“It’s not really your problem.”
“I’ve got lots of time.”
She thought for a moment. “That would be great. I’ll just go change,” she said, walking back to the side door.
A thank-you would have been nice, was his first thought. The next, sobering one was, What’s happening here? What have you just done, Rossi?
THE DRIVE INTO town was tense. Kai sensed that Luca regretted his offer. She knew she ought to let him off the hook but getting the fields turned over and planted before her parents returned home was her first priority. If she had to humble herself a bit to accomplish that, so be it. As soon as the tractor was up and running, Captain Rossi and—sadly—his dog, could be out of her life.
They pulled into the parking lot at the tractor supply and hardware store. Luca was about to open the rear door of the pickup for Amigo when Kai stopped him.
“We should leave him here, with the window rolled down a bit.”
“Seriously?”
“We left the bag with the leash in it back at the farm. People don’t like unleashed animals coming into their stores.”
“I thought it would be different in the country.”
“Lima isn’t the country,” she pointed out.
“Okay.” He patted the dog’s head and followed her inside.
The place wasn’t busy midweek and late morning. Kai waved to the manager, flipping through a handful of papers behind the all-purpose reception and check-out counter.
“Hi, Bill!”
“Kai! Are you here to put up some more posters? I noticed some of the tear-off strips on the one you brought in a while ago have been taken, but nothing lately.”
“No bites at all, I’m afraid.”
“College kids seem to want jobs wherever they’ve been studying, I think.” He looked past her, just registering the fact that the tall stranger who’d entered the store behind her was actually with her.
She saw the question in his face and said, “This is, uh, a friend. Luca Rossi. He’s helping me get our tractor going.”
“Oh? Pleased to meet you. Bill Hutching.” He gave a nod. “What seems to be the problem with the tractor?”
“It won’t fire,” Kai said. “It hasn’t been used since...well, for almost a year.”
Bill’s face sobered. “Yeah. Right.” He paused a second and added, “It may just need cleaning and new plugs, oil filter and so on. Let me look up the model number. We’ve converted all our records now, so it should be here somewhere.” He turned his attention to the computer on the counter.
Kai noticed Luca wandering along an aisle, checking out the various items on display. He walked in the manner of someone who’d never been inside a machine-parts store as he took the occasional object off a shelf and examined it. She remembered the first time she’d entered a high-end camera shop in New York. Although he didn’t appear as excited as she’d been that day, he was definitely interested. There likely weren’t many farm machinery outlets in that fancy suburb he grew up in.
“Got it,” Bill announced. He jotted down a number and beckoned her to follow.
Luca picked up their trail, closing in behind her until they reached a section at the rear of the store. The back of Kai’s neck prickled, and she rubbed it self-consciously, feeling his eyes on her the whole way.
“Here we are,” Bill said, as he pivoted, pulling objects from the shelves and handing them to Kai and Luca. “That should do it if the problem is a basic tune-up. Anything more, I guess you’ll have to call a mechanic.” He looked at Luca, who merely nodded.
Kai hoped his silence meant he had the situation well in hand, but at the same time, she noted Bill eyeing him skeptically. “For sure!” she exclaimed, breaking the moment.
They trooped back to the cash register, and by the time they left the store, it was well past noon. Kai realized she might have to offer some lunch when they got back to the farm, and while she was making a mental list of the contents of the refrigerator, she heard someone calling her name.
“Kai! Over here!”
A man sitting in a pickup two vehicles over was thumping his palm against the driver’s door to get her attention. Kai stared at the florid, grinning face and uttered a low moan, aware not only of Luca’s expression but of Amigo’s excited barking. Kenny Lewis.
She waved. “Hi, Kenny.”
“Dad told me you were home. Staying long?”
“Maybe a few more weeks. Dad’s doing a rehab program in Columbus.”
“I heard about his stroke. Sorry about that.” He looked past her shoulder, seeming to notice Luca for the first time. “So...anything else new with you?”
Kai forced a smile. “Nope. Just having tractor problems at the moment.”
His attention shifted back to her. “We wondered if you’d get your fields planted this season. You know, after everything.”
“Of course we will.”
His face clouded at the snap in her voice. “Happy to help with anything. Good neighbors and all.”
Good neighbors! “Thanks, but we’ll be fine. Nice to see you,” she lied, turning away to open her door. Amigo greeted her with a loud round of barking.
“Is that your dog? Dad suspected you had a dog at your place.”
A rush of anger overwhelmed her, threatening to spill out all the sorrowful memories she’d been trying to squash since her return to Lima. But before she could reply, Luca answered for her.
“Actually, he’s my dog.”
“Oh.” Kenny looked from Kai to the man on the other side of the car. “Right. Well, maybe see you around then.” He rolled up his window and began reversing out of the lot.
Kai climbed into the front seat, refusing to meet Luca’s eyes. She sat, clasping her hands to stop the trembling, and then turned on the engine.
He cleared his throat as she shifted into reverse.
“Don’t ask,” she said. “Long story.”
“I wasn’t going to. But you need to fasten your seat belt.”
Kai took a deep breath and reached behind for the strap. All the way back to the farm she thought about Bryant Lewis, the tractor, the dog and that day.
* * *
KAI HAD JUST placed ham-and-cheese sandwiches on a plate and poured two glasses of cold water when the rumble of an engine came from the barn. A few chugs and sputters sounded next, followed by silence. Kai waited. It had been more than an hour since Luca had used the bathroom to change into Harry’s old coveralls and headed into the barn. She’d offered to assist, but he’d quietly explained that he liked to “feel my way around a problem, especially a mechanical one.” She could relate to that, knowing how much she hated having someone watch her work on her editing
Then came the sound she was holding her breath for. A loud roar, steady and healthy. Kai smiled. They were set to go. She headed for the barn.
Luca was clearing a path for the tractor’s exit. He didn’t notice her approach until she was a few feet away.
“It sounds great,” she said.
“So far so good, anyway.