She watched as he crawled nearly under the Hornet, lying on his back to get the car jack situated in the right spot under the frame. She heard a soft grumbling and raised a brow, knowing exactly what it was but wanting him to admit to it.

"What was that?"

"My stomach." He replied, sliding out from under the car and reaching for the tire iron.

"When did you eat last?"

"Mmm-"

"Ok, what did you eat last?"

"Bacon and toast-"

"Jesse, that was more than a day ago!" She frowned in concern.

"I can manage until my money is wired through." That was a lie, the bank had told him it would be closer to the beginning of next week before he could access any type of funds.

She'd noticed his attitude sliding downhill the last few days.

How stubborn was he.

"I can open a tab for you at mom's restaurant, and there's a hot meal waiting for you at the V8. On the house."

"I'm not living on handouts." He frowned, frustrated with the racing tire that refused to budge.

"They're not handouts. Believe it or not people around here care about your well being."

"They don't even know-"

"They don't have to." She laughed. "People around here just care. Let us help you."

"You can care about something, or someone, more than anything. Doesn't mean you can help them."

She wasn't expecting the conversation to take this kind of turn. "...You're very bitter."

She was surprised at how that seemed to set him off.

"I am bitter, Miss Piston." He stood abruptly and the tire iron clattered loudly on the rocky ground.

"I'm bitter because not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth, that you can fight and dig and give everything you have to get to the top of the ladder just to find that there's someone there with a knife ready to cut the rope."

He didn't want to be there, the longer he lingered the more likely he'd get stuck there somehow.

The longer he stayed anywhere, the more he was reminded of home. He should have made a call back to Thomasville months ago, but he wasn't ready for that conversation.

"I'm bitter because you can care. You can care so much you dedicate all your time and energy to something and it's never enough."

She took a deep breath, waiting for him to get this out of his system.

"You can care so much you think you'll be able to make things right, that you can do anything, that you can save- but they still-" He stopped suddenly, realizing he'd said more than he intended. He slapped the grease covered rag harshly on the trunk of the Hornet as he left.

"Yes. I'm bitter."

She followed after him. "Don't run away."

"I am not running away." He hissed as he spun on his heel.

"Then what do you call this?"

He glared at her for a moment, his jaw set before turning away again. "Ending the conversation."

"I don't understand."

"Honey, men are all the same." Flo replied. "Fifty percent pride, fifty percent bullheaded."

"One hundred percent dumb."

"So ya do understand."

Emily gestured in helpless frustration.

"I don't know how to help ya, honey. Not if he's got his mind set on staying away from the rest of us."

"I'll think of something..."

Leaving the café, she wandered back out into the midafternoon sun. The elderly woman who ran The Cozy Cone had returned the day before, leaving Emily with nothing to fill her time with. She could always throw in for a shift at her mother's restaurant , but waitressing wasn't something she was keen on. She didn't exactly need the money either.

Princess of Piston and all that.

Alex had left the day before, which she was glad of. Jesse had asked her if her family lived in the bustling little town and she'd be blind if she didn't notice his relief when she'd told him no, Alex seldom went through and the only way to see her father lately was to travel back east.

"Just mom and I." She'd answered. "But mom's been traveling with Daddy lately."

Returning to the little apartment above the restaurant she sighed and thought back over the conversation behind The Cozy Cone. Jesse had refused to use the garage she'd offered since the confrontation with her brother.

She realized they were polar opposites, they'd never understand how the other had become the young adults they now were. Emily had twenty-one years of privilege behind her. She wasn't sure how old he was, but if his earlier tirade was anything to go by she'd never be able to relate.

Suddenly struck with an idea, she jumped back up to get her shoes back on and rushed out the door to go back to Flo's.

Jesse had recognized the polite knock and opened the door to stare at Emily sullenly. He glanced at the takeout container in her hands with a blank expression.

"Consider it payment."

"For what?"

"My first driving lesson."

He only hesitated briefly before taking the container and leaving her in the open doorway. She stepped into the room as he tossed the container on the table. He turned back toward her, and she was relieved to see a little of the same person who'd checked in to The Cozy Cone at 3AM four days ago.

"I need to apologize-"

She raised a brow.

"I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did. You have nothing to do with-"

Looking up at him, she realized there really wasn't much difference in age between them. He couldn't be any older than twenty-five. Talk about growing up quickly. He was still grieving, whether he knew it or not.

"-not fair to you."

She only reached out and wrapped her arms around him in response, feeling his shoulders tense in surprise briefly. She wasn't surprised when he stepped back and brushed it aside, and she wondered idly how long he intended to shoulder all his burdens on his own. She also had to remind herself, though, that four days wasn't exactly long enough to make someone a confidante.

Once he'd eaten, Jesse sat slouched in the chair beside the table, poking holes in the lid of the takeout container with the fork.

"So what do you know about driving?"

"Gas is go, brake is stop."

"Oh boy..."

"What?" She asked with a smile.

He shook his head, standing and tossing the fork down. "We'll take your dad's car out."

"You mean I'm not driving the Hornet?"

He eyed her with a sarcastic expression. "I rebuilt that transmission a year ago, I'm not about to let you drop the clutch out of it."

"I don't know what that means."

"I rest my case."

He'd driven them out to the end of town and into the parking lot of the drive-in, he explained briefly before getting out to trade places with her.

"Always leave it in neutral if you're going to be getting out, but you'll have to have the parking brake set or your car will roll away."

"Why does it have to be in neutral?"

He shifted in to first, released the break and took his foot off the clutch, smirking at her startled reaction when the car jumped forward and stalled.

"I don't know if this is a good idea. What if I hurt Daddy's car?"

"You'll be fine."

"Then why didn't you want me to drive the Hornet?"

She didn't even know how to start it, and every time the Cadillac stalled she got more frustrated . Finally she was able to at least get to second, but she couldn't help but notice Jesse flinch every time a gear was missed.

"That's why."

"I'm never going to get this."

"It's only been an hour, you don't just jump into a car knowing how to drive."

"How long did it take you to learn?" She was proud of herself for remembering the parking brake when they stopped long enough to talk, though.

"Ss...six months?"

"Six months?"

"Well only a few days to get the mechanics under control and keep the car running, but longer for competitive driving."

"But this part only took a few days?"

He nodded, "It's all timing. Hand, eye coordination."

"Will you show me?"

"Why don't we go back for the Hornet." It still had the dirt tires on.

"Sure." She went to open the door, pausing when he stopped her.

"But only if you drive us back."

She wanted to slap the smirk off his face.

She had a white knuckle grip on the wheel when they finally made it back and parked her father's car. She'd cheated a little, and Jesse had admonished her for letting the engine work so hard without shifting out of first.

"Fine, Hot Shot, let's see why you have all those trophies."

Emily was irritated at first with how smoothly that car shifted and accelerated.

She had to remind herself that he did hold those titles for a reason.