song? Be a big step to getting your bike back on the road again.”
“Really? That’s great.”
“And I’ve got another surprise I need you to come by the Barn for. Tomorrow?”
“What is this? Christmas?”
He shrugged, and I saw in his eyes he was still haunted by something.
“All right,” I said. “Thanks. I’ll swing by tomorrow. How’d you manage to get the fork?”
Some emotion flitted across his eyes then disappeared just as quickly. “I’ve got my sources. Don’t—”
He cut off abruptly and glanced toward the barn. Lucy stood in the doorway, looking anxious. I waved her over.
“Lucy, Lenny. And vice versa. You saw each other yesterday when Lenny dropped me off. She’s my new farmhand, Len. And Lucy, you know how Zach told you not to be scared of me? It’s the same with Lenny. He’s only half as bad as he looks.”
They looked at each other rather seriously and shook hands.
“Actually,” Lenny said to Lucy, “I was here to make amends with your boss lady, here, and take her out to supper.”
“Wow,” I said. “Taco Bell again?”
“Want to make it a party of three?” Lenny asked Lucy.
“Oh, thanks,” Lucy said, “but I’ve got my daughter to feed. And it’s getting late, so we’d better stay here.”
Lenny brightened from his somber mood. “A little girl? Well, bring her along.”
“Really?”
“I love little girls.”
“Well, okay,” Lucy said, a smile finally beginning. “Let me change out of these clothes and we’ll be right down.” She trotted off to the garage.
“Nice little lady,” Lenny said.
“I’ll let you get by with that,” I said, “because she really is little.”
“And how else would I have meant it?”
I grunted. “I’ll go change, too. Want to come in?”
“Naw. I need some attention from this other little lady here.”
Queenie sat patiently at his feet. Lenny lowered his bulky self to the ground and Queenie immediately attacked him. I left them rolling around like two kids.
Five minutes later I went back outside and Lenny seemed even more relaxed. I guess it’s hard to be uptight when you’ve got grass clippings and dog slobber on your jeans.
Soon we were caravanning down the road, Lenny leading and the three of us gals in my truck. Tess had her hair tied back in a ponytail, and I could’ve been wrong, but I thought maybe Lucy had swiped a little mascara on her eyelashes.
Lenny led us to Zoto’s, a family restaurant down on Route 309. Tess’ face lit up, and she jiggled with excitement in her seat.
Lucy met my eyes over the girl’s head. “I told you we’d eaten at McDonald’s too many times.”
I made a disgusted face and pulled in beside Lenny. While we hopped down from the truck, Lenny turned off his bike and sat. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought he was casing the place. He seemed very interested in the other vehicles in the parking lot and took a lot of time locking up his bike. He also took a long look at Suzy’s Lounge across the street.
“Everything okay, Len?” I said.
He shot me a startled glance but ignored my question, gesturing toward the restaurant’s door. “Shall we?”
Lenny had quite a discussion with the hostess, a chunky little thing who looked like she was barely sixteen. She wanted to seat us in the back part of the restaurant, but Lenny told her if we couldn’t be in the front, we were leaving.
Lucy looked a question at me.
“He’s a biker,” I said. “He’ll feel a lot better if his scooter’s where he can keep an eye on it.”
Lucy nodded understanding, and the ditz hostess finally led us to a booth overlooking the parking lot.
After a little awkwardness, Lenny and I squeezed into the same side of the booth so Lucy and Tess could sit together. I hoped we wouldn’t have to argue too much about whose elbow was bumping whose, because Lenny had some big elbows.
After we ordered, Lenny unwound enough to help Tess figure out the maze on the back of the placemat,
“Really? That’s great.”
“And I’ve got another surprise I need you to come by the Barn for. Tomorrow?”
“What is this? Christmas?”
He shrugged, and I saw in his eyes he was still haunted by something.
“All right,” I said. “Thanks. I’ll swing by tomorrow. How’d you manage to get the fork?”
Some emotion flitted across his eyes then disappeared just as quickly. “I’ve got my sources. Don’t—”
He cut off abruptly and glanced toward the barn. Lucy stood in the doorway, looking anxious. I waved her over.
“Lucy, Lenny. And vice versa. You saw each other yesterday when Lenny dropped me off. She’s my new farmhand, Len. And Lucy, you know how Zach told you not to be scared of me? It’s the same with Lenny. He’s only half as bad as he looks.”
They looked at each other rather seriously and shook hands.
“Actually,” Lenny said to Lucy, “I was here to make amends with your boss lady, here, and take her out to supper.”
“Wow,” I said. “Taco Bell again?”
“Want to make it a party of three?” Lenny asked Lucy.
“Oh, thanks,” Lucy said, “but I’ve got my daughter to feed. And it’s getting late, so we’d better stay here.”
Lenny brightened from his somber mood. “A little girl? Well, bring her along.”
“Really?”
“I love little girls.”
“Well, okay,” Lucy said, a smile finally beginning. “Let me change out of these clothes and we’ll be right down.” She trotted off to the garage.
“Nice little lady,” Lenny said.
“I’ll let you get by with that,” I said, “because she really is little.”
“And how else would I have meant it?”
I grunted. “I’ll go change, too. Want to come in?”
“Naw. I need some attention from this other little lady here.”
Queenie sat patiently at his feet. Lenny lowered his bulky self to the ground and Queenie immediately attacked him. I left them rolling around like two kids.
Five minutes later I went back outside and Lenny seemed even more relaxed. I guess it’s hard to be uptight when you’ve got grass clippings and dog slobber on your jeans.
Soon we were caravanning down the road, Lenny leading and the three of us gals in my truck. Tess had her hair tied back in a ponytail, and I could’ve been wrong, but I thought maybe Lucy had swiped a little mascara on her eyelashes.
Lenny led us to Zoto’s, a family restaurant down on Route 309. Tess’ face lit up, and she jiggled with excitement in her seat.
Lucy met my eyes over the girl’s head. “I told you we’d eaten at McDonald’s too many times.”
I made a disgusted face and pulled in beside Lenny. While we hopped down from the truck, Lenny turned off his bike and sat. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought he was casing the place. He seemed very interested in the other vehicles in the parking lot and took a lot of time locking up his bike. He also took a long look at Suzy’s Lounge across the street.
“Everything okay, Len?” I said.
He shot me a startled glance but ignored my question, gesturing toward the restaurant’s door. “Shall we?”
Lenny had quite a discussion with the hostess, a chunky little thing who looked like she was barely sixteen. She wanted to seat us in the back part of the restaurant, but Lenny told her if we couldn’t be in the front, we were leaving.
Lucy looked a question at me.
“He’s a biker,” I said. “He’ll feel a lot better if his scooter’s where he can keep an eye on it.”
Lucy nodded understanding, and the ditz hostess finally led us to a booth overlooking the parking lot.
After a little awkwardness, Lenny and I squeezed into the same side of the booth so Lucy and Tess could sit together. I hoped we wouldn’t have to argue too much about whose elbow was bumping whose, because Lenny had some big elbows.
After we ordered, Lenny unwound enough to help Tess figure out the maze on the back of the placemat,
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