to the side as another tool flew in his direction. “Watch it.”
Chad lifted his head too quickly and knocked it on a hanging light that hovered over the engine of a large tractor. “Oww,” he muttered as he rubbed the back of his skull. His eyes lifted to Ty, then widened. “Please tell me you’re the one who does mechanical stuff.”
Ty folded his arms as he stood in the doorway. He nodded at the machine. “I am. You need some help with that?”
Chad stepped aside and wiped greasy hands on his jeans. “Yes. Normally I’d have my mechanic take a look at it, but he’s out of town for the next couple of days. He’s the only one I trust with this tractor but I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place here. And you’re not charging me an arm and a leg to look at it.”
“Yet.”
Chad paused, then a grin crossed his face. “A mechanic with a sense of humor—I must have hit the jackpot. I guess I’ll have to thank my next-door neighbor later.”
“Neighbor?”
“Miss Taylor. She convinced me not to shoot you this morning when we found you boys in my barn.”
Simply hearing her mentioned in passing stirred unfamiliar thoughts and feelings inside him. His chest churned with the anticipation of seeing her again.
“So, you think you can fix it?”
Ty turned his attention back to Chad. “What did you say was wrong with it?”
“I thought it was the battery. But I just replaced it and it’s still not starting.”
Ty rolled up the sleeves on his shirt to his elbows. “My first guess is the spark system.”
“Great,” Chad muttered.
“Or it could be the starter.”
Chad’s eyes blinked as he glanced from the tractor to Ty. “Really?”
Ty shrugged. “Could be the alternator.”
Chad groaned.
“Or a combination of any of those.”
“Okay, I take it back. You stay far away from my tractor.”
Ty laughed. “Easy, big guy. I can do a few tests and figure it out. Was the battery keeping a charge after you started it?”
“I believe so.”
“How about when you try to turn the engine over? Do you hear a grinding noise or just a click?”
“Neither.”
Ty rubbed his hands together. “Well, then my first guess is probably right.” He bent over the engine and pulled the plug wire from the spark plugs. Holding it about an inch from the engine block, he waited. Nothing. “Yep, here’s your problem. See this?” He pointed to the wire. “If it was working correctly, we should see an arc of electricity when I hold it this close to the engine. That’s not happening. You’ll need to replace the wires.”
“What’s that going to cost me?”
Ty lifted his shoulders. “You buy the wires, and this one’s on the house.”
Chad raised a brow. “You’re kidding, right?”
He shook his head. “Naw. You gave me a place to sleep last night. It’s the least I could do. Then I’ll be on my way. I don’t want to outstay my welcome, and I think Breeden is warming up to sticking around.”
“That’s good.” Chad leaned against the car as Ty wiped his hands on a greasy rag that had been flung over a crate. “I’ll head out right now for the wires. After you’re done replacing them, you should stick around for dinner. Leave tomorrow after you’ve had a good night’s rest.”
Ty nodded. “That sounds great.”
Chad left shortly after, and Ty was stuck hanging out in the shed all alone. He glanced out the window again in the direction he knew he could find Penny. Chad could be a few minutes or he could be a few hours. What would it hurt to wander off and see what kind of life she led?
After about fifteen minutes of walking in a straight line, Ty came up against a fence. It wouldn’t be difficult to hop over, but somehow he didn’t think Penny did that every time she brought raspberries to her neighbor. He glanced down one side of the fence, then down the other. No immediate gates nearby. He’d just have to guess.
The sounds of horses neighing came from his right. Penny could be nearby. He turned and headed in that direction. The swirling sensations in his stomach continued to worsen. She was close. He could feel it in his bones.
Half a dozen horses wandered toward him. Ty stepped away from the fence. Horses were nice to look at, but there was a reason he worked on cars. Those beasts did what he told them to do. Animals had minds of their own.