Lorde eased out of Lu’s arms and found a comfortable place on the seat facing the side window so she could rest her head on the edge of the door.
“You want to sit up front?”
“No, I’ll ride back here with her.”
“Yeah, good. Okay.” He buckled the seatbelt, checked his mirrors, and put the car in drive. “Where to?”1
“Fisher’s Automotive.”
“Is Calvin working on something for you?”
“My truck.”
“Good choice. He’s like the truck whisperer. I’ve got a 1960 Dodge D100 short bed he’s helping me restore. He’s got a knack for bringing old things back to life.”
“Sounds like he knows him pretty well,” I said from the front seat. I spread out, enjoying the leg room.
“How well do you know him?” Lu asked, picking up on my comment.
“Calvin? He’s my cousin. Good guy. He had a chance to take over ownership of this big shop in St. Louis, but he turned it down. Said this was the family business. He wanted to stay here in McLean to take care of family. He thinks almost everyone in town is family.”
“Don’t even start with me,” I warned Lu. “Sunshine had his chance with Jo, and he blew it. He might be a nice guy, but maybe he’s not the rightnice guy for her.”
Lu petted Lorde and stared out the window. She was thinking awfully hard about something, but I wasn’t sure what.
“I love you,” I said.
How I loved to see that little secret smile.
* * *
Ihadn’t expected the fight.
“Whoa,” Tom slowed the car in front of the garage. “That’s, uh… I’m sure it’s not what it looks like.”
“Looks like Jo’s about ready to punch your cousin in the schnoz,” I said.
Sunshine stood in front of the open bay doors, his arms crossed over his chest, both thumbs sticking out from under his armpits. His mouth was set in a hard line, his nostrils flared. He looked like a mountain facing a storm.
And what a storm she was. Jo’s hands were loose at her side. But everything else about her was spoiling for a fight, from the angle of her shoulders, to her stance, to the tension in her spine.
“If you want to come back later,” Tom said, “I could take you somewhere to wait for this to blow over. Want breakfast? A cup of coffee?”
“No,” Lu said. “Just drop me off here.” She had that determined look in her eye as she turned away from the scene of a fight that was about to explode and gathered Lorde into her arms. “Get the door for me, Tom.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Sure thing. Hang on.”
He put the car in park and was around to the door in a flash.
“Let it go, Lu,” I said. “It’s just not gonna work out. They’re oil and flame. Explosive. We need to get the truck, pick up some food, and hit the road.”
Lorde grunted softly as Tom helped Lu exit the car. I sighed and climbed out too, planting my hands on my hips and taking in the scene.
“Morning,” Lu said.
“Lu.” Sunshine’s voice was as tight as a fist down a pipe. He glanced over at her and immediately uncrossed his arms. “What happened to Lorde? Holy shit, let me help you with her, hang on.” He jumped into action and had his hands in place to take Lorde away from Lu, but Lu shook her head.
“Is the truck done?”
