Gail told me to go home around 12:30 that night. I had worked for twelve hours and I was tired. As I grabbed my things from a back office area Gail approached me with money in her hand.

"You did good tonight, kid," she swiveled and slurred, "Here is some pay up front." She handed me the folded up money as her half lid stare scorched through me.

"Thanks," I replied astonished to have recieved anything. She smiled a bit and told me to be back the next day at 4:00. I agreed to show up and slung my bag over my shoulder. It was refreshingly quiet in the nearly empty parking lot. I made my way over to an exhausted looking single cab truck and quickly unlocked the door. Hopping in, I put the keys in the ignition and turned them. Nothing. I twisted them back and tried again in disbelief, still nothing happened. I cursed under my breath as I pulled the hood release and rummaged behind the passenger side seat. My hands grasped the jumper cables and yanked them from their resting place. I got out and started to walk back in. My cheeks were red and my head was down as I thought about the task of asking someone for a jump. However, my 5'4'' slim frame ran into someone built like a brick house. I looked up in surprise spurting out apolozies automaticlly. I saw Wayne there, his thumbs looped through his belt loops and a cigerette hanging out of oneside of his mouth. I went from muttering apologies to silence.

"Hello there, I couldn't help but notice you were in a bit of trouble," he said as his arm came up to hold the cigerette. I watched him pull a drag and hold the smoke for a second before releasing it unto the chilly night air.

I stood there dumb founded until I stuttered a response,

"I, uh, yes, I am in a bit of trouble," I confirmed, "My battery seems to be dead on my truck and I need a hand jumpin' it off." Wayne tossed his half smoked cigerette to the ground and pulled his keys from his front pocket,

"Let me get the truck, then," he commented mechanically.

"Thank you," I called at his retreating form. I turned and made myself busy fully unlatching the hood and proping it open. 'How could anyone look at me and Wayne right now and think that he had a thing for me?' I wondered to my self. In no time my thoughts were interupted as a huge black GMC truck pulled along side my little Ranger. I heard the hood release and the driver's side door open. I had shimmied up his front bumper and opened the hood, before Wayne was around the front. I took out my phone and quickly found the battery and connected the cable to the terminals. During my climb down, I noticed Wayne had hooked up the other end and had lit another cigerette. We stood in silence for a while as we charged the battery in my truck. I was unsure of what to say, really. He was handsome and cornbread fed, as we said in the South. Just a good ole' boy. I, on the other hand had nothing good to put on the table. I was nothing but trouble and had a crazy ex and 6 month hospital stay to proove it. A shiver ran through me as a brisk breeze blew past us. As if it was possible, his posture got straighter,

"If yer cold you can wait inside while I get yer truck runnin'," He said with his eyes squinted. I wrapped my arms around myself more out of being self concious than cold.

"Nah, I'll be fine," I replied, "I had better go see if she'll crank," It was an excuse to move. I brushed past him slightly, but enough to evoke a whiff of his sweet cologne and a hint of cigerette smoke from his clothes. My stomach fluttered as I past him and made my way to the driver's side door of the Rangler. Hopping in the cab once more, I turned the key still in the ignition. The engine came to life and a sigh of relief past my lips. I saw the outline of Wayne's body work to disconnect the terminals. As soon as the battery was free the old hiefer started to stutter again and died once more. My shoulders slumped and my head fell onto the stirring wheel.

"Well," Wayne's distinct voice spoke, "It sounds like it's the alternator to me."

I groaned, "Well, I guess I'll fix it in the morning." My hands snatched up my purse and keys. I put the jumper cabs that Wayne had neatly rolled up in the cab and locked the doors. I made my way inside to tell Gail about my truck with Wayne following me close behind.

"Gail," I said with a bit of embarrassment, "I need to leave my truck here. It won't start." Daryl and Dan interrupted with questions on what it was doing. I tried to answer as best I could and with all my information they came to the same conclusion, my alternator.

Wayne stood behind them only uttering the word, "Likely," at their revelation.

"Anyway, I promise I will be by as soon as I can to fix it and get it out of the way." I groveled. Gail wiped down the bar then looked at me,

"It can stay for the night but you better get it moving before you come into work." Excited, I jumped up and hugged her.

"Thank you, I can get 'er runnin' before then," I exclaimed.

I turned to leave when Dan called after me,

"Excuse, me, Miss Jess but, hows ya' gettin' home?" I deflated a bit, how was I gonna get home?

"I can walk," I said not really liking the idea as soon as it left my mouth.

"Oh, where abouts do ya live, Jess?" Daryl asked as a follow up.

"I'm renting the apartment over Mr. and Mrs. Johnston's garage," I answered.

"Why, Miss Jess, yous can't walks that far," Dan exclaimed.

"I reckin' not," Wayne agreed, "How about I take ya home?" I pulled my purse further onto my shoulder. My mind was racing but I knew this was the best option.

"Only if its not gonna be an inconvenience to you," I answered out of habit.

"It would be my pleasure," Wayne replied as he joined me close to the door.

He told the guys he would be back as we headed out back to the parking lot. It was pure silence while he opened the door for me and I climbed up into his truck. As I buckled in, he started the engine and backed out.

"So," Wayne stated as he broke the ice, "You're from Tenneessee? What brings you here to Ontario?" His gaze never left the road as we pasted through the sleepy town.

"Well," I began not really knowing what to say, "I kinda needed a change, a fresh start," I finally settled. Wayne kept his focus on his driving, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. I picked at my nails, a nervous habit I had since childhood,

"I was in a pretty bad relationship actually." Wayne was still silent as the outlines of buildings turned to farm land.

"I thought if I left and just went somewhere random I could start over," I said as I cofessed bits and pieces to him.

"Well, welcome to Letterkenny, I hope you stay a while," He finally said. There was no presser to know more about what happened and I liked that. Wayne and I chit chated about little things the rest of the way home. His family and what he did for a living, even through I knew by the look of him that he was into agriculture. When we arrived he pulled up in to the gravel drive and turned to look at me,

"I'll finish my chorin' in the morning and I will come pick you up. I know where to get the parts you need fur the truck. Then I will help you get er' goin'," Even though his voice never varied from the same tone or pace I could read between the lines that this wasn't a hassle to him. I smiled in gratitude for his hospitality.

"You know you don't have to do all this, right?" I asked turning to him in the darkness of the cab. He leaned near me still boasting the same expression that bared no insight to his feelings.

"That's a Texas-sized 10-4," he drawled.

"Well, Thank you for everything just the same, Wayne," I whispered as I placed a small peck on his cheek. His eyebrow raised as he looked back at me.

"Don't be gettin' any ideas there, hoss," I joked. "My momma taught me to thank a man politely for his help. I know you will find you a pretty lil' thang to take home tonight. You don't have to use all your charity on me."

He looked forward out the windshield for a moment before he spoke,

"My, mother taught me to be a gentleman. I am sweet on ya' but I don't expect nothin' from ya'. I feel like it should be a proper date I take ya' on before we decide we are in the mood for misbehavin'," He turned his face back toward mine and I laughed a bit,

"Are you askin' me out on a date, Wayne?" I asked already knowing the answer.

"10-4," he replied.

"Okay, I accept your offer just tell me when and where." I mused.

"There is going to be a party Friday at my place. I reckin' I'll be here to pick ya' up at 5," He stated.

"Okay, I can't wait." I answered as I turned to sit straight in my seat. I dug through my purse to grab my house key as Wayne got out of the truck and marched around to open the door. He offered me his hand and I took it as we walked to my door. We parted ways after a breif good bye and I walked into my dark cold apartment. How was I gonna survive this worl wind called Letterkenny?