AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No lie, Mrs. Simon.” I’ve explained it to her before and encouraged her to raise her insurance on the barn years ago.
Like most old ladies sitting on a secret fortune, she won’t budge.
I badly wish she’d reconsider.
The Corvette is a 1967 L88. There were only about twenty of them ever made, and even fewer of them around these days.
That ancient car alone could easily make her a multimillionaire, only dollar signs are invisible to her.
“I remember when Doug brought that thing home,” she muses like she’s reading my mind. “He picked it up in Kansas City from this fella who was overseas with him and Jonah. He was awful proud the guy let it go for a song, just as long as he promised to always take care of his baby.”
I nod.
She pauses and looks at me. “Promises are promises, Weston. And promises Doug made are golden. We’re selling over my dead body.”
“Gram!” Shelly hisses.
Aunt Faye tips her chair back from laughing so hard.
“How could I forget? He picked it up not long before I shipped out to bootcamp. Almost had a heart attack at twenty when I first saw it,” I say, remembering that last summer fondly.
“Fine, so the Corvette’s a treasure, but what about the old bikes?” Shelly asks, giving me one more reminder why that summer was so special.
Really, Shel? The look I beam at her needs no explanation.
I’m not saving her cute little ass from crashing that beast twice.
She rolls her eyes.
“When will you take them to the fairgrounds?” Thelma asks.
“Saturday morning,” I reply. “Why? Having second thoughts?”
“Heaven’s no,” she says. “I was just thinking...you should take the keys out of the safe when you carry your stuff down to the basement, so you don’t have to go back there later.”
She keeps the keys and titles for Doug’s old cars in the safe. Long ago, she gave me the combination to retrieve everything as needed. I’m honored by her trust.
It’s also a serious challenge opening the damn safe every time, an old dial lock that’s as touchy as a hair-spring trigger.
“That’s cool, I can grab them next Saturday.”
With another secretive glance at Faye, Thelma shrugs.
“What if you’re busy?” she asks, lifting her brows comically. “You young folks can’t sit still. Sometimes a few weeks’ difference is all it takes to wind up with a new job, new dog, and the love of your life.”
I glance at Shelly, who shrugs and frowns as she looks at her grandmother.
“I mean, he’s got the pet part covered with Hercules,” she says with a wary look. Nice save. “What are you two planning?”
Faye sighs.
“Oh, dear. I was going to ask you...then I thought I shouldn’t because of the break-ins and all of this security fuss, but...well, you know how people will be setting up booths at the car show? In the old 4-H building, I believe?”
“Yep. Lots of local businesses turning out,” I say, dredging up the whole list in my mind. “The Barnets will have beer and pumpkins stacked to the ceiling since it’s just a few days till Halloween. Willow’s supposed to have Bruce there to raise money for the cat sanctuary, and I even heard Tory Faulkner will have something popping for her dance studio. North Earhart is sponsoring the whole shebang. They’ll have games, a band, and horses galore—Edison and Edna for sure. Supposedly with a hundred fail-safes to keep ’em from escaping, but we know how that goes.”
Their knowing smiles say they both already knew about the event. It’s the last big fall bash the town has before winter and flyers are plastered all over.
“Why are you asking, Aunt Faye?”
