Free The Mammoth Book of Erotica presents The Best of Marilyn Jaye Lewis by Marilyn Jaye Lewis Page B

Connor. I’m just saying that it’s cold.”
    They both heard it and saw it coming through the snow at the same instant.
    Connor said, “What the hell is that?”
    “It’s a tractor,” Kaylie declared.
    It was a tractor, all right, with a man in a bright orange cap driving it. He was coming toward them, down the dirt road that was now snowed over.
    “I wonder if there’s some sort of farm house up that way?” Connor said.
    “I don’t know,” Kaylie said, “but maybe he can help us get this car started?”
    “I hope so. I’ll see.” Connor opened his door and got out. He walked toward the tractor that was now coming to a slow stop.
    The farmer called down to Connor, “I couldn’t help noticing that you seemed stuck down here.”
    Connor wondered what else the guy hadn’t been able to help noticing, but right now, all Connor wanted was to get the car started. “My battery’s dead,” he called back.
    “I figured as much. I’ve got a charger up at the barn.” The farmer got down off his tractor and walked over to Connor. “I can either bring it down here and give you an emergency boost that’ll at least get you to a service station, or, if you aren’t in too much of a hurry, we can take the battery up to the barn and leave it connected for a little while, it’ll totally recharge you. You won’t have to pay me anything. It’s up to you.”
    “Where’s the nearest service station?” Connor asked, noticing that the farmer didn’t want to look directly at him. Christ, Connor thought to himself, he did see us. And then Connor wondered if the farmer had been alone, or if there had been other people watching Kaylie and him have sex out there in the bone-dead orchard, where there was not so much as a speck of a leaf clinging to any of the trees.
    “Oh gosh, I’d say about eight miles,” the farmer said. “If it’s even open. It’s not always open in bad weather. Rick, the owner, lives pretty far out and doesn’t like to risk getting stranded down here in bad weather.”
    “I can understand that,” Connor said. The snow was already clinging to Connor’s hair, to his eyelashes, even.
    The farmer said, “I got tools in the tractor. It’s no big deal taking that battery out. Let’s just take it on up to the barn and recharge it.”
    “You’re sure it’s no problem?”
    “No problem at all. I take care of all my own vehicles around this place.”
    “Thanks,” Connor said. “How long will a recharge take?”
    “About an hour,” the farmer replied. “Maybe a little longer. It’s a pretty powerful little box. There’s a gauge right on it, tells you when it’s done.”
    Connor could see the Flyers game disappearing in the distance. Even if they made it to the arena on time, this was more than a snow fall, it was a storm. With the battery acting up they’d be crazy to drive all the way to Philadelphia and back. “I guess I’ll take you up on that recharge, then. Let me just double-check with my wife.”
    Connor opened his door, reached down and popped the hood, and said, “Looks like we aren’t going to Philly today. This guy’s offered to recharge our battery for free, though. If you don’t mind hanging out here for about an hour?”
    “But
the game
– you already bought the tickets. You were looking so forward to it.”
    “It’s too risky, Kay. We can’t drive all the way to Philly and back in this weather. Besides, if I don’t get the battery charged here, we’ll just have to stop somewhere up the road and do it, if we can even find a place. And then we’ll have to pay.”
    “I don’t mind waiting here, that’s all right with me. I just feel bad for you – missing the game.”
    “I’ll get over it,” Connor said. “Hand me that card from the auto club again, will you?”
    Kaylie handed him back the card.
    “I’m going to go up to this guy’s barn with him, but I’ll come back and sit with you while the battery’s charging.”
    “Okay, honey.” Connor shut