Red Truck Rendezvous

knew she could have had all of this done back home, but she had been in a hurry for her perfect road trip. “When can you start?”
Pablo’s eyebrows strained to become one with his hairline at the woman’s words. Did she have any idea what it cost to rebuild an old truck? He wasn’t even sure what parts for a classic Ford like this would cost or where he would get them. “I can start calling about parts today, but it’s going to be a long haul. You should also consider getting the bodywork done to keep the truck from deteriorating farther. I noticed a hole in the floorboards when I was looking at the brake lines, and it’s only going to get worse with time.”
Portia grinned, she had tried to cover the quarter-sized hole in the floor with a mat, but the thing never would stay in place.
“I knew about that one.” Taking a sip of her coffee, the young woman looked up, meeting Pablo’s eyes. “Could you do a complete rebuild and renovation? I know it will take time and that it will be expensive, but I also know it needs to be done. I’d like you to start this weekend.”
Pablo felt his lips tugging at the corners again and gulped his coffee to hide his grin. Ms. Princeton was confident of herself and seemed sure that he would take on the work. He already had cars waiting, but could he say no? The money from this one job would just about pay off what he still owed the bank for setup expenses in the old barn.
“I’ll have to rearrange a few things, but I’ll do it.” The smile that had been threatening broke across his face as he offered his hand, surprised when Portia took it proffering a gentle shake.  Her soft skin felt like silk beneath his work-roughened paw, and he hesitated a moment before releasing it. This would be a job he would never forget.
The sound of the phone ringing broke Pablo’s revelry, and he grabbed the handset placing it to his ear. “Thanks, sis,” he drawled, shooting Portia a bright smile and putting the phone back in its cradle. “I have good news,” his smile brightened as Portia gazed at him along her very straight nose. “There’s an RV site still open at the Old Inn, and you can stay as long as you need to. My brother and his wife run the place, and they just had a cancellation, so the spot is all yours.”
“That sounds good,” Portia said, her tone full of doubt. “Is it far? I had planned on being in the state park up the road. It backs right onto the lake.”
“Not far,” Pablo grinned. “I’ll hook up your trailer to the Tahoe and take you over there now. We may be in the back of nowhere, but trust me, you’ll like the spot. Everyone does.”
Portia studied the handsome man across from her but didn’t comment. She hadn’t planned on being stuck in some squished up RV park for the next few weeks, but at the end of the day, she had to go somewhere.
“Alright,” she finally agreed. “I’ll call my daddy and tell him when we get there, he worries. Besides,” she rolled her eyes but grinned, “he told me Sweetie wasn’t’ ready for this trip.”
Pablo collected the mugs from his desk, walking to the window and tossing the dregs into the grass before closing the pane.
“Come on then,” he added, stuffing the mugs into a milk crate along with a bundle of paperwork. “I guess I’m closing early tonight.”
Portia stood her eyes once more, drawn to the little package on the table. “Aren’t you going to take that as well?” Her soft aqua blue eyes turned to Pablo compelling him.
“That? My sister brought it to me just before you arrived. I’ll open it later.” His eyes scanned the package briefly, a flicker of something akin to fear reflected in their dark depths.
Over the years, Pablo had seen packages like this one before, each one containing a Christmas ornament. His sister-in-law had received a paintbrush before meeting his brother, his little sister had received a Christmas teddy bear, before meeting her husband, and he had received a yellow low-rider truck the year his nephew had been born. If Pablo’s suspicions were correct, each of the ornaments was an omen, an indication that life was going to change. He had negated his gift by passing the tiny toy on to his nephew, adding it to the pretty mobile that hung over his crib.
If he could ignore this package, perhaps what he suspected could be avoided once more.
“Well, at least put it in your box,” Portia insisted, grabbing the little present with fingers that burned. “You might get curious.”
Pablo laughed but didn’t stop her from plopping the gift into his milk crate. “Come on, we need to get you settled before it gets dark. The days are long here in the summer, but they do end.”

Chapter 4
Quaint, elegant, cheerful, kitschy, the words floated through Portia’s head as her new mechanic trundled down the long drive toward a stately Victorian house on the edge of Lake Michigan.
The beautiful, pale green home, highlighted with deep sienna, cream, and beige paint, sat like a Cameo at the end of a bejeweled chain, offset by the Caribbean blue hues of the lake water that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Portia leaned forward, peering out the window as she tried to take everything in. Along the road on the near side of the house stood a building declaring arts and crafts for sale from what appeared to have been a large carriage house.
“What are those?” the young woman asked as she spied a row of brightly painted buildings ringing the lakeshore, flowing away from the house like a brightly colored wedding train.
“Those are the holiday cabins,” Pablo smiled. “People from all over the country, came to stay in the cabins throughout