Page 36 of Jacob Michaels Is Not Jacob Michaels

“It’s a manual, Rob,” Lucas announced desperately, looking around. “You have to get it in neutral, push the clutch down and put your foot on the brake and—”

Lucas looked over to find me just staring at him.

“City boy.” He took a second to tease, though the worry didn’t leave his face.

Two seconds later, I was sliding over Lucas’ lap as he scooted across the truck into the driver’s seat. I plopped down into the passenger side of the bench seat, and another second later, the truck was roaring to life. Lucas gave me a nervous wink as he put the truck into gear and quickly got the truck turned around, aiming down the driveway. Then he gunned it. We sped down the driveway towards the front of the house as we bounced in our seats.

“Don’t hit anyone,” I begged him with clenched teeth.

“I’ll do my best.” He chuckled through a grimace.

As we passed the front of the house, I glanced over to see Oma standing at the base of the porch steps, the shotgun raised to the heavens as she fired one more time. The blast from the shotgun looked almost like an exploding firework in the dark as Lucas drove us away. Paparazzi were scattering everywhere, trying to figure out how to get to the plethora of cars parked in the driveway—which Lucas had to steer around to get us away from the scene of mayhem. Turning in my seat, I watched the paps running around crazily, trying to get into their cars as quickly as possible as Oma fired another shot off. I could practically see her cackling as she scared the paps. Lucas had us at the end of the driveway and turning onto the main road before I saw a single paparazzo make it into their car.

When we were clear of the driveway and free from the type of mayhem that only Oma could create, I turned around to face the windshield and sighed with relief. Lucas was shifting into another gear, the truck roaring and speeding up as we drove down the road away from Oma’s property. Silently, I said a prayer, thanking…whatever…for Oma’s skill at causing a scene worthy of any movie I’d ever been in before.

“Mrs. Wagner sure knows how to cause a ruckus.” Lucas laughed, sounding a lot less tense now that we were driving away.

“Oma lives to make a ruckus.” I laughed with him.

Lucas looked over at me and smiled. The compulsion to kiss him was too strong to ignore, so I leaned across the cab and kissed him on the lips quickly. He was smiling even wider when I pulled back and sat back in my seat again, just like a good little passenger.