Across a Thousand Miles Read Online Free PDF Page B

had a jack I would, but this old truck of Brian’s doesn’t seem to be blessed with one, and to tell you the truth, I think I’d rather be horse-whipped than ask Rebecca Reed if I could borrow hers.”
    â€œWell, now, son, I don’t see why that should bother you. Rebecca’s a good woman.”
    There was a thump, a grunt of pain, and then, with much wriggling, Mac squeezed out from beneath the truck and sat up. A thin trickle of blood ran from a gouge over his left eyebrow. “I’m sure she is,” he said, rubbing the wound and smearing it with grease. “But that woman dislikes me and I don’t blame her. We’ve hardly known each other two days and already I owe her a lot of money. I’ve never owed anybody anything in my entire life. It’s no wonder she thinks poorly of me.”
    â€œOh, now, she don’t think bad of you.”
    Mac laughed. “Well, if she doesn’t, she sure puts on a good show.” He climbed to his feet and brushed the snow off his pants. “I can’t do anything without getting the hind end of this truck off the ground. I better just bite the bullet and go ask if I can borrow her jack. She probably has three or four of ’em, all heavy-duty monsters capable of lifting a Mack truck.
    â€œShe has at least two that I know of,” Sam agreed. “I’ll ask her, if you want.”
    Mac shook his head. “Thanks. I’ll do it. Her opinion of me can’t get much lower.”
    They both heard the approaching truck at the same time, and moments later Rebecca’s old red Ford lumbered into view, plowing up a wave of snow before it. She cut the engine as she drove around Mac’s truck, opened the cab door and dropped to the ground. “Gosh! I thought for sure you’d have it all fixed by now,” she said.
    â€œCouldn’t jack her up,” he said. “Couldn’t find the jack…”
    â€œAh,” she said, nodding calmly. “Well, I’ve got one. A good heavy-duty one.” She turned and walked back to the truck and Mac watched her, admiring the way she moved, her self-possessed grace, wishing more than anything in the world that he could do just one thing right in this woman’s presence. He saw her struggling with the heavy jack and moved to help her.
    â€œThis is great!” he said as he took it from her hands. “This’ll do the job. Thanks.”
    â€œYou’re bleeding,” she said.
    â€œBumped my head.” He turned back toward his truck. In a matter of minutes the vehicle was jacked upenough for him to crawl beneath it with his tools and spare parts spread on an old blanket beside him.
    â€œHow about a light?” Sam said.
    â€œOh, he doesn’t need one,” Rebecca said. “He told me he could work blindfolded, he’s that good.”
    â€œWell, there’s a headlamp on the front seat,” Mac said. “if you wouldn’t mind passing it to me.”
    He heard her footsteps march up to the driver’s side. She wrenched open the door. Long pause. “I don’t see any lamp.”
    â€œLook under the stuff on the passenger’s side,” Mac called out, picturing the horror in her beautiful eyes as she beheld the heaps of trash in the cab of his brother’s truck. “It’s buried in there somewhere.”
    She climbed into the cab, and as she did so, the truck began to move.
    â€œHey!” Mac shouted. Seconds later the vehicle shifted just enough for the jack to kick out from beneath the bumper. The back of the truck banged down hard, making him cry out as the air was driven from his lungs. He tried to move but couldn’t. The undercarriage of the truck pressed against him as one of the tires slid more deeply into a rut.
    â€œMac? Mac! Are you okay?” he heard her ask as her feet hit the ground.
    â€œI’m fine,” he managed. “But…I’m kind of…pinned…