Page 16 of War

I signed the receipt and took my copy and my card. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome. Have a great evening!”

Amantha and I headed toward the doors to the parking lot.

“I was kidding about you buying dinner,” she protested.

“I told you I was a gentleman.”

She snorted. “Paying for dinner doesn't make you a gentleman.”

I held each door open as she wheeled through.

Amantha steered over the wheelchair ramp off the sidewalk and toward my truck. Only a few cars remained in the parking lot.

“Then what does?”

“I'm not sure you can be redeemed at this point.”

I laughed. She was probably right.

She positioned her chair by the passenger door of my truck and locked the wheels. I opened the door then scooped her into my arms.

Amantha looked at me with appreciation in her eyes. “Despite the doubt, you are making points toward redemption.”

Her pink hair framed her face, and her pouty lips begged me to kiss her.

I shook my head. No, I couldn't. I had to keep her around.

A raindrop fell from the sky and hit her on the cheek. Amantha and I both glanced up. No stars shone through the clouds. Drops fell faster. Wow, they were cold.

I placed Amantha into the passenger seat before more rain fell on her.

“Seatbelt.” I pointed at her as I shut the door.

I folded her chair and put it into the backseat so it wouldn't get wet outside in the truck bed.

The rain fell harder as I jogged around to the driver's side. I climbed in the cab and shut the door behind me. I shivered and turned the truck on, immediately cranking up the hot air from the heater.

Cool air immediately blasted me.

“Holy shit!”

I turned the air off.

Softly, Amantha reminded me, “The truck has been sitting here awhile. It needs to warm up first.”

“I know. I just forgot. It's summer, I haven't used the heat in months.”

Goosebumps broke over my skin as I put on my seatbelt and checked that Amantha wore hers. The headlights automatically turned on. I switched on the windshield wipers, shifted the truck to drive, and headed out of the parking lot.

On the highway, I drove toward the airport. I tried to put being cold out of my mind.

“How do you manage your wheelchair and drive?” I asked.

The rain came down hard around us and beat on the surface of the truck.

“I can walk a little so I usually load my wheelchair into the trunk then hold onto the car to walk to the driver's seat. It's worked so far.”