Scarlett beamed. She jumped out from the truck before I’d stopped, and bounded over to her last present. Tearing off the wrapping paper, she froze in overpowering delight as she gazed upon her new ride. It was a 1971 Ford Bronco, customized to be a convertible just like Harper’s and painted sky blue.
“We knew how much you liked Harper’s,” Ange said as we approached her.
“We hope you like it, Scar,” I said, then chuckled and added, “If not, we can—”
“I love it!” she exclaimed. She sprang toward the vehicle and climbed inside without bothering with the door. She scanned over every inch of it, then her eyes watered and she looked over at us. “But, it’s too much. It’s so nice. Are you sure I can have it?”
Ange and I closed in, and she wrapped an arm around our daughter.
“After all that you did to help us find the gold?” I said. “This is the least we could do.” I hugged her as well, then added, “Besides, you’re sixteen now. You need a car, and your mom and I think this one fits your personality perfectly.”
We’d thought long and hard about what to get her for her first set of wheels. We both agreed that a 4x4 suited her character best, and that classic was better than newer. The only downside to the vehicle was that, being older, it lacked modern safety features, so we’d had front airbags installed, along with a new roll cage, and new seat belts. But the classic vehicle still had its original leather seats and that vintage car smell.
I handed her the keys and she laughed as she fired up the eight-cylinder engine. We suggested that she should take it for a test drive, and she agreed enthusiastically. Ange and I climbed into the back while Atticus plopped down in the passenger seat.
Scarlett drove us out of the lot, down Palmetto Street, and eventually onto US-1. We skipped from island to island, enjoying the warm wind blowing across our faces. She switched on the radio and we sang along to The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See” as the red sun dipped down at our backs, glowing the sky with its final beams of warmth for the day.
I squeezed Ange tight, kissed her on the forehead, then looked out over the paradise surrounding us and smiled.
THE END
LOGAN DODGE ADVENTURES
Gold in the Keys
Hunted in the Keys
Revenge in the Keys
Betrayed in the Keys
Redemption in the Keys
Corruption in the Keys
Predator in the Keys
Legend in the Keys
Abducted in the Keys
Showdown in the Keys
Avenged in the Keys
JASON WAKE NOVELS
Caribbean Wake
Join the Adventure!
Sign up for my newsletter to receive updates on upcoming books on my website:
matthewrief.com
About the Author
Matthew has a deep-rooted love for adventure and the ocean. He loves traveling, diving, rock climbing and writing adventure novels. Though he grew up in the Pacific Northwest, he currently lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, Jenny.
