Page 100 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

She laughed nervously. “I haven’t forgotten how to go. I’m just working out… When I turn left, I need to cross over and take the far side, don’t I?”

“You do. There’s a good way to remember it. No matter where we’re going, you should be in the middle of the road, and I should be closest to the shoulder.”

She turned to smile at him. “The shoulder?”

He frowned. “You know. Edge of the road. Place where people walk.”

“Oh. You mean the pavement.”

He smiled through pursed lips. “Guess in your language I do.”

“Okay, then.”

She pulled out onto the main road and put the sun visor down. “Perhaps we should have gone the other way.”

“Yeah. Sun’s low enough this early that it’ll come right into your eyes. Next chance you get, try a right turn, then another. Put the sun at our backs.”

She nodded but kept her attention on the road. “Oh, look at that. There’s a right turn coming up. And I think I remember taking that when we headed down to the southern beaches.”

She indicated, and since there were no other vehicles around, made the turn without hesitating.

There was nothing coming, so Blane gave it a beat, waiting to see if she’d clock what had happened.

Her knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. “Oh, dear.”

He didn’t comment but smiled as she steered back over to the correct side of the road.

“That was a very useful little tip,” she said in a shaky voice. “I thought I was doing all right, but then I realized I was next to the pavement, and you were in the middle of the road.”

“Good job.”

She shot him a look. “Only because there wasn’t someone coming the other way. My goodness, Blane!”

“Don’t beat yourself up for it. If there’d been someone coming, you wouldn’t have been able to get on that side of the road, would you?”

She let out a short laugh. “No. I suppose not.” She glanced at him again. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I knew you’d figure it out for yourself.”

She didn’t say anything for a little while. Then she shot him another look, and he couldn’t quite read the expression on her face.

“Thank you.”

She got the hang of it quickly after that, navigating another right turn and then slowing as they passed through a village where she had to negotiate parked cars, pedestrians, and a motorcycle.

Once they were out in open countryside again, Blane started to relax.

“Are you all right over there?” she asked.

“I am. I’m doing great. It’s a joyride for me.”

“I would have thought it was more of a white-knuckle ride.”

“You’re doing fine. It’s like you said—you know how to drive. You just need to get used to doing it over here, I bet you’ll be surprised how quickly it comes. But it’ll only come with practice.” He glanced over at her. “If you want, we can practice a little every day.” He stopped short when it hit him that there weren’t that many days left.

He heard her inhale sharply, no doubt realizing the same thing he had. All she said was, “Yes, please. I’d like that.”

After that they drove in silence for a while, and as Bea grew more confident, Blane allowed himself to look out the window more.