AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He waved a hand in the air and balked. “That’s just Nash. He’s in and out of here all the time.”
Vivian nodded, noting that he hadn’t said this Nash character everpaidfor anything. But she guessed it wasn’t really any of her business. If he was okay with the guy ignoring his honor system, then far be it for her to argue with him.
“So what parts are you from?” the man asked, looking her up and down. “The city’d be my guess.”
“Good guess.” She smiled.
“Which one?”
“Chicago.”
His bushy eyebrows popped up. “Far from home. Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Hayfield.”
“Thanks.” Although so far, it didn’t feel like a place she was happy to be stuck in.
“What brings you in?”
“Well, I’m actually just passing through. I ran out of gas. Right after I blew a tire, which Nash helped me fix.”
The man’s eyebrows rose again. “Well, it sounds like you’ve had quite the afternoon.” He was speaking the gospel. “Let’s see… Gas station is about ten miles down the road, but I keep a container in the back for emergencies. I’d be happy to lend it to ya if ya promise to bring it back. Should get ya a good twenty miles, just enough to reach the station. You can leave the can there and tell ‘em to hold it for Jack. That’s me. I’ll pick it up later on my way home.”
Vivian couldn’t believe her ears. “Really? That would be amazing. Thank you!” she gushed, feeling like she’d just hit the lottery. Even though Nash had turned out to be a jerk, what were the odds she’d run into two such helpful people in her time of need?
Must be a country thing.
Jack retrieved the can from the back and wished her well on her travels, and Vivian barefooted it back to the car. Despite the persistent heat and her weary feet, she had renewed hope on her side, and that got her where she needed to go…which was to a tiny, two-pump station, just down the road from Jack’s store, right where he’d said it’d be.
THREE
Vivian hadn’t counted on everyone being so friendly. Or so trusting. Was the whole town like this? She had to wonder because as soon as she’d paid for the gas and handed the empty container to the attendant with instructions to return it to Jack, the woman behind the counter had asked her for a favor.
“I’ve been expecting you,” she’d said as soon as Vivian walked through the door. Jack must have called ahead. “Would you be a dear and drop this off at a friend’s for me?” she asked, passing Vivian a cherry pie that looked and smelled homemade.
“Umm, you don’t know me,” she pointed out, feeling completely out of place. Was this all a big joke? Was she on Candid Camera? For real, no one could be this nice or this trusting. Never in all her years had she met a single person, much less two, who was so overtly friendly. They acted as if she was their friend.
“You seem like a nice young woman. I trust you.” She pointed toward the door. “It’s on your way, and you’ll be saving me time.”
Even though she wanted to, Vivian couldn’t bring herself to tell the woman no. “Where do I go?”
The woman grinned, as if she’d just won an argument. One she’d expected to win all along. “Just keep heading south down that road. It’s the big white house on the right. Can’t miss it. Tell ‘em Betty sent you.”
Betty. Sure. “Okay, Betty,” Vivian said with a touch of doubt. “I’ll be sure it gets there safely.”
“Thank you, dear.” As Vivian started back out the door toward her car, Betty called after her. “You should stick around a couple days, explore the town. We could always do with more good people like yourself around here.”
“Thanks, but I’m just passing through,” Vivian told her candidly. Besides the ocean, she had no idea where she was headed, but she hadn’t planned on stopping anytime soon, figuring she’d just head east for a bit and see where she ended up later.
With another wish for safe travels, Vivian was off down the road toward her next unplanned destination. It took her less than thirty minutes to find it, and as it was the only white house—the only house, period—she’d come across, she figured it had to be the one she was looking for.
Pulling off the dirt road onto the packed-gravel drive, she made the long trek up to the house set back a ways from the road, pulling to a stop in front of the wide wooden porch. Two rocking chairs sat on either side of the double plantation-style doors outfitted with weathered, green painted screen doors that matched the wide shutters on all the windows, giving the place an old, rustic but cozy feel.
Just what she’d always imagined a farmhouse would feel like. Except she’d never been out of the city to see one in person.
Grabbing the pie from the passenger seat, she climbed out of her expensive Porsche that suddenly felt too lavish for such a downhome place and approached the front door, her high heels clomping against the wood almost obscenely.
They announced her before she had a chance to knock, apparently, because a short shadow filled the doorway.
“Hi,” Vivian said as friendly as she could, despite her nerves playing havoc on her. “Betty sent me—”
