“Thank you.”
She put down the schedule and leaned her elbows on the desk. “You’re almost done with the list. How are you feeling about finishing it?”
How was I feeling? “I’m . . . okay. I guess I’m just at peace with it all.”
“Good. Then you got what you wanted.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I did.”
Soon, I’d mark the last few check boxes from Jamie’s journal and put it away. Jamie would always be a part of my heart, but going through his birthday list had given me an outlet to say good-bye.
“Have you decided who gets a free car?” Molly asked.
“No.” I slumped onto the desk. Why Jamie had wanted to buy a stranger a car, I had no clue. “How do you pick a stranger and buy them a car? If I walk up to someone and say, ‘Hey you! I want to buy you a car,’ they’ll think I’m crazy.”
“I’ll do it.”
I sat up. “You will? Really?”
She shrugged. “Sure, I’ll pick someone.”
“That would be great. I’m too chicken.”
“How do you want to pay for it? You’re not going to just hand over a wad of cash, are you?”
I shook my head. “No, I want to make sure the person gets a car. I was planning on just financing with the dealership. Then once I sell the house, I can pay it back.”
“Any progress on finding a rental?”
I sighed. “No. Honestly, I haven’t even looked lately.” I’d been spending so much time at Cole’s house, moving had stalled. But I needed to resume my rental search again.
Jamie and I had been smart when we’d bought our house so the mortgage wasn’t much, but I could use the money from the equity I’d built up over the years. I still needed to reimburse Cole for what he’d spent on Jamie’s truck and soon I’d have a car payment for a car that I wouldn’t be driving. Since my house sat empty most of the time, downsizing to a smaller apartment made sense.
Except what I really wanted to do was just live at Cole’s.
These last two months, it had become home. Most of my clothes were already hanging in his closet, my kitchen appliances had all migrated to his cupboards instead of my own, and his bed was my bed. I doubted I’d even be able to sleep in my old room now.
“I don’t know why you won’t just move in with Cole,” Molly muttered.
I sighed. “Because he hasn’t asked.” I wanted him to ask me, not feel pressured because I wanted to offload my house.
“Asked what?”
My eyes shot to the door as Cole walked into the office. “Nothing!” I shot Molly a don’t you dare look.
She rolled her eyes and mouthed, Fine.
“What are you doing here?” I stood from the desk. “Did you forget something at lunch?”
He grinned. “I have a surprise for you. Grab your coat and come out front.”
Molly and I both rushed to the coat hooks by the door, then followed Cole through the kitchen.
Helen was behind the counter this afternoon—studying, since we didn’t have many customers. When she saw us come through the swinging door on Cole’s heels, she slammed her textbook shut and jogged around the counter to catch up. Judging by the huge smile on her face, she must have been clued into Cole’s surprise.
As we walked through the restaurant, Cole reached back and took my hand. His huge smile was infectious as he pulled me outside and around the corner of the building.
My free hand covered my gasp when I spotted the surprise.
Jamie’s truck—gleaming, midnight blue and accented with polished chrome—was parked in the lot.
“It’s done?”
Cole handed me a set of keys. “It’s done. What do you think?”
“It’s perfect.” I was awestruck that he’d transformed an old yellow heap into this beautiful classic. I grabbed Cole’s face with both hands and yanked it down for a hard, fast kiss. “Thank you.”
He smiled against my mouth. “You’re welcome. Go check it out.”
A squeak escaped my lips as I jogged to the driver’s side. I climbed in, filling my lungs with the clean, new smell. My hands stroked the buttery leather of the new cream bench seat before gripping the matching steering wheel. I ran my fingers across the dashboard and down to the new radio. The floor, the door panels, the ceiling—everything was new.
Cole had even replaced the old plastic visors.
I flipped one down, surprised when a photo fell onto my lap. It was the one Cole had found months ago. Cole had kept Jamie in his truck. I smiled at the picture and put it back into the visor just as the passenger door opened.
“Well?” Cole asked.
“It’s incredible. Thank you.”
“It was fun.” He ran his hand over the seat, inspecting his work. “And it didn’t take as much work as I’d thought. The engine was in good shape. My buddy at the body shop did a lot. Mostly I just put in new parts.”
“You’re not giving yourself enough credit. This truck has taken a lot of your evenings lately.”
He shrugged. “I enjoyed it. It made me realize I need to find a hobby. Something to get my mind off work.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll find another old car and fix it up.”
“Can I pick the color?”
He grinned. “Of course.”
I ran my hands over the steering wheel again. “I pick black.” It was his favorite color.
Cole climbed into the truck and took out his phone, aiming the camera my way. “There. Now you’ve got your picture for the day.” A picture of me in Jamie’s truck was far better than the selfie I’d attempted this morning. “How about a quick drive?”
“Where to?”
He shrugged. “Anywhere.”
I turned the key and smiled, then I drove us around the block and parked behind the restaurant.
When Cole gave me a funny look, I just shut off the truck and slid across the bench seat, showing him with my lips how much I appreciated his work on this project.
By the time we broke apart, I
