Page 57 of Dreaming of Dawson

“No.”

She shakes her head as we make our way outside and I help her load everything she needs onto the back seat of her bright red pickup, alongside Rory’s seat. Once he’s strapped in, she turns to me.

“Do you think you could come in tomorrow so we can take a look at it? Sophia’s insisting we get back to her by the end of the week with the full seating plans, and you’re so much better at those than I am, plus with everything else we’ve…”

“It’s fine,” I say, giving her a smile. “I’ll be here in the morning, and we’ll work it out.”

She sighs out her relief. “Thank you so much, Macy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I chuckle and she joins in before we get in the front of the car, and she turns the heating to full blast.

“This is lovely,” I say, glancing around.

“Ryan gave it to me as a wedding present,” she says, looking over at me before she turns the truck around and starts down the track that leads to the main road.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I know it sounds like an odd thing to buy for your bride, but my old truck was falling apart. I needed it – orsomething like it – for working on the farm, but I also needed something reliable, and I wasn’t gonna let Ryan just buy me a new one simply because he could.”

“So he gave it to you as a wedding present?”

She nods her head, smiling. “Yeah. Although, to be honest, with the amount of work I do on the farm these days, I could make do with a hatchback.”

We both laugh as she pulls out onto the main road. “I don’t know. I think your car’s quite useful in this weather.”

“It sure is,” she says, and she gives me a smile.

It takes no time at all to get into town, and Peony drops me at the auto repair shop, telling me to take care driving my aunt’s car.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says. “And thanks again for coming in on your day off.”

“It’s fine,” I say, giving her a wave as I watch her drive away before entering through the gates of the auto repair shop. There’s a wooden building over to the right, which has a sign on one side that says ‘Office’ on it. The door is closed, which isn’t a surprise in this weather, and I wander over, knocking on its gnarled surface.

I expect someone to call out for me to enter, but instead the door opens, and I step back, a little startled.

“You must be Bernie’s niece,” the man says.

“I am.”

I study him for a second, taking in his blue coveralls, graying hair, and kindly eyes, which wrinkle at the corners when he smiles.

“The car’s over here,” he says, stepping out and walking with me to the other side of the yard, beyond a pickup that’s similar to Peony’s but has clearly seen better days, revealing Aunt Bernie’s Toyota. “Your aunt called earlier and paid me over the phone, so I just need to give you back the keys.”

He rummages in his pocket, pulling out a set of keys, which he hands over to me.

“Thanks for fixing it,” I say, opening the car.

“Oh, don’t thank me. I just wish I’d been able to get it done sooner.” He looks up at the sky. “Are you gonna be okay driving in this weather?”

“I’ll be fine.”

Especially as I’ve only got to go across the street for now.

He nods his head, holding the door open while I get inside, and then closing it for me. He gives me a wave and heads back into his wooden office while I start the engine, grateful that he reversed the car into its slot. I wouldn’t have liked to turn it around in such a tight space, but as it is, I can just drive out.

Main Street is really quiet, so I drive straight across it, and into the parking lot behind Dawson’s bar, which is practically deserted.

It’s not even two yet, but I can kill some time fixing my hair and makeup. I keep it simple, because I’m in the car, and it’s cold out here… too cold to hang around, but once I’m ready, I head inside, making sure to lock the car.

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