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bank parking lot where she’d left her car earlier. Her one true love. Just looking at it made her smile. Unlike a certain somebody who’d been plaguing her the last two days, her ’65 ’Vette never let her down, never caused her sleepless nights. The car was a thing of beauty. Black with a white ragtop and red leather interior, stick shift on the floor, and a small block with 365 horsepower under the hood.
    She should probably sell it. God knew she needed the money. But the car meant so much to her. Her brother had helped her find it, had checked it out for her. She’d taken her first ride in it with Wes beside her.
    It was the one thing she’d bought for herself that had sentimental value. And in the grand scheme of things, the money she’d get for it would only be a drop in the bucket compared to what she needed. Still, if things got desperate… Hah, what a joke. Things couldn’t get much worse.
    So okay. That meant they could only get better, right?
    That in mind, she slipped behind the wheel and simply sat for a moment. With this heat, she’d definitely begun to glisten. She dropped the top, but the day was still. Not a leaf stirred. No breeze. It was as if the world held its breath.
    She tossed her purse, her suit jacket, and the mustard-yellow yarn on the seat beside her, started the car, and looked both ways. Not another car in sight. What a shame.
    Next stop? Tommy’s Texaco. Tommy still pumped his customers’ gas for them. And her car, while fabulous, guzzled fuel faster than Hollywood celebrities changed spouses.
    She pulled under the station’s awning and up to the first gas pump.
    â€œHey, Jenni Beth. What can I do for ya?” Tommy wiped his hands on a grease rag, then tucked it into the hip pocket of his coveralls. He swiped at his forehead with one hand and turned his ball cap backward over a mass of wiry, copper-colored hair.
    â€œFill it up, Tommy.”
    â€œYou got it.” He unscrewed her gas cap. “You know, y’all ever decide you don’t want this car no more, I’ll be more than happy to take it off your hands. Give you a fair price for it, too.”
    â€œI’ll keep that in mind.” She slid out and headed inside the Texaco station. Boy, her lucky day. She’d had an offer on both her house and her car, neither of which she had any intention of selling.
    But what if she had to? A sick knot settled in the pit of her stomach, and she chewed her bottom lip. Maybe she’d been too hasty in quitting her job. A leave of absence might have made more sense.
    She looked over her shoulder, out the window. Tommy ran a hand over her car’s fender the way another man, a man like Cole, might caress a woman’s leg or shoulder or… Whew! Enough.
    With or without Richard’s help, she’d find a way to keep her car, her house, and start her business. She could and would have it all.
    Failure? Not an option. Darlene might give in and give up, but she couldn’t. If she failed, her parents would have nothing. Worry nagged at her.
    She opened the cooler door. Water. If the weatherman was right, today’s temperature would reach sizzle by noon. She needed to stay hydrated.
    Tommy walked in, mopping at his forehead again. “Dang, it’s hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk.”
    â€œYes, it is. I can’t wait to get out of these clothes and into something cooler.”
    â€œYou look real nice in them, Jenni Beth. That red’s a good color on ya.”
    She smiled. “Thanks, Tommy. I’ll take these, too.” She set the water bottle and a Three Musketeers candy bar on the counter, then swiped her credit card.
    Back in the car, she uncapped the water and took a long, cool drink before nibbling at her creamy chocolate treat. Mmmm . Heaven.
    On the way home, the wind whipped through her hair and Rascal Flatts serenaded her. For just these few moments, she’d let go, enjoy. Reality