He must have felt her gaze because he turned, his shades reflecting the sun. “What did you decide for your pulling truck?” He looked back out at the road.
Kaitlyn stared at his angled profile before turning back to the road. “Nothing.” Normally she loved talking about her truck, but today she had other things on her mind.
Nate threw her a questioning glance as though he knew it was odd for her to not jump into a discussion on her favorite topic. “I threw your ECM in my bag. Mind if I mess with it in the waiting room some, today?”
“What?” Pretty sure she’d screeched, Kaitlyn tried to modulate her voice before she continued. “You just took it? You could really screw it up.” She loosened her hands which had balled into fists. “I can’t believe you took it out.”
His body still seemed relaxed in its typical baggy preacher outfit and his hands were loose on the wheel. But he stared out the windshield for a good minute without saying anything and his cheek muscles bunched. “I’m sorry.”
His muted response made guilt rumble in her chest, and she exhaled, feeling her anger drain along with the air. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blown up like that.” She took a deep breath. He had blindsided her with that one. So much for being all sweet and girly, but her pulling truck meant a lot to her. More than any non-person in her life. It was her key to showing her dad that she was as good as any son. So he would love her.
“In my other life, I work with programming. I guess I never said anything.”
“No. You didn’t.” What else did she not know about him?
“I’d been reading up a little on pulling trucks in general and the ECM in particular, and I thought I might be able to fix you up something that would help you get a little more out of your motor without blowing it up.”
Kaitlyn put her head in her hand and looked out the window. “I’m sorry. It was dumb to get angry and treat you like a two-year-old.” She rubbed her hand over her eyes. “I guess I’m just tired.”
“It’s OK. I’ll put it back if you really don’t want me messing with it.”
“No.” She considered him. “You’ve been researching it?” That surprised her. It also gave her a funny, yet good, feeling in her chest.
He nodded. His hands flexed on the wheel. “I’ll have to hook it up to my computer, see what code you have going on, but I think I’ll be able to write you up something that will help you get more fuel and air.”
“Wow. I couldn’t complain about that.” She snorted and said half under her breath, “Now, if only I could get that bigger turbo. I’d be unbeatable.”
“A turbo?”
Nate had better hearing that anyone else she knew. She nodded.
“What’s stopping you?”
Kaitlyn hated to admit that the money she had saved for it, she put in the payroll account because between the trucks and her brothers, she’d not gotten to the billing. She needed that account to stay solvent until some invoices got sent and then paid. “Money.”
“Ah.” Just one sound, but uttered as if he knew what it was like to work for every penny he’d ever gotten. His face remained pensive. “Maybe I’d better do a little research on turbos, too. More fuel won’t help, if you don’t have the air to go with it.”
She glanced over at him, noting the strong jaw, the capable hand on the wheel. She was still slightly taken aback that he’d researched pulling trucks, that he was talking intelligently about it. That he wanted to help her with hers. “The one I have is good. But the one I want is the best. To the tune of several thousand dollars.”
Nate whistled. “Wow. Pricy.” He looked over and lifted his brows above his sunglasses. Kaitlyn’s heart stuttered, and she looked back out the windshield.
“Yeah. There’s some things I can do myself and save money on, but not that.”
“Hmm.”
Kaitlyn had not talked about anything she’d planned on. It was so easy for her to get caught up in trucks and everything that went with them. She probably ought to face the fact that she would never be feminine. But she wanted to be. Maybe she shouldn’t get discouraged because her first effort hadn’t taken off. She leaned her head back, and her eyes closed. Maybe she’d just rest her eyelids for a few minutes. Then she’d work on her feminine wiles.
~*~
When Kaitlyn woke up they were driving through a part of Pittsburgh she didn’t recognize. She couldn’t believe that one had to drive through such a rough part of town to get to the hospital. She glanced over. Nate had to have lost his way. She knew enough about men to keep her mouth shut. Nate wasn’t like most men, but not wanting help with directions seemed to be a pretty universal characteristic. Anyway, they’d make it. She felt sure. She closed her eyes again and hid her smile so he wouldn’t know she saw he was lost.
It wasn’t long until Nate said softly, “Hey, we’re here.”
She sat up. Large buildings, all part of the hospital complex, rose around them.
The boys woke up when they pulled into a spot in the parking garage.
“Where are we?” Bobby whined, still sleepy from his nap.
“Your mom’s been staying here while they’re helping her feel better.” Nate put the car in park and turned the motor off. The way he always seemed to know what to say to keep Bobby happy and calm amazed Kaitlyn.
“Good nap?” He looked over at her.
“Good for you, too. Hopefully I won’t be grumpy now.” She smiled.
His eyebrows raised. Then he grinned back. He nodded at the back of her head. “Might want to fluff your hair, or something. You’ve got that bed head thing going again."
With a self-conscious grin and a shake of her head she looked down at her lap, while running her fingers through her hair. Still not getting anywhere on that girly-girl stuff. She had wanted to impress him today, but so far, she’d been a miserable failure.
Nate checked his phone then slid it into the holder on his side. “You ready?”
She glanced down at her phone. “Yep. Dad’ll meet us at the information desk on the G level.” She sent him a text telling him that they were on their way in.
“Great.” Nate opened his door.
Several minutes later Kaitlyn pushed Gary in the stroller.
Nate strode beside her, his bag slung over his shoulder and Bobby gripping his hand.
She always forgot how tall he was until he towered over her. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she admired the rugged angle of his chin. He still wore the ill-fitting clothes that reminded her of Abraham Lincoln. Interesting that his personality echoed Honest Abe’s, too. For the first time in her life, she found herself attracted, physically attracted, to a man for more than his muscular physique.
Their footsteps echoed in the cavernous interior of the hospital. The antiseptic smell made her nose itch.
“Daddy!” Bobby yelled, letting go of her hand as soon as he spotted his dad, and racing to him.
Kaitlyn blinked as tears burned her eyes. She hadn’t realized how much Bobby had missed his father.
Her father bent down, scooping Bobby up in a bear hug. His work-roughened hand patted the narrow back gently.
Kaitlyn glanced at Nate as they stopped next to the pair.
He met her gaze, his own a little watery. The fondness on his face warmed her heart.
“Kaitlyn.” Her dad kept one arm around Bobby, and put the other around Kaitlyn’s shoulder, giving her a side squeeze.
This close, she couldn’t miss his haggard face and baggy eyes. His uni-brow waved as usual, but suddenly the gray in it was much more noticeable, and the lines in his face seemed more numerous and deep. She didn’t remember him looking this old. Had it only been two weeks?
“Dad.” She hugged him back awkwardly. They had never been demonstrative. A feeling of unease slithered through her stomach.
Her dad set Bobby down and took his hand. “Your mother is powerful sick, son. She’s looking…tired.”
Kaitlyn bit her lip as she pushed the stroller behi
nd her dad and Bobby. Her stepmom must be bad if her dad was warning Bobby about how she’d look. Nate walked silently beside her. Somehow, his presence bolstered her. It would be even better if she could hold his hand. She fought the desire.
They stopped at the elevators.
Bobby’s finger hovered over the buttons.
“Push the up arrow.” Her dad’s voice sounded gravelly and tired.
Kaitlyn had been so wrapped up in the drama of trucks, kids, and yes, Nate, that she hadn’t given it much thought, but for Karen to have been in the hospital for two weeks…how bad would it be? What if she died? What would happen to the boys? How would her dad deal with the death of another wife? It hardly seemed fair—he’d lost his first wife and his oldest son. Surely, God wouldn’t take his second wife, too. Would He?
Following her dad, lost in her worries, Kaitlyn startled when her dad spoke.
“This is her room. She was awake, looking forward to seeing you when I left.”
“I’ll be in the waiting room we just passed.” Nate’s eyes held concern as he spoke to her dad. Then he looked at her. “I’m here if you need me.”
Her stomach tightened at the idea that she might need someone. Karen wasn’t her mother and they hadn’t always gotten along the greatest, but Karen was her father’s wife, and the mother of Kaitlyn’s brothers. Kaitlyn had to believe it wouldn’t be that bad.
“Thanks.”
“You don’t have to sit in the waiting room, Nate. You can come in.” Her dad offered with his hand on the door, ready to push it the rest of the way open.
“I’ll come in later after you all catch up.” He indicated his bag. “I brought some stuff I’ve been wanting to work on.” His gaze shifted to Kaitlyn. That stuff was her ECM. The thought almost made her smile.
Bobby, who’d been unusually quiet, said, “Come on, I want to see Mommy.”
“Sure, little guy. Let’s go.” Her dad gave a ghost of a smile.
Bobby was almost jumping up and down as he waited for his dad to open the door.
Kaitlyn followed them in, pushing the stroller.
13
Nate’s fingers flew over the keys of his laptop; computer code filled the screen. Sitting in the waiting room with the ankle of one leg resting on the knee of his other, he barely noticed the other people who’d walked in and out for the last few hours, although currently the room was empty. A nagging worry about Mrs. Driver ticked in the back of his head, but mostly he just felt satisfaction. He’d been able to figure out how to reprogram Kaitlyn’s ECM, and he was pretty sure the smoke would fly with the changes he’d been able to make. Although, she was right about the turbo. She needed the biggest one she could get.
A thump startled him, and Kaitlyn backed in the door, pulling the bulky stroller, trying to keep the door open enough to squeeze it through.
Nate set the equipment aside and moved to help her.
She looked back around, surprise, then relief lit her features. “Thank goodness, you’re still here.”
“What’s up?” A desperation hung about her, putting him on edge.
“I’ve gotten texts from seven of our drivers. Quitting.” She blew a breath out and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Something’s going on.” Reaching under the stroller, she pulled a bottle from the baby bag.
“What’d your dad say?”
“Oh, man.” Kaitlyn turned to look at him. Her forehead wrinkled, and her eyes drooped. A hand ran through her hair, and stopped to pull on the strands. “Looks like today could be Karen’s last. I had a couple of other things I wanted to ask Dad, but I can see in his eyes, he thinks she’s going to die. I just couldn’t burden him with more.”
Nate wished he could ease her load.
Shaking the bottle, she said, “Would you mind giving this to Gary? Karen couldn’t even sit up to hold him. She could barely keep her eyes open.” Kaitlyn bit her lip, which had started to tremble. “Bobby wouldn’t leave her side. He was actually sitting still, holding her hand with his head burrowed next to her. Oh, man.” She swiped at a single tear on her face, sucking both lips in and biting on them to hold in tears, he was sure.
Gently Nate pulled the bottle from her hand with one hand, and he wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. Immediately she sagged against him, putting her head on his chest.
“She looked horrible; my dad looks horrible, and a nurse took me aside and told me I needed to do something about Dad because the worry and stress of Karen’s cancer would give him a heart attack. Apparently, the doctors have told him to leave and take care of himself, but he won’t leave her side.” She drew in a breath, her back shaking with the effort. “There’s all that pressure from Karen, then dad, then the boys—they need me more than ever—and then I started getting texts. If the drivers quit, I’ll lose the company. How will I get the loads scheduled for tomorrow hauled? I won’t be able to pay the bills. We’ll lose our health insurance…” Her rambling words trailed off while she sucked in another deep breath.
“Shhh.” Nate stroked her hair awkwardly with the bottle in his hand. “It’s OK.”
“No!” Her voice shook, and she stamped her foot, shoving her hands through her hair. “That’s what I’m telling you. It’s not OK. Nothing’s OK. My parents are a mess, the business is a mess, the boys need me, and I’m all alone. I can’t ask Dad anything, and there isn’t anyone else.” Her pitch rose until she ended on a shriek, her fists balled. She threw her head back in defeat.
“And that’s what I was telling you. You’re not alone. I’m here. The kids, the trucks, your parents, I’ll help you.” He shook her a little because he knew that strong, tough Kaitlyn was in there somewhere. “We’ve been doing it for the last two weeks. And we’ll keep doing it.” He ignored the little voice in his head that quietly asked how he would help Kaitlyn with all that, prepare for his fight next weekend, and even harder, how he would explain the inevitable bruising that would be on his face afterward. Any dimwit would know he’d been in a fight, and his gig would surely be up.
However, his words seemed to have calmed her somewhat because she relaxed against his chest.
She sighed and whispered. “It’s us against the world.”
Gary started to fuss, but Nate ignored him for a moment. “Maybe I should have collected that IOU today and stopped at church. Because God is with us, too.”
Kaitlyn backed up, but Nate’s arm stayed around her shoulder. “God doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.” She wiped her eyes, and Nate was relieved that the steel seemed to be back in her spine. “Trust me. He’s not coming anywhere near me, so if you want His help, you’d better steer clear.”
Nate didn’t figure now was the time to argue religion with her. He’d done some things he wasn’t overly proud of either. “We can argue that out in the garage sometime this week. Right now, I’ll feed Gary.”
“And I’ll get on the horn and see if I can figure out what’s causing my drivers to run.”
“Right.” Her phone beeped as he spoke.
She pulled it out of her pocket and read the text. “Make it eight.”
“Is there one you can call? One that might know what’s happening and have enough loyalty to tell you?” He picked Gary up from the stroller. The little fellow smiled at him, and Nate smiled back, despite the fact that he really, really didn’t feel like smiling.
Kaitlyn took a deep breath. “Dad has a better relationship with the drivers than I do. I’m usually in the garage while he does all the dispatching and dealing with the problems that come up every day.” She tapped her phone against her leg, thinking. “I have a couple of guys I can talk to, but I’m not sure they’re the best guys to give me the true low-down.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Nate pulled a diaper and wipes from the baby bag. “Who would your dad call?”
“Probably Paul.” She pinched her lips together. “He’s been with us forever, and he and Dad talk all the time.”
“Sounds as though he’d be a good
one.” Nate stretched the changing pad out on the floor and knelt to lay Gary down. He hadn’t been to the restroom, but typically the men’s room was not equipped with a changing table.
Kaitlyn had already punched the number in and paced the short width of the waiting room.
Nate listened intently while making short work of Gary’s diaper. Gary kicked his legs and arms, but his face scrunched up several times indicating it was only a matter of minutes until he started seriously protesting his lack of bottle.
“But it’s not true!” Kaitlyn’s voice rose several pitches, and she stopped short in the middle of the small room. “That snake! And they believed him?” She groaned, her eyes closed. After taking another deep breath and blowing it out like a smoker on his first cigarette, she rubbed her forehead. “OK. Thanks so much for not believing him.” Kaitlyn started pacing again. “Right, I know you are. Thank you, Paul.” After a few more sentences, she took the phone from her ear and pressed off.
Nate sat in a chair, holding Gary who sucked on his bottle with gusto. Even though the situation was dire—good drivers were hard to come by—he admired Kaitlyn’s smooth grace, the way she met this challenge head on with determination. Even more admirable considering the situation she’d been faced with in the hospital room earlier.
He wished he could trust himself not to hurt her because she’d make someone a fabulous wife. The recent feeling of holding her against his chest, the wild flower scent of her hair, her slim back, and the way she tucked right into him, fitting perfectly, made him wish that someone would be him. He’d feel truly blessed, then.
He came from his musings with a start, realizing that she’d been done with her phone conversation for a while, and he’d been dreaming of…marrying her? Fortunately, she’d not noticed.
She stood in the middle of the waiting room, tapping her chin with one finger, biting both lips. Her brow creased in concentration.
“Someone’s spreading rumors?” He’d gotten that much from hearing her side of the conversation.
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