Page 20 of Your Carriage Awaits in Crumbleton
‘Isn’t he up for it?’ said Michelle in surprise.
‘Whenever I’ve mentioned it, he’s not exactly been excited,’ said Danny. ‘To be fair, though, I’ve never really pushed it. It’s the one thing he does as a hobby. I can totally see why he might not want to turn it into work. Anyway… after everything, who knows what’s going to happen with the garage.’
Danny fell silent and turned away from her to stare out at the waterlogged fields.
‘I didn’t mean to pry,’ said Michelle after he’d been quiet for several long minutes.
‘Oh, you weren’t,’ said Danny, turning to smile at her again, though a quick glance in his direction showed Michelle a pair of eyes that were etched with worry.
‘Actually, I was wondering…’ Michelle trailed off and swallowed nervously.Urgh, she was being ridiculous. All she wanted to do was offer to take Danny out for lunch to say thanks for everything. It wasn’t like she was asking him on a date, was it?
Because she didn’t date. Not anymore!
‘Wondering?’ said Danny, raising an eyebrow.
‘Well… if you’d like lunch?’ she blurted. ‘With me. Now, I mean.’
Michelle bit her lip before she could start spluttering and waffling on about something random to cover her embarrassment.
‘Wouldn’t that be risking your mum and dad seeing us together?’ he said with a wry smile.
Michelle shrugged. She’d been about to suggest they ate somewhereotherthan Crumbleton… maybe even take a detour down to the beach instead… but Danny was already shaking his head.
‘I really wish I could,’ he said. ‘I’m just a bit snowed under.’
‘Of course,’ said Michelle quickly. ‘No worries. It was just a thought.’
‘And I could do with getting back to Elvis,’ he continued. ‘The poor lad’s been stuck inside more than he’s used to while Dad’s not been around.’
Michelle nodded again. They’d decided to leave the excitable dog behind in his luxury bed under the desk in the garage’s little office. Danny had put a plastic cover over the Buick’s seat to protect it from Michelle’s mud-splattered bum, but Elvis’s claws would have been another thing entirely. He’d have probably shredded the soft leather of the back seat in a matter of minutes.
It was just as well. It was one thing to lend the Buick to a sworn enemy, but quite another to let Elvis’s claws play havoc with the leather stretched across the back seats.
‘I reallyamsorry,’ said Danny, looking genuinely gutted. ‘Normally, I’d have been well up for lunch. I’m never usually one to turn down a good skive. Maybe we could do it another time?’
‘Cool.’ Michelle nodded. ‘We’ll do that.’
She would not sulk!
‘So, have you thought how you’re going to sneak your new car past your parents?’ said Danny, as they headed back in the direction of the garage.
Michelle bit her lip. She’d been thinking about that. ‘Would you mind if I park her in the town carpark instead of taking her to the cottage? It’ll keep me out of Dad’s way whenever heneeds to take the taxi out, and it might help me put off the interrogation… for a little while, at least.’
‘Sure,’ said Danny. ‘Actually, she’ll probably be safer down there than having to deal with the cobbles.’
‘Great. Thank you.’
‘And what about your boxes?’ said Danny. ‘I mean, we can see if we can fit them on the back seats if you’d like?’
Damn, the boxes!If she was honest, the joy of test-driving such an amazing car and hanging out with Danny had pretty much wiped their existence from Michelle’s mind.
‘Erm… I mean, I’m not desperate for any of the stuff,’ she said. ‘Will they be in your way if I leave them in my car for now?’
‘Not at all,’ said Danny.
‘Great. I’ll just have to make something up if Mum or Dad asks what’s happened to them. Problem solved!’
‘Just one more left, then,’ said Danny, as the entrance to the garage appeared ahead.
