“If I could find someone willing to let me borrow a car just for a few days, I could give them what I have, a couple hundred.”

Caleb, who’d knelt by the dog to rub his belly, rose. “Hell, take mine for free.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t do that.” She barely knew him.

“Sure you can. Half of my classes are online this semester anyway. I’m doing independent studies in the other two, easy enough to work around. Seriously. Take it.”

“Hold on,” Linnie said. “Ever drive a stick shift, Margaret?”

“Oh.” Her half smile died. “No.”

“I could give you a lesson,” Caleb said. “It’s not too hard. You just don’t want to stall the engine, but as long as you properly engage the clutch, you’ll do fine. Only take care when you get close to Vermont. Hills can be tricky with this kind of car.”

“And you don’t want to select the wrong gear by mistake,” Sam added.

“You could damage the mechanical components,” Caleb explained.

Sam grimaced. “Or lose control of the car.”

Maggie gazed at them, dismayed, and Linnie sputtered a short laugh.

Caleb flapped a hand. “But that’s super unlikely.”

“This isn’t good,” Maggie said.

“Want me to go with?” Linnie asked.

“You know how to drive a stick shift?”

“Um…” Linnie shook her head. “Not really.”

Sam’s expression turned intent. “You should go. You could stop and see Mary Tate.”

“Mary who?” Caleb asked.

“Tate. Linnie’s neighbor from a long time ago. She still lives in Baldwinsville.”

“Outside of Syracuse?”

He nodded. To Linnie: “Would you go by there?”

Linnie avoided his gaze. She raised a hand to her ear. “Sam, please—”

“I think you should see her and pick up that letter. She went through a lot of trouble last August tracking down Dad’s number, and you won’t even call her back. Stop by. Find out what this letter’s all about.”

Maggie and Caleb glanced at each other, bewildered.

But Sam only said, “On your way back, do you mind swinging by Linnie’s old neighborhood?”

“Sure,” Maggie said. “I mean, I’d be happy to once I figure out the transportation. But I’m not driving Caleb’s car”—she smiled a little at Sam and Linnie’s friend—“though I appreciate the offer. I’m afraid I’d do something wrong, like break the, you know, those mechanical things.” Or our bodies. I might break those, too. She pictured herself shifting gears incorrectly, losing control of the car, and shooting her and Linnie off a cliff, Thelma and Louise–style. Except accidentally.

Caleb shrugged. “I’ve got an idea.”

14

“THIS IS SO nice of you.” Maggie peered around the muzzle panting in her face. A long tongue swiped her. She dried her cheek with her shoulder and jerked back to dodge another lick. “Really nice.”