Page 5 of Your Carriage Awaits in Crumbleton
Michelle’s heart sank.Damn. If he wasn’t going to get her started again, she was well and truly stuffed.
‘Why don’t you hop into the truck?’ he said, scratching his chin. ‘I’ll give you a lift back into town and then tow the car to the garage. I’ll get it under cover for the night and then look it over tomorrow.’
Michelle swallowed nervously. On paper, it sounded like a great plan, but if she turned up at her parents’ place in a Dalton tow truck, she’d never live it down. Her dad clearly had the ability to hold an epic grudge. Sure, she might be his little girl—the apple of his eye—but she had a feeling his adoration might not extend to anything involving the Daltons.
Then again, the idea of turning Danny down was just daft! Stranded in the middle of nowhere in the piddling rain, with no hope of rescue and a very long, wet walk ahead of her? No thank you!
Michelle had to admit that the inside of Danny’s truck looked remarkably warm and cosy. A familiar country song was blasting from the speakers, and the thought of his working heaters was intensely inviting.
Maybe if she played her cards right, her dad would never have to know. With any luck, he’d be safely tucked up in the bar of the Dolphin and Anchor for a good few hours of darts yet.
‘You sure you’re not hurt?’ said Danny, frowning slightly.
‘Huh?’ Michelle shook her head. She’d clearly been staring into the middle distance for too long again. ‘Oh, sure… yeah. No. I mean… I’m fine. Just wondering what to do about the boxes I’ve got in the back.’
Danny shrugged. ‘Problem for another day. I’m just going to pull in front of you, then you can hop in while I get the car hooked up.’
Michelle nodded. ‘Great.’
‘Oh, and watch out for Elvis,’ Danny shouted as he started to wind his window up. ‘He’s asleep and hates being woken up.’
‘Elvis?!’
Michelle was too late, though. Danny had closed his window and was already edging past her on the narrow lane.
With a long sigh, Michelle wound the window back up and stared at the blurred flare of Danny’s brake lights ahead,followed by the dash of yellowy white as he began to reverse into place.
She hadn’t even said thank you, had she? Or told him that he was a lifesaver. Then again, she wasn’t sure she should… what would her dad say?!
‘Get a grip, idiot, you’re a grown woman.’ She paused. ‘Besides, Dad’ll never find out… at least, not if I get my way!’
With that comforting thought, she threw the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and then, as an afterthought, grabbed the blanket she’d been snoozing under. She didn’t have a raincoat with her, but the dusty bit of patchwork might help keep the heavy drops at bay on her short dash to the truck.
‘Here goes nothing!’ she muttered.
Throwing the door open, Michelle hopped out and yanked the blanket over her head. Without a backwards glance, she scuttled towards the truck, huddling under the blanket as if there was a horde of paparazzi after her.
Despite the pelting rain, the sight of the Dalton Garage logo emblazoned across the passenger door made her pause.Great. If her dad did happen to be home when she got there, she wassobusted!
She’d just have to deal with that if and when it happened!
With a shrug, Michelle yanked open the door, tossed the blanket in ahead of her, and scrambled up into the mercifully warm, beautifully dry cab.
It was only after she’d pulled the door closed behind her with a crash and was busy wiping raindrops from her face with the sleeve of her jumper, that she realised the damp blanket next to her was wriggling.
‘What the?—?’
The blanket let out a delicate sneeze, followed by what sounded like a creaky little yawn. That’s when Michelle remembered Danny’s warning about not waking Elvis.
Whatever Elvis was.
Shrinking away from the heap of wriggling blanket, Michelle pressed herself against the door. For a moment, she debated hotfooting it right back out into the rain. Maybe she could sit in her car on the back of the tow truck? Sod being warm… at least she wouldn’t be eaten by whatever horror was lurking next to her!
Michelle shot a nervous glance over her shoulder. She could just about make out Danny’s figure as he dashed around in the downpour, working as quickly as he could to secure her car.
Okay, nope… there was no way she was going back out in that. Besides, whatever thisElviswas, it wouldn’t be dangerous, would it? Danny wouldn’t have suggested she got in with it if it was.
Then again… he was a Dalton…
