Chapter 21
None Of Your Beeswax
A few weeks later, Lawson rolled the engine hoist into place at the back of his new shop area. With the help of everyone at the farm, he’d spent a sizeable chunk of the week sectioning off the entire right-hand side to create his workshop.
Now, he had room for his restoration projects. Not that he had anything to restore yet, but that would come. No sense in looking for a vehicle until he was ready to work on it.
Dani had spent the last few days showing her sister around the properties and teaching her how to work the metal. They’d planned to let her try welding today, and he hoped they had fun.
He was glad his surprise had gone so well.
Dani had felt pushy inviting her sister to visit, so Lawson had done it for her.
His phone call with Evelyn had gone surprisingly well.
She’d cried when he’d told her Dani wanted her to visit, but she didn’t want to force Evelyn into it when she was going through such a transition.
She’d quit her job with their parents and was working her way through event planning certification.
When she’d shown up the following morning with her suitcase in hand, Dani squealed with delight.
They’d been having a great time ever since.
Dani’s brother was back in the country, and he hoped the three of them could continue to improve their relationship.
Lawson couldn’t wait to show Dani the finished workshop. Her idea for organizing had made sense, and he’d followed her plan.
Lawson moved back into the main space to grab the grinder he’d seen in the back. It was an old piece of equipment, and he wanted to know if it worked. If not, he’d order a new one, but reusing this one would save him some cash and connect him to the past. Maybe Jay had used it.
The grinder was stuffed into a corner behind a couple of floor jacks and a few crates he hadn’t explored yet. He grabbed the first one and found a lot of treasures from times gone by.
Glass jars full of nuts and bolts, screws, and nails. Cardboard boxes filled with screwdrivers that had to be almost a century old. Another with pliers and hammers of the same vintage.
He knew Amber was talking about calling one of the guest rooms Toy Room, to showcase the machinery used on the farm. He’d have to see if she wanted any of these for decorations there. He could use a few of them here, too.
He lifted the crate to get to the next one. He grinned at the contents. Someone had been into cars a long while back. The tools in here were all for vehicles, and they were as old as the first box.
Handheld brake tools, vice grips, calipers, and gauges. Even grease guns that made him grin. Some of these would go on his wall. Others were still usable.
He squatted and spread the tools out on the floor, digging to the bottom of the box. It was like looking at what his job would have looked like decades before.
He hauled a shoebox out from the bottom of the crate. The heavy tools and parts had squashed it. He hoped it wasn’t bulbs for headlights.
It wasn’t, although it took him a few moments to realize what he’d found.
Photos. A small notebook. Newspaper clippings.
The photos drew him first. Classic cars, all in black and white, including a 1965 Corvette, each photo taken from a different angle. A Mustang from the ‘60s and a couple of older trucks sitting in fields.
Finally, there was what looked to be a brand new 1961 Ford truck. Now a classic, it was shiny and fresh in the pictures.
The last photograph made Lawson’s heart thump. It could have been a young Fox standing beside that shiny truck. Was it Fox or Jay?
Lawson flipped over the photos, but none had writing on the back. Were these Jay’s vehicles from over the years?
Fox had driven trucks as far back as Lawson could remember. When he was little, his grandfather had brought a box for Lawson to stand on so he could see inside the engines and figure out how things worked. Those were good memories.
The air shifted in the garage, and he grinned. “Back here, Dani.”
Her laughter reached him. “You turning psychic on me, Lawson?”
He rose and moved to greet her. She was alone, so he indulged in the kind of kiss he wanted. When he lifted his head, her eyes were as dazed as he felt. He hoped they’d feel the same way in fifty years. “Where’s your sister?”
“Amber’s showing her around the B&B.”
So, he kissed her again. When he pulled back, he took her hand. “I found something back here.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “What is it?”
With her hand in his, he returned to where he’d spread the photos on the floor.
He looked around for a box Dani could sit on, but she dropped to sit on the floor, dress flouncing around her, before he could bring it over.
She might look like one of her ethereal fairy creatures, but her dresses never stopped her from playing in the dirt.
“These are amazing photos. Are any of these the kinds of vehicles you’d like to restore?”
“All of them, but look at this one. I think it’s Jay. Or maybe Fox. They looked a lot alike.”
Dani gripped his hand. “This is amazing. Have you shown your family yet? What else was in the box?”
He loved her enthusiasm. “Not yet. I found the photo of Jay right before you came in. I think I’ll take it all in so we can look at it together after we eat.
” It was late afternoon. Gray was cooking tonight, so no one would be late.
The man could have been a chef, but his first love was the gardens.
Not true. The man’s first love was Amber, which made Lawson happy.
His sister deserved someone who saw how amazing she was.
With the B&B’s opening not far away, they needed to find a chef soon, someone like Babs. Lawson would call Seth, aka Babs, later to find out how he was doing and see if he had any interest in working at an inn in Vermont.
Dani pointed at the notebook and the newspaper clippings. “Do you want to check these now or wait until you’re with the others?”
“I should wait. Maybe I’ll see if everyone has time to get together before supper.
” But it was difficult to ignore the possibilities in front of him.
What if there was nothing connected to Jay?
He might get their hopes up for nothing.
He also didn’t want to be selfish. They all deserved to see them.
They could loop in Burke and check it all out together.
“I’ll wait. See if Burke can video in for a call. ”
A backup alarm interrupted them as they were boxing up the items. The alarm sounded like a large vehicle, but not a semi. A delivery he didn’t know about?
Dani’s face lit up, and she grinned, then jumped to her feet and tugged on his arm. “Come on.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s a surprise for you.”
Warmth filled him up as she led him to the front of the barn.
He hadn’t opened the main doors, so he couldn’t see what kind of delivery was happening outside.
Before she opened the door, he tugged her into another kiss.
“I’ll show you the restoration area later.
We finished it earlier, and I’m loading it up. ”
Her eyes brightened, and she bounced on her toes. “Then the timing is perfect. Come on.”
What had she done?
Curious, he tucked the mangled shoebox under one arm and let her tug him outside. The backup alarm continued to beep, and Lawson spotted the source.
A tow truck backing toward his barn.
Not an empty tow truck.
His feet grew rooted to the spot as he stared.
On the bed of the truck sat a thirty-one Ford truck. A twin to Beatrice in about the same condition. Rust covered. A few dents, and a lot of scrapes. This one’s windshield was missing, and the side mirror dangled.
She was beautiful.
Lawson gulped down his emotions and looped his arm around Dani. “You did this?”
“With a little help.”
He dropped his head and kissed her. The cheers and whistles surrounding them had him lifting his head eventually. Their entire group, plus Evelyn, stood around them cheering.
He tugged Dani in for a hug. “You’re amazing. I can’t believe you found Beatrice’s twin for me.”
Dani laughed and hugged him fiercely. “I think Beatrice will be happier this way.”
He agreed. “She loves her field, and while I wouldn’t mind buffing her up a bit, she’s perfect where she is.”
The truck parked, and Graham Buchanan hopped down. He was a member of the Midnight Security team and a car guy right down to his work boots. He grinned at Lawson. “You’re a lucky man, Malssum.”
Lawson laughed. “Damn right. I take it you’ve met Dani?”
Graham nodded. “We’ve been conspiring to find this beauty for a few weeks.”
Weeks. She’d been looking for a truck for him for weeks. He squeezed her to his side. “She’s gorgeous.”
Graham laughed. “The truck is too.”
It didn’t take long to unload Dani’s gift. The truck had more damage on the far side, but that only meant more fun for him. The engine was original and nearly had him salivating.
It was perfect.
“Is she going to get a name?” Dani’s voice cut into his thoughts.
Lawson nodded. “Of course. As Beatrice’s twin, she’ll need a name that starts with B.”
Suggestions flew around them—everything from Babette to Brighton to Blanche. None of them was right.
Graham spoke with a thick Scottish brogue. “What about Bonny, seeing as she’s a bonnie wee lassie?”
At the suggestion, he and Dani shared a smile. “Bonny. That’s perfect.”
The timer on Gray’s phone sounded. “Chicken piccata is ready if anyone is interested.”
That brought laughter. Lawson slapped Graham on the shoulder. “You don’t want to pass up the opportunity for anything Gray cooks. Join us. And then I’ll tell everyone what I found in the barn earlier.”
He took Dani’s hand as they headed to the farmhouse. He pulled her in for another kiss. “Thank you.”
She grinned up at him. “You’re very welcome. I know Beatrice stole your heart on your first day in Vermont.”
He chuckled. “She did. But someone pushed her to the side with no effort at all. I love you, Dani, with my whole heart.”