slight whistle as he looked over the top of his glasses to see the car better. Then he pulled out the hose from the gas pump. “What year is this anyway? I bet Thomas and his boys would love ta getta look at this car. I heard one of these Z4’s can go from zero to sixty miles in five point five seconds.”
“No, please,” she said, holding up her hand for him to stop, but he continued to stick the gas nozzle into her tank anyway. “Fine, give me a few gallons, but make it premium.”
“Premium? Ha! That’s funny,” the man said with a hoarse chuckle. “No one’s ever asked fer premium in Sweet Water. That’s why I stopped carrying it years ago. All we’ve got here, sweetie, is regular.”
When the man decided to wash her window next, and she saw him walking over with a squeegee on a pole that looked dirtier than his t-shirt, she jumped out and stopped him.
“That’ll be fine, I just need directions to the marina,” she said, laying a hand on his arm. He looked at her hand and then back up to her face and smiled.
“What’s a pretty girl like you doin’ in a little town like Sweet Water?”
She was wondering the same thing right about now. At least he’d told her twice now she was in Sweet Water, so she knew the marina had to be close by.
“Where’s the lake?” she asked, just hoping to be able to find the little watering hole called Thunder Lake. She wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t even on a map. Too bad she’d relied on her car’s navigational system to tell her how to get here instead of looking at an actual map before she left.
“Where’s the lake?” he echoed. “Well that depends on what lake yer lookin’ for.” He removed the nozzle from the car and held it up as he talked. A little gasoline dribbled down his arm but he just brushed it against the bib of his overalls. “Lake Michigan is so big that if ya didn’t see it ya may need some glasses. And Lake . . .”
“Thunder Lake,” she told him. “I’m looking for the marina owned by Beatrice Glover on Thunder Lake. Not Lake Michigan. I know where that is.”
“Oh, sure. That’s just around the bend, past the big old oak where you’ll take a left. Follow that down to CR325 where you’ll find a gravel road. If ya want to go to the marina hang a left, but if ya want to go to the Taylors, then ya stay to the right.”
“The Taylors?” That caught her by surprise for some reason. Now that she thought about it, the old woman on the cruise did say she was from the same town as Simon and his brothers. She really regretted coming here now. She didn’t want to see Simon’s family. Not when she was about to talk Mrs. Glover into selling the marina. Her father had already lined up a buyer who planned on knocking it down and building a five star hotel. “Do you know the Taylors?” she asked.
“Do I know them? Ha!” He laughed again, putting the nozzle back into the pump carefully, taking his sweet time. Then he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and removed his glasses, cleaning them. This man probably couldn’t hurry if his pants were on fire. “Why I know all twelve of the Taylor boys and their families as well. Hell, Thomas is one of my best friends, and his youngun’ Daniel works here after school and on the weekends.”
“That’s nice,” she said, not really listening. She got back in her car, just happy that Simon was still on the ship and nowhere around here. She wouldn’t be able to face him if he knew she was here to close down the marina, even if it was not her idea but by her father’s orders. Water and boats were Simon’s life.
“Of course it’s after school now, but Daniel’s not here cuz I gave him the day off.”
“Thanks for the directions,” she said, starting her motor. “How much do I owe you?”
“Well, let’s see now,” he said, looking at the gas pump and scratching his head. The thing was so cloudy and dirty that she couldn’t see the amount on it, and sincerely
“No, please,” she said, holding up her hand for him to stop, but he continued to stick the gas nozzle into her tank anyway. “Fine, give me a few gallons, but make it premium.”
“Premium? Ha! That’s funny,” the man said with a hoarse chuckle. “No one’s ever asked fer premium in Sweet Water. That’s why I stopped carrying it years ago. All we’ve got here, sweetie, is regular.”
When the man decided to wash her window next, and she saw him walking over with a squeegee on a pole that looked dirtier than his t-shirt, she jumped out and stopped him.
“That’ll be fine, I just need directions to the marina,” she said, laying a hand on his arm. He looked at her hand and then back up to her face and smiled.
“What’s a pretty girl like you doin’ in a little town like Sweet Water?”
She was wondering the same thing right about now. At least he’d told her twice now she was in Sweet Water, so she knew the marina had to be close by.
“Where’s the lake?” she asked, just hoping to be able to find the little watering hole called Thunder Lake. She wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t even on a map. Too bad she’d relied on her car’s navigational system to tell her how to get here instead of looking at an actual map before she left.
“Where’s the lake?” he echoed. “Well that depends on what lake yer lookin’ for.” He removed the nozzle from the car and held it up as he talked. A little gasoline dribbled down his arm but he just brushed it against the bib of his overalls. “Lake Michigan is so big that if ya didn’t see it ya may need some glasses. And Lake . . .”
“Thunder Lake,” she told him. “I’m looking for the marina owned by Beatrice Glover on Thunder Lake. Not Lake Michigan. I know where that is.”
“Oh, sure. That’s just around the bend, past the big old oak where you’ll take a left. Follow that down to CR325 where you’ll find a gravel road. If ya want to go to the marina hang a left, but if ya want to go to the Taylors, then ya stay to the right.”
“The Taylors?” That caught her by surprise for some reason. Now that she thought about it, the old woman on the cruise did say she was from the same town as Simon and his brothers. She really regretted coming here now. She didn’t want to see Simon’s family. Not when she was about to talk Mrs. Glover into selling the marina. Her father had already lined up a buyer who planned on knocking it down and building a five star hotel. “Do you know the Taylors?” she asked.
“Do I know them? Ha!” He laughed again, putting the nozzle back into the pump carefully, taking his sweet time. Then he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and removed his glasses, cleaning them. This man probably couldn’t hurry if his pants were on fire. “Why I know all twelve of the Taylor boys and their families as well. Hell, Thomas is one of my best friends, and his youngun’ Daniel works here after school and on the weekends.”
“That’s nice,” she said, not really listening. She got back in her car, just happy that Simon was still on the ship and nowhere around here. She wouldn’t be able to face him if he knew she was here to close down the marina, even if it was not her idea but by her father’s orders. Water and boats were Simon’s life.
“Of course it’s after school now, but Daniel’s not here cuz I gave him the day off.”
“Thanks for the directions,” she said, starting her motor. “How much do I owe you?”
“Well, let’s see now,” he said, looking at the gas pump and scratching his head. The thing was so cloudy and dirty that she couldn’t see the amount on it, and sincerely
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