“Cade stopped to help me,” Hope explained.
“So I see,” Mellie said, with meaning.
“He’s not so bad,” Hope felt compelled to tell her. She didn’t know many people who would go out of their way to lend this kind of assistance.
“Preston says the same thing, and my husband is a good judge of character. But if Cade gives you any trouble…”
“He won’t.” Hope was convinced Cade meant her no harm and felt the need to defend him. Knowing next to nothing about his background, she had little to go on other than the way he cared for the shelter animals. Yes, he’d been standoffish and uncommunicative, but Hope didn’t hold that against him. Learning that he was fulfilling his community service hours didn’t discourage her from being his friend. Everyone made mistakes; the key was learning and moving forward, which Cade appeared to be doing.
“I’ve got to get these groceries put away,” Hope said, using that as an excuse to end the call.
“Sure thing. Just know I’m keeping an eye on you.”
“No need, Mellie.”
“So you say. Fact is, I’m not willing to have you take any chances. If someone has a vendetta against you, then you need to be more aware of your surroundings and keep your eyes open.”
“I will, for sure,” Hope promised.
* * *
—
Nearly two hours passed before Cade returned. During that time, he’d removed the damaged tire, taken it to the tire shop, and had it examined and replaced. The shop called for her credit card number, which told her there was no saving the tire. Because it was a deliberate act of vandalism and not any flaw having to do with the tire or manufacturer, she was required to pay for the full cost of the replacement.
Cade must have bargained with the salesperson because she was given a discounted price for the tire. When she asked to speak to Cade, the shop owner gave him the phone. When he mentioned the name of the shop, Hope recognized it as the one close to the high school.
“It should have cost more,” she said, although she was grateful.
He grunted as if it was no biggie. “I got an employee discount. Remember what I said about a gift horse?” The abrupt way he spoke told her he didn’t appreciate her questioning him.
So Cade worked at the tire shop. “Okay, okay, got it. Thank you.”
“I won’t be long. I’ll be by to pick you up in a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
Sure enough, Cade arrived back at the cottage in short order.
“I can’t thank you enough for this,” she said, after she climbed into the truck, sitting next to him.
“No problem.”
“But it was,” she countered. “I mean, this took more than two hours out of your afternoon.”
“Didn’t have anything going on, so no sweat.”
How quick he was to dismiss her appreciation. She wanted to thank him and could think of only one way. While he’d been dealing with her vehicle, she’d cooked dinner. A real dinner, pork chops in mustard sauce, and not something quick that she so often threw together.
Cade pulled into the grocery parking lot and eased his truck next to her car. Even before she could ask him to join her for dinner, he said, “I’ll follow you home to be sure there aren’t any problems.”
Hope decided to wait until they were back at the cottage before she mentioned the meal she’d prepared. “I’d appreciate that.”
Her car ran as if there had never been a problem, and Hope was grateful.
And nervous.
She wanted to invite Cade to dinner. Past experience told her he would likely refuse. It came to her how much she hoped he’d agree to join her. She wanted to get to know him better. He’d built a barricade around himself, one as thick as the Great Wall of China, and she was eager to see the man behind that thick barrier.
After she’d claimed the parking spot next to the cottage, she got out of her car. Cade was already backing out when she stopped him by waving her arm over her head.
Rolling down his driver’s-side window, he looked impatient to leave.
“Thanks again,” she said, walking over to his truck. As awkward as this felt, she wasn’t about to let him go this easily.
Cade kept his hands on the steering wheel. “Like I said, it wasn’t a big deal.”
“It was to me.”
He acknowledged by dipping his head.
“While you were busy dealing with the tire, I cooked dinner…I was hoping you’d join me.”
“Not necessary.”