BROKEN ROAD - One Man's Journey

CHAPTER TWO - A Question of Fate

  About a third of the way down the street he saw her. She was standing beside an older Ford F150 a tire iron in one hand while holding the other to her forehead looking quite frustrated. He slowed down as she threw it down and gave the tire a kick. Apparently changing a flat was not in her current wheelhouse of expertise. He checked his watch and decided he could spare a few minutes to help her out. He pulled off to the side and jumped out noticing right away that she did not even have a jack to even attempt to change it. He reached into the box mounted in the back of his truck and retrieved a hydraulic one. "Here," he said feeling a little sorry for her troubles, "this should work."

She looked up at him nervously. Who was he and did he actually think she even knew how to use one of those? "Thank you," she managed in one of the softest tones he had ever heard, "but I...well." Ben laughed. "Let me guess. You don't have the first clue of what you are doing." He meant it as a joke but she cringed and stepped back away from him looking humiliated. "Hey," he said, "I'm sorry. I was teasing." She looked at him again. Sea green eyes meeting his own. Her dark brown hair was in a loose pony tail that hung halfway down her back. She was all of five four, if that. He towered at least a full foot above her. Her face was flushed and smudged with grease from her fruitless efforts. She was not what most would consider attractive in any way but she had a pleasing aura about her that spoke to him. It dawned on him that he probably had scared her. Had it even occurred to him that a stranger, an imposing one such as him, coming up on her in the near dark would frighten her? How stupid of him he thought.

He apologized and said he had seen she was in need of some assistance and would change the flat for her. Again she managed another quiet "thank you." "My pleasure." He smiled at her and set about his task which only took a few minutes. "Okay," he declared as he turned the last lug and tightened it securely, "You are good to go." She offered money but he refused. "How about your name instead? I will take that as payment." She didn't say anything for a long moment and then replied her name was Wanda. "Well Miss Wanda'" he told her. "You can call me Ben." Another minute or two passed as they stood there not speaking. He studied her as much as he could in the waning daylight. She studied him. From his jean pocket his cell went off. He looked at the number. "I'm sorry. I'm late. I have to go." She bid him a soft goodnight and as he drove away he was shocked by the sudden strange thought that he would rather stay. "Christ," he swore. I must be losing it."

"Glad you could fit us in Mr. Fix-it," Jamie called out. Jeb was already there. He greeted him with a hearty handshake and hug. It was great to see him. Handsome as ever. Still sporting that smile that could disarm the toughest of exteriors and melt the heart of any woman that caught his eye. The last part, he admitted was pure fiction. He hadn't tried to catch anyone's eyes in years. Jebediah McAdams, like Ben, had already had his fill of flings and had neither the time nor desire to get involved on a deeper level. They both laughed as Jeb said, "Uh huh. We saw you down there. Always a sucker for a damsel in distress aren't you?" Ben shrugged and followed them through the gate into the well-lit back yard and took a seat by the fire but not before grabbing a beer from the cooler on his way past it.

Jamie and Ben decided that Jeb, being the chef amongst them, had grill duties. He just grinned and grabbed the thick steaks and asparagus off the table next to it and got to work. "So...," Ben began nonchalantly while dinner sizzled away, "what do you know about her?" "About who," Jamie said barely concealing his laughter. Jeb shook his head and grinned again. "Well? I'm waiting." Jamie looked at his friend with an obvious incredulous expression on his face. "Seriously, her?" "Yes, damn it. Seriously." "Not much. I've talked to her cousin here every now and then in passing." "She lives across the street from her. I don't know what I can tell you. Older. Fiftyish, I think. I know she doesn't look that old but she is. I'm only guessing on the ish part." "She told me a little bit about her a few years back when she first moved in." "What did she tell you...EXACTLY?" "Hold up, hold up," Jeb cried joining them. "The meat has only a few more minutes but I'm NOT missing this!" His cousin asking about a woman, any woman was a calendar marking event.