Page 34 of A Place for Daydreams

“I’m going to have to save you from yourself. Luckily, I have just the thing to make you feel less boring. I’ve got a 1980’s Mustang on my hands, and I just don’t have the time to fix her up. What do you say? Are you up for the challenge?”

“Oh, man.” Dean felt his heart stir with excitement. He loved Mustangs, and he’d been wanting to get his hands on an older one for a while. “That sounds amazing, Shawn, it really does, but I?—”

“Oh, come on, Dean. It’s free. I’m just handing you pure gold here.”

Dean scratched the back of his neck, feeling a tug toward the idea of fixing up the car. In the past, he would have leapt at suchan opportunity without hesitation, but now he was struggling to make a decision. It was something he wanted, there was no doubt about that, but he wasn’t sure if he would have the energy for it. What if he tried working on the car, and realized that it was too much for him? He felt sure that he would feel even more disappointed about not having the energy to fix it if it was actually there with him instead of miles away.

“Well, Shawn, I’d love to, you know I would. And I appreciate you calling me and offering it to me. But I’ve been running into some health issues and I’ve had to take it easy lately.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. Nothing terminal or anything like that. Just a lot of fatigue and soreness.”

“Well, don’t let that stop you from living your best life. I mean, take care of yourself and everything, but they say that doing things that bring you joy is good for your body. Why don’t you take a look at the Mustang and see what you think? It’s not like you’d have a deadline to finish it up. Heck, take ten years to do it, who cares? You wouldn’t have to work on it right away, and you could do it slowly once you do start.”

Dean found himself smiling, suddenly filled with eagerness. He realized that Shawn was right, and that taking a look at the car would be the most logical path forward. Besides, Shawn was a good friend of his, and Dean wanted to show him his gratitude by being willing to come and look at the car that Shawn was offering. “Okay, you got me. Those are some good points. I’ll take a look at it.”

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to turn it down!” Shawn crowed. “You’re too much of a car buff.”

“Well, yes, and Ford Mustangs are especially near and dear to my heart.” Dean couldn’t help grinning. “Thanks again for offering, I really appreciate it.”

“Of course! I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you see her. I know you’re going to decide to take the car. She’s really a beauty.”

The two friends chatted for a while longer, catching up about the details of their lives and planning a time for Dean to go see the Mustang. As they hung up and Dean climbed back into bed, he felt a sense of eagerness that he hadn’t felt in a while. He felt proud of himself for choosing to be optimistic about being able to go back to his hobbies. It was more than possible that with the help from Noelle’s PT guidance, his energy levels would become good enough to allow him to work on the car in his spare time.

As he turned out the light and laid his head down on the pillow, he felt his heart stir with anticipation. He felt grateful that Shawn had reached out and grateful that he had an opportunity to work on one of his favorite hobbies again. Maybe what Shawn had said was true—maybe the joy that it brought him would be good for him in more ways than one.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Noelle stepped back from her mirror, inspecting her reflection with a smile. She’d pulled her hair back into a becoming French braid, and her cheeks were flushed with both applied blush and a natural glow. It was Friday morning, the day that Dean was going to show her around Rosewood Beach, and she couldn’t have been more excited.

Rather than put on another hiking-inspired outfit like the one she’d worn the last time she went exploring around town, she’d decided to wear something a little more chic. She’d chosen a pretty sage green jumpsuit and a pair of white Keds. She’d added gold stud earrings and a delicate gold bracelet to her wrist, making the look feel complete. She told herself that she just felt like dressing up for her fun day off, and that the fact that she’d put more care into her appearance than usual had nothing to do with Dean.

She spun around once, just for fun. She felt almost giddy with excitement, and once she’d finished twirling, she sighed contentedly. She scampered over to her phone to check to see if Dean had texted her, and sure enough he had.

DEAN: Hey! Good morning. Want to meet up at the gazebo in the town square at 10:30?

She wasted no time in typing out a reply.

NOELLE: Yes! Sounds great. See you soon!

She smiled and tucked her phone into her pocket. She went through a mental checklist, making sure she had everything she needed for the day in her small over-the-shoulder white leather bag that she’d decided to pair with her outfit. She had a small water bottle, her usual packet of first-aid items, her wallet, and a pair of sunglasses.

And I already applied sunscreen,she thought.I hope Dean applied sunscreen.

She glanced down at her phone screen, considering texting him to remind him. Then she laughed and told herself that wasn’t her place. He was a grown man; it was up to him if he decided to put on sunscreen or not.

She slung her purse over her shoulder and made her way out of her apartment. It was a gorgeous day outside, a little crisp, but sunny enough to be warm and pleasant. She got into her car and drove the short distance to the town square, her anticipation mounting as she got closer.

She had no idea where Dean was planning on taking her that day, but she wasn’t worried. She knew that whatever he had planned was going to be wonderful. She trusted him completely, and there was something about him that drew her to him, making her feel confident in his ability to take care of her.

She found a shady parking spot under a crabapple tree and parked there. Her eyes scanned the town square eagerly, wondering if she would be able to see Dean walking up to the gazebo. She didn’t seem him, but a quick glance at her watch told her that she was a little less than ten minutes early.

She set off across the town square, admiring the landscaping that was still beautiful even after most of the flowers had faded for the season. There was a brilliancy to the hue of blue thatcovered the sky, and the sunlight dappled the lawn of the town square in beautiful patterns cast by the trees.

As she reached the gazebo, she found herself grinning. Dean was already there, sitting on a bench under the roof of the gazebo. He was facing the other way, and his back was turned to her, but she found herself admiring the way he looked even though she couldn’t see his face. He was wearing a dark blue leather jacket, and his windswept hair looked endearingly tousled.

“Dean!”

---