Meeting the Step by Ash Adams Page B

and I turned toward Max.
    "Can I drive?"
    He shifted the car into neutral and we coasted until we stopped.
    "Can you drive a standard?"
    I looked at him sanctimoniously. I had been driving since I was ten when my father decided it was time for me to help him in the shop. I was almost offended that he didn't think I could drive stick. "Can't everyone?"
    He laughed at me. "You're cute when you're annoyed. And no, Chels, not everyone can. It's almost a lost art."
    "You let me drive your car and tomorrow I'll let you drive my truck. I saw the way you looked at her when you passed and how you lusted over that purple paint." I gave him my best pretty-please eyes and of course he caved.
    He opened his door and I carefully crawled across the shifter until I was sitting in the driver's seat. I watched him jog in front of the car with a grin on his face. I moved the seat forward so I could actually touch the pedals then slipped it into first gear. The car jerked then died.
    Immediately we glared at one another.
    "Don't even. Every car has its sweet spot when going into first. Don't make me nervous," I said. As if he could not make me nervous.
    Max chuckled and it was a sound that I liked to hear. It was playful and sincere and when he smiled a little dimple showed in one of his cheeks.
    "You're making me nervous. There are a lot of horses under that hood and not everyone can handle it. This is my baby." He patted the dashboard. "I don't let anyone, and I mean no one drive her except for my father and that's only because he made me agree when he bought it."
    I sucked in a deep breath, pushed in the clutch and turned the key. She came back to life with a roar. Slowly I released my foot from the clutch while pushing in the gas and we were off. Max was right, the car was extremely powerful, so much so that I didn't realize we were cruising at 50mph. I let my foot off the gas and slowed down until we were at 20 miles per hour. The wind was blowing in my hair and I felt happy and free. It had been awhile since I felt that. I couldn't remember the last time.
    Since my dad's death, I had been living as an automaton, going through the motions of life, watching each day pass me by. But right now, I was genuinely smiling, something that almost felt foreign.
    I drove as fast as I wanted and he never said a word about my speed. He allowed me to do what I wanted with his baby. He trusted me. We kept driving until we couldn't go any further. Carefully I reversed the car and pointed the headlights in our new direction then leaned my head against the seat and gleamed at Max.
    "You did well. Where did you learn how to drive like that?" Max asked.
    "My dad. He was obsessed with supped up cars and hot rodding. He used to own Harry's over on Sea Rim Drive."
    "Your dad was Harry? They rebuilt the engine in this car. That must be where I know you from. I kept trying to pinpoint it. Did you used to work the front counter?"
    I nodded. "Sometimes after class I'd go up there and help. Summers were always busy."
    "Yeah, I remember you now. You were the one who called me when the car was ready."
    I tried to remember him but couldn't. I had spoken to so many people working in the shop so it wasn't surprising, but the thought of meeting him before gave me chills. I thought harder and almost remembered Dad working on this car. Max and I had crossed paths before and I never really paid attention. It was almost as if the stars were aligning, trying to tell me something. Just knowing that my dad touched and worked on this car and now I was driving it made it go full circle for me. It was like he was looking down on me, telling me that this was right, that maybe Max was right for me.
    I wouldn't rush anything, but I knew that I'd give him a chance regardless if he were my soon-to-be stepbrother or not. There was nothing my mother could do about it. I needed some sort of distraction from life and it seemed Max would do a good job at helping me with that.

 
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