Promise Cove (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 1) by Vickie McKeehan Page B
Authors: Vickie McKeehan
Ads: Link
been a ble t o u s e the phone in the s t ore, get W a lly P ierce from the g as s t ation t o come over and cha n ge the tire for he r . B ut this woman dre ss ed in her wo r n-thin jeans and a r a t t y old T -shi r t did n ’t look like she could aff or d t o d o tha t. A nd t r y i n g he r hard e st t o pu ll o n tha t t ir e iron , sh e could n ’ t h a v e weighe d mor e than a hundred and five pounds.
“ I though t I coul d j u s t … y o u k no w , ge t th e ol d t ir e to com e off , bu t th e s e thi n g s wo n ’ t budge , ” sh e s queake d in a quive r i ng v o ic e a s i f sh e ’ d reache d th e en d o f he r rop e. “ I ’ v e bee n t r y i n g . ”
“T h os e thin g s are hard to get of f . ” N o t to men t ion they looked l i ke the y ’ d been welded onto the ca r ’ s whee l s s i nce the eigh ti e s . J ordan k new n o thing a b out ca r s or t ir e s or lug nu ts . B ut she did reco g nize thread - bare t ir e s when she s a w the m . A l l four t ir e s looked in bad shape. “ I ’ m J ordan by the w a y . J ordan Ph il l i p s . A nd th i s i s H utto n . Do you h a ve a spare?”
“T her e ’ s a tire in the t r un k . ” The woman blew out a breat h. S he ha d n o ide a wha t shap e i t w as i n. “ I ’ m L ill y . L illy Seybold . ”
J or d a n smi le d a t th e t w o k id s . “ A n d wh o d o w e h a ve here?”
“T h at ’ s J oe y , the b a b y , ” she poin t ed out as she gently reached down t o pat the little boy ’ s head le a v i n g a trail of g r ime on h i s forehead before pulli n g the little g irl in t o an embrac e . “ A nd this i s K yra . ”
J or d an looked at b o th little bro w n - e y ed t o ts and said what a n y m o ther n e ver g o t tired of hea r i n g , “ W hat pret t y ch i ldren y ou h a ve, L il ly? W e l l, let ’ s s ee what w e ’ ve g o t . ” S he peered in t o the t r un k . A g ain, J or d an w as no e xpe r t , but t o her the tire in the t r unk looked in wo r s e shape than the f l at on e . “ Th i s happened t o me j u st l ast y ea r . R ight here in th i s ve r y par k i n g l o t . I had a l l m y g roce r i e s in the ca r , H ut t on w as f u s s y . Then I n o ticed the tire w as f l a t . ” B ut sh e ’ d had a brand - new spare tire t o rep l ace the flat one wh i le th i s woman did n ’ t . T en t ativel y , J or d an of f ered, “ C an I make a sugg e stion, L il ly?”
“ I g ue s s , ” Lilly answered s h yl y .
“ I do n ’t h a ve a cell phone, but how a bout if I r un y ou over t o the g as s t ation and … ”
Before she could fin i sh M u r p h y w a l k ed up t o the women. Loo k i n g over the si t uation he remarked, “ Fl a t tire, huh?”
Reli e ved, J or d an said earnestl y , “ M u r p h y , just the man we need. Lilly her e ’ s been t r y i n g w ithout success t o cha n ge a f l a t t ir e . ”
“ B ut the lug nuts wo n ’t budg e , ” Lilly confirmed.
“ C a n ’ t h a v e m y cu s t ome r s st r ande d i n the par k i ng l o t , ” M u r p h y dec l are d w ith a s m i l e. W hen L il l y s t a r t e d to pr o t e s t , M u r p h y hel d up a han d an d added , “ A l l pa r t o f the s e r v ic e . ” M u r p h y bent to ge t to wor k . H e migh t h a v e been j u s t ove r f iv e fee t , but h e ha d mor e m u s cl e s than L il l y had or J ord a n fo r that matte r .
W at chi n g him wor k , J or d an relu c t antly felt the need t o t ell him, “ I ’ m not sure her spare i s in such good shape, M u r p h y . Bet t er ta ke a loo k . ”
Gl anci n g in the dire c tion of the t r un k , he groaned, “ Th is old thi n g wo n ’t cut i t . Y ou ’ d be bet t er off pa t chi n g the one that ’ s f l at . ” H e reached in h i s back pocket and pulled out a cell phone, d i aled a number by hea r t. “ W all y , I ’ve g o t a cus t omer w ith a f l at tir e . A nd we need a pa t ch job as s oon as y ou can get t o i t . ”
A s M u r p h y t a
“ I though t I coul d j u s t … y o u k no w , ge t th e ol d t ir e to com e off , bu t th e s e thi n g s wo n ’ t budge , ” sh e s queake d in a quive r i ng v o ic e a s i f sh e ’ d reache d th e en d o f he r rop e. “ I ’ v e bee n t r y i n g . ”
“T h os e thin g s are hard to get of f . ” N o t to men t ion they looked l i ke the y ’ d been welded onto the ca r ’ s whee l s s i nce the eigh ti e s . J ordan k new n o thing a b out ca r s or t ir e s or lug nu ts . B ut she did reco g nize thread - bare t ir e s when she s a w the m . A l l four t ir e s looked in bad shape. “ I ’ m J ordan by the w a y . J ordan Ph il l i p s . A nd th i s i s H utto n . Do you h a ve a spare?”
“T her e ’ s a tire in the t r un k . ” The woman blew out a breat h. S he ha d n o ide a wha t shap e i t w as i n. “ I ’ m L ill y . L illy Seybold . ”
J or d a n smi le d a t th e t w o k id s . “ A n d wh o d o w e h a ve here?”
“T h at ’ s J oe y , the b a b y , ” she poin t ed out as she gently reached down t o pat the little boy ’ s head le a v i n g a trail of g r ime on h i s forehead before pulli n g the little g irl in t o an embrac e . “ A nd this i s K yra . ”
J or d an looked at b o th little bro w n - e y ed t o ts and said what a n y m o ther n e ver g o t tired of hea r i n g , “ W hat pret t y ch i ldren y ou h a ve, L il ly? W e l l, let ’ s s ee what w e ’ ve g o t . ” S he peered in t o the t r un k . A g ain, J or d an w as no e xpe r t , but t o her the tire in the t r unk looked in wo r s e shape than the f l at on e . “ Th i s happened t o me j u st l ast y ea r . R ight here in th i s ve r y par k i n g l o t . I had a l l m y g roce r i e s in the ca r , H ut t on w as f u s s y . Then I n o ticed the tire w as f l a t . ” B ut sh e ’ d had a brand - new spare tire t o rep l ace the flat one wh i le th i s woman did n ’ t . T en t ativel y , J or d an of f ered, “ C an I make a sugg e stion, L il ly?”
“ I g ue s s , ” Lilly answered s h yl y .
“ I do n ’t h a ve a cell phone, but how a bout if I r un y ou over t o the g as s t ation and … ”
Before she could fin i sh M u r p h y w a l k ed up t o the women. Loo k i n g over the si t uation he remarked, “ Fl a t tire, huh?”
Reli e ved, J or d an said earnestl y , “ M u r p h y , just the man we need. Lilly her e ’ s been t r y i n g w ithout success t o cha n ge a f l a t t ir e . ”
“ B ut the lug nuts wo n ’t budg e , ” Lilly confirmed.
“ C a n ’ t h a v e m y cu s t ome r s st r ande d i n the par k i ng l o t , ” M u r p h y dec l are d w ith a s m i l e. W hen L il l y s t a r t e d to pr o t e s t , M u r p h y hel d up a han d an d added , “ A l l pa r t o f the s e r v ic e . ” M u r p h y bent to ge t to wor k . H e migh t h a v e been j u s t ove r f iv e fee t , but h e ha d mor e m u s cl e s than L il l y had or J ord a n fo r that matte r .
W at chi n g him wor k , J or d an relu c t antly felt the need t o t ell him, “ I ’ m not sure her spare i s in such good shape, M u r p h y . Bet t er ta ke a loo k . ”
Gl anci n g in the dire c tion of the t r un k , he groaned, “ Th is old thi n g wo n ’t cut i t . Y ou ’ d be bet t er off pa t chi n g the one that ’ s f l at . ” H e reached in h i s back pocket and pulled out a cell phone, d i aled a number by hea r t. “ W all y , I ’ve g o t a cus t omer w ith a f l at tir e . A nd we need a pa t ch job as s oon as y ou can get t o i t . ”
A s M u r p h y t a
Similar Books
