Chapter 14
MICHELLE
M ichelle pulled the Buick under the City Gates, feeling a bit like she was heading for the gallows. She might be a grown adult, but the idea of disappointing or upsetting her dad was almost more than she could bear.
Still, there was no turning back now, was there? After all, her mum had somehow engineered the whole thing… she was merely a pawn.
‘That’s not exactly reassuring!’ she muttered with a nervous laugh as she navigated the cobbled street towards her parents’ cottage. ‘Huh, deja vu!’
Her mum and dad were waiting for her on the doorstep. This time, her mum had a look of pure enjoyment on her face… and her dad looked like he was about to pass out from shock.
Michelle wound down the window, ready to face the music.
‘Suits you, Shelly!’ said her mum with a wink.
‘I…’ spluttered her dad. ‘You’ve got some serious explaining to do, young lady!’
‘Why don’t you get in, Brian?’ tutted Trish. ‘Don’t make her just sit there, blocking the road. I’m sure she’ll explain about the car on the way there… and then you can tell me all about it when you get back!’ she added quickly, covering her backside.
‘Right. Wow, okay,’ said Brian, clearly caught between wanting to pelt the pair of them with questions and excitement at getting to ride in such a gorgeous car.
While she waited for her dad to get settled, Michelle peered questioningly at her mum.
‘Good luck,’ she said cheerfully. ‘With the venue, I mean. Oh, here—I got you these.’
Michelle took the Crumbleton Bakery box as her mum passed it through the window. ‘What’s this?’
‘Always best not to turn up empty handed,’ said her mum with a wink.
Michelle cracked open the lid while her dad was fiddling with his seatbelt.
Sure enough, there were four cakes inside.
Her own favourite iced bun, her dad’s favourite cherry flapjack, a chunky fruit slice, and something seriously chocolatey.
That settled it. Her mum definitely knew what was going on.
What else could explain the presence of Keith and Danny’s favourite cakes? !
Trish winked at Michelle again, and she breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly feeling a bit less like she was in freefall. She might not know exactly what was going on right now, but her mum, Keith and Danny clearly did, and that was enough to make her feel safe.
‘Ready for the off?’ said her dad, stroking the dashboard with a look of reverence, the beautiful car giving her a brief window of grace before he kicked off with the inevitable third degree.
‘Sure,’ said Michelle. ‘Would you hold on to this for me?’
Brian took the bakery box and rested it in his lap, blissfully unaware of the clue it held as to their destination.
The minute Michelle pulled away from the curb and her mum disappeared back inside the cottage, Brian turned to stare at her. ‘Alright, young lady, are you going to tell me how you come to be the proud owner of this car?’
Michelle couldn’t help but smile at that. If only she did own the Buick!
‘It’s not mine,’ she said slowly. ‘It’s actually a complimentary car.’
‘Give over,’ chuckled Brian.
‘I’m serious,’ said Michelle. ‘I broke down in that rain on my way back from Lawrence’s the other day. The garage I got towed to lent this to me.’
‘Really?!’ said Brian, clearly not believing a word of it. ‘This car? You know it’s probably worth about seventy grand, right?’
‘I’m sorry, what?!’ gasped Michelle, suddenly gripping the steering wheel tighter and easing over the cobbles more slowly.
Brian nodded. ‘To think you’ve just been leaving it in the carpark for troublemakers like Danny Dalton to steal.’
Michelle did her best to resist an eyeroll at that.
‘So,’ said Brian, blissfully unaware of the irony of his statement, ‘where’s your car, still at the garage?’
‘Yep.’
‘I’ll have to get their details,’ said Brian with a grin. ‘I wouldn’t mind getting to drive something like this every time I need to take the taxi in for a service.’
‘Mmm.’ Michelle was stuck somewhere between pure horror and the giggles. If only he knew!
‘Wait… why are we going this way?’ said Brian, the minute she took the turning out towards Crumbleton Clump.
‘Because this is the way to my new diner,’ she said. ‘Hopefully.’
‘But there’s nothing out this way,’ said Brian with a little frown. ‘Unless you’re treating me with the scenic route so I get to enjoy the ride a bit longer?’
‘That,’ said Michelle, nodding vigorously, glad of the ready-made excuse. It’d buy her a few more minutes…
‘Why are you indicating?’
‘Dad, have you ever looked at the old showroom up here?’ she said blandly, not daring to look at him.
‘No. I haven’t,’ said Brian, his voice tight. ‘And I can tell you right now that it is not suitable.’
‘Why?’ said Michelle. Her voice came out in a nervous squeak as she continued to trundle right up to the dandelion-dotted front of the showroom.
‘Turn around, Michelle.’
‘Dad—’
‘No. Turn around.’
Michelle killed the engine and turned to face her dad instead.
‘Dad. This car?—’
‘Belongs to the Daltons?’ he growled.
Michelle nodded, only just resisting the urge to hang her head. ‘And Danny wasn’t stealing Mum’s bike,’ she muttered. ‘He was bringing it back for me.’
‘I don’t care,’ said Brian. ‘Can we just get out of here?’
Michelle reached out and laid her hand on his arm. ‘I really do want you to look at a possible diner venue with me,’ she said gently.
‘But why does it have to be here, Shelly?’ said Brian. ‘You could pick anywhere else…’
‘Because this is perfect,’ said Michelle. ‘Can I at least show you why?’
Brian sighed and then glanced around nervously, looking like he was checking for wolves. ‘Fine. If we’re quick. Anything to get it out of your system.’
Michelle didn’t need telling twice. She jumped out of the car and hurried around the side to hold her dad’s door open for him.
‘This was a bad idea,’ huffed Brian, freezing the minute he straightened up.
‘Why?’ Michelle frowned and turned to follow his gaze, only to spot Keith and Danny making their way down the yard, Elvis trotting along between them.
Elvis, clearly spotting new friends to bounce all over, pelted towards them. Michelle couldn’t help but smile, and she bent low to greet him. But the furry black missile ignored her completely and made straight for her dad instead. He ran rings around Brian, then promptly sat on his feet.
‘Elvis!’ called Danny, a look of horror on his face.
The dog completely ignored him and continued to stare lovingly up at Brian.
Michelle held her breath, crossing her fingers behind her back. Her dad was glaring down at Elvis… but then his entire body seemed to soften, and he returned the dog’s grin with a small smile of his own.
Brian held out his hand for the dog to sniff, and Elvis snuffled at his fingers before executing a dramatic bellyflop right across his feet.
‘Hello Brian,’ said Keith, coming to a halt several feet away. ‘Long time no see.’
‘For good reason,’ muttered Brian.
‘That’s not very friendly!’ chuckled Keith.
‘That’s because we’re not friends,’ said Brian.
Michelle shot a nervous look at Danny, but he smiled back reassuringly. She sincerely hoped these two had a plan, because she didn’t relish the thought of holding her dad hostage here for too long while he was in this mood.
‘Dad, go steady,’ she muttered. ‘Keith’s just out of hospital.’
Brian raised an eyebrow. ‘I heard. Glad to see you’re back on your feet, but it’s got nothing to do with me.’
‘Actually, it’s got plenty to do with you!’ said Keith, drawing himself up to his full height. ‘When I was in that hospital having every inch of me scanned, do you know what I was thinking?’
‘How to mess up someone else’s life?’ huffed Brian.
‘No, you stubborn pain in my bum,’ tutted Keith with an eyeroll. ‘I was thinking how there’s only one thing in my whole life I’d do differently. I only have one regret – and that’s you. The one thing that haunts me is letting our friendship slip away.
‘It didn’t slip,’ growled Brian. ‘You cared so little for me as a friend, you betrayed me.’
‘Is that so?’ said Keith.
‘You know it is.’
‘Actually, until I got to spend some time with your wonderful daughter yesterday, I had no idea why you disappeared on me.’ Keith let out a long sigh. ‘I mean… one day we were like brothers, and then the next?—’
‘Brothers don’t do things like that!’ said Brian, his voice rising ominously.
Elvis scrambled to his feet. He let out a whine and pawed at Brian’s leg.
‘Sorry lad. Not you,’ he said, laying his hand soothingly on the dog’s head.
‘Anyway, you’re talking rubbish. Michelle knows nothing about what you did.
I’ve protected her from you and your family all these years, and I’m not about to?—’
‘Michelle here knew enough to give me a clue,’ said Keith. ‘Just enough to get me thinking and on the right track. And I’m here to tell you… you got it wrong!’
‘What a surprise,’ said Brian with a dry, humourless laugh.
‘Danny? It’s time,’ said Keith.
Danny nodded and jogged off without a word.
‘I think we should go,’ said Brian.
‘Just wait, you impatient git,’ huffed Keith. ‘I can’t make you, but at least do me the courtesy of waiting two minutes.’
‘Take me home,’ said Brian, turning to Michelle.
‘Two minutes, Dad,’ she said. She had no idea what was going on, but the pleading look Keith shot her was enough to make her pause.
‘Fine,’ huffed Brian. ‘I’ll just walk.’ He turned on his heel and started to march towards the road. ‘Go home, dog,’ he muttered, as Elvis followed him.
Elvis simply wagged his tail and continued to trot alongside him.
‘Stay!’
Elvis threw himself down in front of Brian, turning on his back for a belly rub.
Michelle bit her lip. She was caught between wanting to giggle at the sight of her dad trying to navigate his way around the wiggling dog, and bursting into tears because he was so upset. She prayed Danny and Keith knew what they were doing!
As if in answer to her prayers, the purring rumble of an engine made her turn. It was Danny, and he was behind the wheel of the glossy black London taxi from their collection of classics.
‘That’s your answer?!’ shouted her dad, striding back towards them.
Michelle caught the look of thunder on his face and reached out to grab his arm, hoping to slow him down.
‘You think parading that car in front of me is going to make this all better?’
‘Dad, wait,’ said Michelle, clinging to his hand now, hoping to calm him down.
‘Get down off your high horse!’ laughed Keith.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Michelle, glancing between Danny’s grinning face behind the wheel and her dad’s - which was now white. His entire body seemed to be trembling with anger.
‘This is the car you told me about,’ said Keith, turning to her. ‘The one that started it all.’
‘Because you STOLE it from me,’ growled Brian.
‘Dad?’ said Michelle.
‘That car was your grandad’s taxi,’ said Brian, his words choked with emotion.
‘My dad. I spent years hunting for it. Then I found it. We found it.’ He shot a hard glare at Keith.
‘It was coming up for auction. But, before I could get my hands on it, it was sold in a private agreement before the sale.’
‘Oh, Dad!’ breathed Michelle. ‘But… then…’
‘That’s right. I bought it,’ said Keith with a wide smile.
Michelle felt her jaw go slack. He’d done what?! This whole time, she’d assumed that there must have been some huge misunderstanding. That somehow, her dad and Keith would be able to reconcile their differences if only they could get together and talk things through.
But… for Keith to do something like that… it was unforgivable!
‘Dad, I’m so sorry,’ she muttered. ‘I had no idea. Come on, I’ll take you home.’
Brian nodded and squeezed her hand. As one, they turned their backs on the Daltons.
‘I bought it for you as a birthday present, you idiot!’ growled Keith.
Michelle gasped, and her dad turned so fast he nearly fell flat on his face.
‘It needed so much work,’ said Keith. ‘So I bought it early, brought it back here and fixed it up as a surprise for you. I remember thinking… wouldn’t it be great if I could get it back on the road in time for the big day.’
‘You… did?’ said Brian, his eyes wide.
‘I did,’ huffed Keith. ‘But before I got the chance to do the whole grand gesture thing for my best friend, said best friend cut me out of his life.’
‘But… why didn’t you tell me?’ said Brian, sounding horrified.
‘Because I had no idea why you’d got your knickers in a twist!’ said Keith. ‘And because I was hurt. And then, when the hurt started to wear off a bit, I suddenly found myself with a little boy to look after on my own.’
Brian nodded, his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing as if he was trying to say something… but no sound came out.
‘Life ran away with me,’ said Keith, suddenly looking tired. ‘But I’ve never once stopped missing you.’