something between you two. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you what Archie said.”

Flora shook her head. Her silly, unrequited interest in Jensen wasn’t anything to talk about. “No, there isn’t. I’m glad you told me, even if it turns out to be conjecture.”