Page 44 of Your Carriage Awaits in Crumbleton
Danny accepted a damp cloth from Michelle with one hand, while surreptitiously pinching himself under the table with the other.Had he fallen asleep in the truck or something? Was this a dream?
‘You look like you’ve just been hit over the head with a blunt instrument,’ said Michelle.
‘Erm… just…’ Danny shook his head. ‘Fill me in a bit here?’
‘You’ll have to make do with the headlines this evening,’ said Keith. ‘I’m pooped. You do the honours, dear?’
Michelle nodded. ‘Old showroom. 1950s-themed diner.’
‘Okay, wow… that really was the abbreviated version!’ said Danny, his first forkful of spaghetti stalling in mid-air.
‘She’s not finished yet,’ said Keith. ‘We’ll talk about this more—obviously—but you’ve always wanted to bring our collection of classics into the business and specialise more.’
Danny nodded.
‘Well…’ said Keith, ‘I think there’s a good chance the two ideas could tie in together nicely.’
Danny blinked, his head suddenly full of possibilities. Happy diners admiring their collection, which would be proudly on display instead of tucked away in the yard. Spending his days tinkering with beautiful old cars instead of dashing all over the county on rescue missions.
Spending his days working next door to Michelle.
‘I think we’ve broken him,’ said Michelle in a carrying whisper.
‘It’ll take him a few moments to digest,’ chuckled Keith. ‘Always does. Boy… are you going to eat that food, or can I steal it?’
Danny wrapped a protective arm around his plate, and the forkful of food finally made it to his mouth.
‘Oh my… YUM!’
‘Exactly,’ said Keith. ‘And on that note, I think I’ll head off to bed. It’s been a long day.’ He stood up, then paused by Danny’s chair and clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Thanks again for sending the cavalry. Couldn’t have asked for better. Goodnight Michelle. Thank you for an unexpectedly lovely evening.’
‘Night, Keith. Sleep well.’
Danny watched his dad head towards the stairs, noting a slight hitch in his step that hadn’t been there before. The mini stroke might not have been severe, but it had clearly left its mark.
‘He’s tired,’ said Michelle softly, as if reading his thoughts.
‘Yeah.’ Danny smiled at her as she sank into the chair opposite him. ‘Thank you. For everything, I mean. For picking him up, for staying with him, for the food…’
‘It was nothing,’ said Michelle, blushing slightly.
‘No,’ said Danny firmly. ‘It was… itis—everything.’ He let out a huge yawn. ‘Sorry.’
Michelle smiled and shook her head. ‘Be quiet and eat your tea.’
‘Dad’s right,’ chuckled Danny, ‘youarea cheeky mare. So… will you tell me more about your diner plans?’
‘I will… but not tonight,’ said Michelle. ‘I want to do it properly. I mean… if you don’t mind?’
‘Course not,’ said Danny, thinking of all his ideas for the garage. He was so excited to share them with his dad now that Keith was on side. ‘I get it.’
They fell into comfortable silence while Danny cleared his plate.
‘That was epic,’ he sighed, putting his knife and fork down at last.
Michelle promptly bounced to her feet and started to clear the table.
‘Hey,’ he said, ‘there’s no way I’m letting you wash up on top of everything else!’
