“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Nope, I got it.” Acutely aware of her watching him, he lifted his injured leg off the chair until he was sitting sideways, and then used his good leg and the crutches to leverage himself to a standing position. “Let’s go see that rental car.”
He followed her across the yard and through the gate that led to the front of the house. There, in his parents’ driveway, sat a shiny white minivan.
“I thought it would be easier for you to get in and out of this, than an SUV,” Rachel said, and opened the sliding door. “I had the salesman stow the middle row of seats, so there’s plenty of space to move around.”
Jamie stuck his head inside the van. The interior was expensive leather, with a telltale new-car smell. The dash contained all the bells and whistles of a brand-new, top-end model, and the vehicle was spotless, inside and out.
“How much did you say this is costing?” he asked cautiously.
“I didn’t. It’s on loan for free, for as long as we need it.”
Jamie looked sharply at her. She gave him a sunny smile.
“I’m afraid to ask,” he finally said.
“I decided to sell the Porsche. I brought it to a dealer in Whitefish, and they think they can sell it.” She looked almost embarrassed. “The manager fell in love with the car, so we made a deal. I get use of the van for as long as I need it, and he gets personal use of the Porsche. When I return the van, he’ll sell the Porsche for me. He thinks he can get top dollar.”
Jamie wanted to weep in protest. “You’re selling that beauty? Why can’t you just swap the cars back when we no longer need the van?”
Something flashed across Rachel’s face, an expression that might have been anger, but was gone too quick for him to tell.
“I don’t want it,” she said firmly. “It’s an impractical reminder of a life I’ve left behind, and Montana is no place for a Porsche.”
“Well, that manager is getting the better end of the deal,” he muttered. “I’d have given anything to drive that car just once.”
Rachel looked unsympathetic. “What is it with you boys and your fast cars? That thing is a gas hog, and it’s also dangerous. This is much more practical.” She crossed her arms. “You look upset. Does this mean you no longer want to go for an outing?”
Jamie scowled. “Not when you sound like my mother. And we’re not going for an outing. That has about as much appeal as a geriatric field trip.”
Rachel laughed, and it completely transformed her. Jamie found himself transfixed by the sound of her laughter, and the way her face lit up. This was how he remembered her.
“I’m so sorry,” she finally said, still smiling. “You’re right; that sounded terrible. What should we call it instead?”
“Something that doesn’t remotely hint at a nurse-patient or parent-child relationship,” he grumbled. “What do friends call it when they go out together?”
“Are we friends?” Rachel asked, tipping her head to one side as she considered him. “I mean, I’ve known you for forever, but I wouldn’t have classified you as a friend, necessarily. You were always my kid brother’s sidekick. Just a baby, really.”
“Never mind,” Jamie said darkly. “This is just getting worse by the minute. You should stop talking now.”
“We could call it a date,” she offered. Seeing his surprised expression, she shrugged. “Why not? Friends go on dates, don’t they?”
Not the kind of friends he had, but he wasn’t about to argue with her.
“Absolutely,” he agreed. “Friends do go on dates.”
Thirty minutes later, with his wheelchair stowed in the rear cargo space, and his leg resting comfortably on a leather ottoman Rachel had confiscated from the living room, they were on their way.
Rachel sat in the driver’s seat, and their eyes met in the rearview mirror. “Sure you’re comfortable back there?”
Surprisingly, Jamie was very comfortable. The van was luxuriously appointed, and he’d had no difficulty getting into the rear seat. His only complaint was that there was too much space between them; he would have liked to be sitting in the passenger seat. He gave Rachel a thumbs-up, and sat back to enjoy the ride.
“Are you hungry?” she called.
Jamie shrugged. “Getting there. What’d you have in mind?”
She smiled at him in the mirror, and then turned in the direction of town. Within ten minutes they were pulling into the parking lot by the town pier. As Jamie eased himself into the wheelchair and settled his leg onto the extended support, he breathed in the crisp, mountain air. He hadn’t seen the lake since before he’d left for Syria; hadn’t realized just how much he missed being near the water.