Page 26 of Finding Forever

They were here because an elementary school was being renovated. Someone on the school board had heard about the arts center and offered them a collection of storage cabinets, timber shelving, two large worktables, and several boxes of art supplies they no longer needed.

Dave had planned to collect everything himself. Then Beth had made the mistake of asking how he intended to lift the furniture onto a trailer without help.

“I’ll manage,” he’d said.

She’d folded her arms, and he’d sighed.

And somehow, ten minutes later, she’d agreed to go with him. It made sense. The arts center needed the furniture. Dave needed another pair of hands. She didn’t have anything that couldn’t wait until Saturday afternoon.

It was a perfectly sensible solution.

Except she’d spent far too long deciding what to wear that morning.

Instead of second-guessing her dark denim jeans and pale peach sweater, Beth focused on the road. “We could have taken my truck.”

Dave glanced at her. “You already told me that.”

“I know.”

“Twice,” he reminded her.

Beth cleared her throat. Since the council meeting, she’d been trying hard not to have a gazillion plans for every contingency. She put her relapse down to stress, and the amazing aftershave Dave was wearing.

She glanced across the cab. “I was making sure you’d considered all the options.”

“I considered them.”

“And?” she asked.

“Mine has the trailer attached.”

Beth looked over her shoulder at the empty utility trailer following them. “That’s a surprisingly practical reason.”

“I have them occasionally,” Dave said dryly.

She smiled and handed him a cup of takeout coffee. “Careful. It’s hot.”

Dave wrapped his hand around the cup. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Beth warned him. “The woman at the café was very busy, so there’s a reasonable chance one of us has a decaf.”

Dave took a careful sip. “Not me.”

“That’s good,” she said as she sipped her coffee. At least the coffee order had gone to plan. “After the long hours you’ve put in at work this week, you’d probably fall asleep at the wheel.”

The smile on Dave’s face did strange things to Beth’s stomach.

“If I was that tired, I’d pull over first,” he told her.

“That’s very reassuring,” Beth said as Dave smile turned into a grin.

After a couple of minutes, Dave placed his coffee in the cup holder and reached for the radio. “Do you mind?”

Beth shrugged. “It depends on what you want to listen to.”

His eyebrows rose. “You have rules?”

“I have standards.” She smiled at the expression on his face. “Go ahead.” Dave pressed a button and a guitar riff filled the truck. Beth turned slowly toward him.