“That’s it.” Gil wiped his hands on a sturdy blue cloth. “I’ve done all I can without completely rebuilding the engine, which I don’t recommend because it would cost more than the car is worth.”
“I understand,” Cissy said. “I cannot thank you enough for all you’ve done.” She patted the rusty fender of the old car. “It is enough that God has provided transportation. It doesn’t have to be more than basic.”
“Basic is one thing,” Gil warned, “but reliable is another. Frankly, I’d feel better if you’d trade this clunker in for a newer vehicle. A truck would be handy for moving all those donated goods to Mexico.”
A truck would be handy. But Cissy shook her head. “I can’t afford anything else.” She couldn’t even pay Gil for getting the old car running. The best she’d been able to give him was dinner every night, much to Sally’s delight. Her mother clung tenaciously to the belief that Gil Valenzuela could persuade Cissy to give up her plans to move to Mexico and run an orphanage there, but he didn’t even seem inclined to try.
“I haven’t started dinner yet,” she said, changing the subject. “What would you like? Something special to celebrate?”
“Sure,” Gil said, rolling down his shirtsleeves. “I hear there’s a real good restaurant over in Plainview. Why don’t we try it out?”
Cissy fought past the thrill of possibly going on a date with Gil and shook her head. “Plainview is fifty miles away. It’ll be faster if I fix something here.”
“Mmm-hmm.” He flashed her a pointed smile. “I’m sure your mom would see it that way, too.”
Cissy grimaced at the thought of sitting down at the table with Gil and her mother. It was bad enough that Sally watched avidly through the screen door every evening as Gil wolfed down his supper and Cissy kept him company. She could just imagine what her matchmaking mama would say and do if Gil came into the house to eat with them again. Besides, with only ten days to go before she had to leave, this might be her only chance to spend time alone with Gil, not to mention her only opportunity to thank him properly.
“Can you give me a minute to change my clothes?” she asked, glancing down at herself.
Gil chuckled. “You already look great, but go ahead and change. I’ll wait here.”
Cissy blushed with pleasure as she ran into the house, her steps and her heart light. As she traded her ragged jeans for trim cropped pants and a matching blouse of turquoise cotton, she knew that she shouldn’t have given in and agreed to go with him, but she just couldn’t resist. Gil had helped her more than once, and she owed him for that. The least she could do was buy his dinner tonight. Maybe that would make it seem like less of a date.
Somehow, though, she knew it wouldn’t be any easier on her heart.