WE STOPPED AT A GAS station to fill the tank, buying bottled water and snacks for the road. When we were a block from the rental agency in front of a construction site, I stopped and got out again. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, I planted a nail from a loose board I’d picked up on the bridge into the sidewall of the back passenger tire.
It was the best I could come up with on short notice. I hoped it was enough to allow us a replacement without being dinged too much for damages. In the short distance from where I’d stabbed the nail in the tire until we reached the rental place, the tire deflated just enough to be almost flat by the time we arrived.
I parked and turned to Robin. “Ready to trade in the car?”
She nodded, pressing her lips firmly together, a determined gli
