say no.”
She pulled his arms tighter around her. “It was fun. Really. I hope we get to ride a lot.”
“Me too, sugar.”
Chapter 8
Saturday morning, Thomas drove the Ridgeline and took Nevvie out to breakfast, then to the dealership. Rollo Smith was an older man, the anti-salesman. Soft-spoken and friendly, he had a laid-back manner and North Carolina drawl that set people at ease.
Before they started, Nevvie had to make a pit stop. Thomas took a moment bringing Rollo up to speed.
“We’ve sort of adopted her, Rollo. She’s special, and we want her in something nice. Tyler and I agree we want her in a safe car, not a little tiny thing. I’ll need your help convincing her to let me spend the money.”
“Why don’t you just buy one?”
“Because we want her in something she’ll like. We want her to feel like it’s her car, not ours.”
“Is it going in her name?”
“No, we’ll do like we did last time, put it in the trust. But as far as we’re concerned it’s hers.”
Of course Nevvie gravitated to the used cars. Thomas put his foot down. “Sugar, if I bought you a used car Tyler would scalp me and I don’t mean my head, you should know that.”
She looked on the verge of tears. “You can’t spend that kind of money on me, Thomas.”
Rollo stepped in. “Actually it’s a better investment. Full warranty, service contract, all that. You won’t get that with a used car.”
“See? Listen to the man. We trust him. We’ve bought five cars from him over the years and he hasn’t screwed us yet.”
She let the men lead her across the lot. She started in the sub-compacts and Thomas took her hands. “Honey, don’t make me call Tyler to chew you out, please?”
Her nerves finally won and she broke down. Rollo stepped away for a few moments while Thomas calmed her.
He looked her in the eye. “Sugar,” he said, “you’re our girl, and we meant it when we said we’re taking care of you. We don’t trade cars every couple of months. We’re working on the presumption that you’ll be living with us for years. Forever, if we get our way. Look at it this way, we’re buying you a quality car that will last you a long time. It needs to be a safe car, one all three of us will be comfortable riding in and driving, and one you’ll be happy with. Can you imagine me and my long legs sitting in the back seat with my kneecaps jammed up to my chin in one of those tiny things?”
She laughed and he helped her dry her eyes. “Nevvie, please, don’t fight us on this. I know this is a lot to take in at once, but just let us do it. Please?” She nodded and he hugged her. “That’s my baby girl.”
He took her hand and they followed Rollo to the larger cars. After test driving a few models she finally settled on a royal blue pearl Acura TL. They completed the paperwork, and an hour later Thomas stood next to her, watching her stare at the car with a shocked look.
“Ready to go home?” he asked.
“Yeah.” He opened the door for her. She got in, still stunned. He knelt beside her.
“Nevvie, this isn’t a dream. You’re not going to wake up in the morning next to Alex. You’re going to learn to love being spoiled.”
That finished her. He knelt there with her, hugging her until she finally composed herself enough to drive home. He followed her in the Ridgeline and called Tyler. He must have been on break because he answered.
“Well?”
“Our girl is now driving a brand new Acura.”
“Fantastic! Does she look good in it?”
“Tyler, she’d look good in anything.”
“Or nothing at all.” Both men laughed. “Seriously, did she give you trouble?”
“Of course, what do you think?”
“How’d you talk her into it?”
“Well, to keep her out of the used ones I threatened to call and have you chew her out.”
Tyler chuckled. “Make me the bad guy. Wonderful.”
“Hey, it worked. Then I flat-out told her the truth, although I’m sure she didn’t know how I meant it.
She pulled his arms tighter around her. “It was fun. Really. I hope we get to ride a lot.”
“Me too, sugar.”
Chapter 8
Saturday morning, Thomas drove the Ridgeline and took Nevvie out to breakfast, then to the dealership. Rollo Smith was an older man, the anti-salesman. Soft-spoken and friendly, he had a laid-back manner and North Carolina drawl that set people at ease.
Before they started, Nevvie had to make a pit stop. Thomas took a moment bringing Rollo up to speed.
“We’ve sort of adopted her, Rollo. She’s special, and we want her in something nice. Tyler and I agree we want her in a safe car, not a little tiny thing. I’ll need your help convincing her to let me spend the money.”
“Why don’t you just buy one?”
“Because we want her in something she’ll like. We want her to feel like it’s her car, not ours.”
“Is it going in her name?”
“No, we’ll do like we did last time, put it in the trust. But as far as we’re concerned it’s hers.”
Of course Nevvie gravitated to the used cars. Thomas put his foot down. “Sugar, if I bought you a used car Tyler would scalp me and I don’t mean my head, you should know that.”
She looked on the verge of tears. “You can’t spend that kind of money on me, Thomas.”
Rollo stepped in. “Actually it’s a better investment. Full warranty, service contract, all that. You won’t get that with a used car.”
“See? Listen to the man. We trust him. We’ve bought five cars from him over the years and he hasn’t screwed us yet.”
She let the men lead her across the lot. She started in the sub-compacts and Thomas took her hands. “Honey, don’t make me call Tyler to chew you out, please?”
Her nerves finally won and she broke down. Rollo stepped away for a few moments while Thomas calmed her.
He looked her in the eye. “Sugar,” he said, “you’re our girl, and we meant it when we said we’re taking care of you. We don’t trade cars every couple of months. We’re working on the presumption that you’ll be living with us for years. Forever, if we get our way. Look at it this way, we’re buying you a quality car that will last you a long time. It needs to be a safe car, one all three of us will be comfortable riding in and driving, and one you’ll be happy with. Can you imagine me and my long legs sitting in the back seat with my kneecaps jammed up to my chin in one of those tiny things?”
She laughed and he helped her dry her eyes. “Nevvie, please, don’t fight us on this. I know this is a lot to take in at once, but just let us do it. Please?” She nodded and he hugged her. “That’s my baby girl.”
He took her hand and they followed Rollo to the larger cars. After test driving a few models she finally settled on a royal blue pearl Acura TL. They completed the paperwork, and an hour later Thomas stood next to her, watching her stare at the car with a shocked look.
“Ready to go home?” he asked.
“Yeah.” He opened the door for her. She got in, still stunned. He knelt beside her.
“Nevvie, this isn’t a dream. You’re not going to wake up in the morning next to Alex. You’re going to learn to love being spoiled.”
That finished her. He knelt there with her, hugging her until she finally composed herself enough to drive home. He followed her in the Ridgeline and called Tyler. He must have been on break because he answered.
“Well?”
“Our girl is now driving a brand new Acura.”
“Fantastic! Does she look good in it?”
“Tyler, she’d look good in anything.”
“Or nothing at all.” Both men laughed. “Seriously, did she give you trouble?”
“Of course, what do you think?”
“How’d you talk her into it?”
“Well, to keep her out of the used ones I threatened to call and have you chew her out.”
Tyler chuckled. “Make me the bad guy. Wonderful.”
“Hey, it worked. Then I flat-out told her the truth, although I’m sure she didn’t know how I meant it.
Similar Books
