Taryn chatted nonstop during the entire trip to Langley.What happened to my shy, taciturn sister? When did she blossom like this?I was thrilled for her, but also mourned that I hadn’t been here to see the transformation.
“So, what do you think?” She shut the engine.
Crap. We were already there, and I’d probably said about ten words. I cleared my throat. “Uh, well…”
She whacked my upper arm. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”
“I have.” Somewhere back around the 200thStreet exit, she’d been talking about the significance ofAlice in Wonderland. As we’d driven over the Golden Ears Bridge, she’s been discussing how she’d balked at going traditional, but seeing how happy Stephanie was, her opinion was shifting. As we’d driven through Ruskin, she’d mentioned Stephanie wanting to buy out the fashion business where she was a consultant and salesperson.
I’d made a note to figure out what financing and legal work would need to be done.
“Uh…”
“I was asking if you thought I should upgrade my snow-removal equipment. I’m usually so busy with the tow truck that I don’t have time to use it. But I think I’ll be using it more. The experts saidglobal warming,but some winters we’re breaking cold and snow records.”
“Henceclimate change.” I rubbed my forehead. Force majeure clauses were becoming more frequent as climate made filming unpredictable. I always worried for my clients until the final scene was shot. “Do you want to take on more employees? Even contractors? That’s a lot of responsibility. You’ve been a one man—sorry, one woman—”
“One person.”
“Right.” I laughed. “I’m too old for this.”
“Lachlan, you’re thirty-eight, not eighty-eight. You’re as progressive as they come. You just…regress sometimes.”
“Unintentionally.”
“Of course. You’re a good Millennial.”
I groaned.
She laughed.
We were both Millennials, while Cooper and Stephanie were both Gen Z.
Funny how we pronounced itzeeeven though we were in Canada and it should’ve beenZed.
But that wasn’t the point. “You’d be a good boss. Would you do it with Maddie, Holly, and Amber?” Taryn’s three best friends in high school had become her business partners. Maddie was the mechanic, Amber was the accountant, Holly ran the reception desk and inventory, and Taryn ran the tow truck for the auto repair shop.
Taryn’s snow plowing was a side gig. One I’d hoped she could give up. Maybe diversifying was her way of doing that.
“I need to find the right…” Her voice trailed off. “Is that…?” She squealed.
A grin spread across my face. “You think your three closest friends weren’t going to come?”
“I didn’t ask because…” She swallowed.
“They’re thrilled about the idea of watching female strippers. Amber’s talking about getting tips she can use with her next boyfriend.”
Which made Taryn laugh, because Amber was the most conservative of the three women.
She leapt out of the car and was across the parking lot like a shot.
I was slower in exiting the car.
Taryn hugged Amber first. When she moved on to embrace Holly, Amber headed my way.
“Good surprise?” She arched an eyebrow at me.
“The best. She really believed the three of you were too busy tonight to make it. Even put on a brave face.”
