It was 10:30 by the time I finished breakfast, and by then I was awake enough to decipher the students’ handwriting, so I started in on the homework. A much-needed surge of mental energy helped me to rip through three assignments in the next hour, and I was considering taking a break when I heard footsteps on the stairs outside. I pushed my chair out from my desk and stood just as the doorbell rang, and when I peeked through the peephole I nearly fell over.

Jack Harrington was standing on my porch.

I unchained the door and twisted the deadbolt, then opened the door and, yes, it was indeed him. “Hi,” I said with a voice that sounded more astounded than I meant it to.

He smiled. “Hi there. How are you feeling?”

“Fine, I’m fine, thanks,” I stammered. I grinned at him like an idiot and could feel my face growing hotter and undoubtedly redder. “Do you want to come in?”

“Well, I don’t want to interrupt you or anything—”

“Oh, no, you’re not; I was just grading papers. Needed the break, to be honest.”

“Well, I really can’t stay; I just wanted to drop this off.” He held out his hand, which held a plain silver key ring with two car keys and a lock fob from it.

I stared at them. “Huh?”

Now he was getting red, and wow, was it adorable; he ducked his head and raked his fingers through his hair. “Well, your car was totaled, and my set assistant was selling hers, so … ” He shrugged and stood there still holding the keys out to me. “I didn’t know which space was yours, so I parked it there … ” He pointed to the spot directly below my door, and there was a shiny black Civic sitting there in the rain.

My jaw dropped. “You’re kidding,” I choked out around a laugh that escaped before I had the chance to stop it. “I—My gosh, it looks brand new! There’s no way I can afford it—I mean, thank you so, so much for thinking of me, but there’s no way I can buy it—”

“No, no, no, I didn’t mean for you to buy it from me. I bought it for you” He shifted on his feet, looking uncomfortable. “I know you probably don’t have the money for it, being a teacher and all, and I have plenty, so, you know … ” He shrugged again and jangled the keys. “You gonna take these?”

I slowly took the keys from his hand and looked down at the car and back up at him. “Wow, Ja … um, Mr. Harr—”

“Jack.”