pretty car.'
Tucker knew Junior wasn't rubbing his nose in it. It was simply his nature to state the obvious. Leaning over, Tucker opened the glove compartment and found a pack of matches. 'I s'pose they can fix her up, down in Jackson.'
Junior thought about that awhile. 'I s'pose,' he decided. 'Could be you bent the frame, though. They got a way of straightening them out now. Used to be, you bent the frame and that was all she wrote.'
Tucker smiled through a haze of smoke. 'You just can't stop progress.'
'That's the truth.' Taking his time, Junior straightened, then studied the torn grass on the verge of the road, the shower of glass, and the lack of skid marks. After some consideration, he decided to have a cigarette himself. 'You know, Tucker, I always said you were the best driver I've seen, outside of the time I went down to Daytona to watch the 500.'
Caroline gave a snort, and was politely ignored.
'I recall how you took the Bonny boys for twenty dollars in the drag race down on Highway One-back in July of seventy-six it was. They put their Camaro up against your Mustang.' Junior accepted a match from Tucker and lit it with a flick of his thumbnail. 'Wasn't no contest.'
Tucker remembered the race with pleasure. 'Might've been closer if Billy T. had let John Thomas drive.'
Junior nodded agreeably. 'Closer, maybe. But neither of those boys got the talent for driving you have.'
'Idiots,' Caroline said under her breath. If Junior heard her, he pretended not to. He'd been a married man more than a year now, and knew when a man should let his ears work and when he shouldn't.
'I gotta ask you,' Junior continued in the same slow, quiet voice. 'How'd you happen to hit this pole here?'
'Well…' Tucker took a considering drag. 'You could say the car got away from me. Steering seized up.'
Junior nodded and continued to smoke. Caroline nearly asked them if they'd like her to go back and fetch a couple of folding chairs so they could have their conversation in comfort.
'Don't look to me like you even hit the brakes.'
'I hit them,' Tucker said. 'They were out.'
Junior eyes came as close to sharp as they ever did. If it had been anyone else, he would have shrugged off the story. But he knew and admired Tucker's skill at the wheel. 'Now, that's a puzzle. Bad steering, bad brakes, all at once in a car like this? No more than six months old, is she?'
'Just.'
Junior nodded again. 'We'll have to take a look.'
'I'd be obliged if you would, Junior.'
Caroline held her tongue until Junior walked back to his tow truck. 'What the hell does a drag race more than fifteen years ago have to do with you crashing into my mail post?'
Tucker smiled. 'It was a hell of a night. Get on back from the car now, darlin'. It might shift some when he hooks it on.' Careful to keep her sympathy close to the surface, Tucker slid an arm around her shoulders, leaned a little of his weight on her, and allowed her to help him move back a few feet.
'Are you dizzy?'
He wasn't, but there was such sweet concern in her voice. 'Maybe a little,' he said-bravely, he thought. 'It'll pass.' He bit back a smile when her arm curved around his waist in support.
'Let's get you back in the car.' She'd insisted on driving him to the end of the lane rather than allowing him to walk. 'I'll take you home.'
Home, hell. He was just starting to make progress. 'Maybe I could just stretch out on your couch till I get my strength back.'
She was wavering, he could tell. When he heard the blare of a horn, he had to swallow an oath. Dwayne screeched his white Caddy to a stop, dead in the middle of the road. He hadn't shaved yet, and his hair was sticking out at all angles. He had pulled a pair of pants over his Jockeys and had added a muscle shirt.
'Jesus H. Christ, boy.'
He glanced at Tucker, saw he was standing on both feet, and gave his attention to the car Junior was hooking up.
'Out for a Sunday drive, Dwayne?'
'Crystal called.' Dwayne whistled through his teeth as he took a look at the front end of the Porsche. 'Seems Singleton Fuller was in the Mobile when Junior got the call. He ran into Jed Larsson, then Crystal stopped in for a six-pack of Cokes. Good thing I answered the phone before Josie, or she'd've had a hissy fit for sure.' His hangover, thanks to Josie's stock of pills and remedies, had backed off enough to make him sympathetic. 'Shit on toast, Tuck, you sure did kill that pretty little toy.'
Out of patience, Caroline sucked in a breath. 'He's doing as well as can be expected,' she shot out. 'It could have been worse, but as it happens he only rapped his concrete head. It's understandable that you're so concerned about your brother's condition, but let me reassure you. He'll be fine.'
Junior had stopped what he was doing to stare, the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. Dwayne blinked. Tucker struggled not to lose his dignity by hooting with laughter.
She was crazy about him, he decided.
'Yes, ma'am,' Dwayne said, meticulously polite. 'I can see he is. I just rode down so I could take him home.'
'What a concerned, close-knit family you must be.'
'We do tend to stick together.' When he smiled, there was something charming about him despite the bloodshot eyes, the barroom glow.
'I've never known another family like yours,' Caroline said sincerely.
'She's all set, Tuck,' Junior called. 'I'll let you know what's what.'
'You do that. Thanks.' Tucker had to turn away. He just couldn't watch his car being towed off. It was almost as bad as watching a loved one being carried away on a stretcher.
'Nice to see you again, Caroline,' Dwayne began, then headed to his car. 'Let's go, Tucker. There was a game starting when Crystal called. I've missed the whole first inning by now.'
'In a minute.' Tucker turned back to Caroline. 'I appreciate the nursing.' He touched a hand to her hair. 'And the listening. I didn't realize I needed someone to listen.'
It took her a moment to understand he was being sincere. There were no teasing lights in his eyes, no trace of mockery in his voice. 'You're welcome.'
'I'd like to pay you back.' When she started to shake her head, Tucker cupped her chin. 'I'd like you to come to dinner tonight, at Sweetwater.'
'Really, Tucker, you don't have to-'
'It occurs to me that I'd like you to see me under some better circumstances than I've managed so far.' His thumb traced along her jawline. 'And I'd just like to see you, period.'
Her heartbeat skittered for a moment, but her voice was clear. 'I'm not interested in starting anything, not with anyone.'
'Having neighbors in for Sunday dinner's an old country custom.'
She had to smile. 'I don't mind being neighborly.'
'Shit, Tuck, would you just kiss her and come on?'
Smiling back, Tucker brushed a finger over her lips. 'She won't let me. Yet. Come on down around five, Caro. I'll show you around Sweetwater.'
'All right.'
She watched him walk to the Caddy, ease in carefully beside his brother. He flashed her a quick grin before Dwayne shot toward Sweetwater, the Caddy hugging dead center of the road.
'Here I come rushing home from the bake sale, thinking you've cracked your skull or worse, and you tell me company's coming.' Delia whacked her rolling pin down on the pie crust. 'Now I don't even know how much we took in. Had to leave Susie Truesdale in charge, and she don't know squat about salesmanship.' As this particular refrain had been playing for the best part of three hours, Tucker decided to act. He pulled a twenty out of his pocket and slapped it on the counter. 'There. That's my contribution to the Trinity Lutheran bake sale.'
'Hmph.' But Delia's nimble fingers snatched up the bill and tucked it away in the deep pocket of her apron.
