Saving a few hundred dollars in gas money would actually really help him out. And, honestly, he was going her way anyway. If Mattie’s job sent a truck to pick her up from Hopewell, he wouldn’t have to drive a kilometre out of his way. “She doesn’t even know me.”
“Mattie!” Robby shouted. “Dave has a proposal for you.”
The August sun came up at six in the morning in Edmonton. Dave knew this because it was shining in his eyes as he drove down Highway 216 to Mattie Appleton’s hotel. He was picking her up on the way to Hunniwell Ranch, where they would attach the trailer before driving on to the first stop on their cross-Canada adventure.
He still couldn’t believe that Robby talked him into it.
Contrary to whatever his friend thought would happen, Mattie did not jump up and down when Robby told her he had a way to get her and her decorations to Manitoba. “Truly?” Mattie had asked him directly. “You were really leaving for southern Manitoba tomorrow anyway?”
“I’m only going as far as Drumheller tomorrow. Robby told you that I have an unmissable appointment in the afternoon, right?”
“Yes.”
“I wasn’t going to push it when I was driving alone. I booked a campsite near Moose Jaw for my second night. Then it’ll be another eight-hour drive to get to the campsite at Hopewell on Friday. Robby said you’d be able to arrange for a truck to meet you there and that you’d be responsible for getting yourself the rest of the way home.”
She nodded. “I can absolutely do that. Are you sure, though?”
“Can you chip in for gas?”
“I have a budget for that, yes.”
“Then I’m sure,” he’d lied. Mattie seemed nice enough. She was more than pretty to look at. She kept her cool when things went sideways. Equally important, she seemed organized, which would be vital when he was sharing an already small space. After living with Robby and two other guys for fourteen months while they were in trade school, he could put up with anything for three days.
After they’d agreed on his driving schedule, he’d helped her load the rest of the decorations onto the trailer. They tied everything securely and left it parked outside the barn to be picked up first thing in the morning. While they worked, he and John had chatted a bit more about the mall and how quickly it had shifted from “struggling” to “closed.” Dave liked that the display was getting a third life in a Christmas-themed park where it would bring more smiles to families.
Mattie looked adorable as she waited at the hotel’s front doors. She held a coffee cup and a box of donut holes in one hand and her carry-on’s tow handle in the other. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, and she was dressed in a loose-fitting striped T-shirt and comfy-looking shorts, which was perfect for a long day of driving. At first, she appeared happy to see him, so he didn’t understand why her jaw dropped when he pulled his camper van to the curb in front of her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Dave the Magnificent?” she asked as she slung her suitcase and shoulder bag into the back. “You’re a magician?”
“Didn’t Robby tell you?”
“No! And he should have, because that is freaking cool! You would be so popular where I work.”
Dave sighed in relief. Adults had one of two reactions when they found out he performed as a magician: disparagement or enthusiasm. He was glad Mattie fell into the second camp, or their trip would have been really awkward.
His camper van hadn’t been fully packed and prepared for his road trip when he’d ridden to her rescue the previous afternoon. After he dropped Mattie off, he’d taken the vehicle for a final wash before they hit the road. Then, once he was home, he’d opened the tubes he almost hadn’t ordered. Now he was glad he’d done it while he had the money. He affixed the large magnets on either side panel and on the back door. The logo was of a rabbit peeking out of a cowboy hat waving a sparkle-spouting wand. The printing underneath announced that the van belonged to Dave the Magnificent.
“I thought you were only a mechanic like Robby,” she said as she placed her double-double into the cup holder in the centre console.
“I’m multifaceted. I’m testing a different career option.” It made it sound like he had a choice.
“Professional magician?”
“I have three paying gigs booked in the next two weeks. It’s enough to pay the bills.” Barely, he added silently.
“Is magic your vacation hobby?”
“Not anymore. I got laid off. I’m doing this until I can find another mechanic job.”
“You don’t sound very excited about that. Do you want another mechanic job?”
“Not really. I’d do magic full-time in a heartbeat if I could pay the rent.”
Mattie carefully balanced her donut holes on the dashboard as she fastened her seatbelt. “It takes guts to leave a steady paycheque to try something new,” she said unexpectedly. “Performing of any sort can’t be easy, but the smiles you get must make it worthwhile.”
Dave shoulder-checked and then pulled into traffic. “It does. I never planned to be Dave the Magnificent full-time, but it looks like life is forcing my hand. All I know is that if I don’t try to make a go of it now, I never will.” He liked that Mattie thought it was a dream worth chasing.
