The space was packed with cars, old and somewhat newer models, most in the midst of a makeover or repair, and all surrounded by an assortment of parts large and small. Paradise.
“You’ve been holding out on me,” he said, easing into the dark interior as his eyes adjusted. “What all do you have in here?”
His tour guide’s attempt to look nonchalant failed miserably. “Dude, you wouldn’t believe it. Old Tanner collected this stuff for years, and I got it all when I bought him out about three years ago.”
“Old Tanner?” Caleb asking, squatting down to examine a radiator that looked at least a hundred years old.
“Tanner Drury. He owned the garage forever. I started working for him in high school and thought he’d never retire, but the wife finally nagged him into it.” Cooper jabbed the ever-present stained rag into the back pocket of his coveralls. “Come over this way.”
Contrary to the chaotic scene, a sort of method to the madness began to emerge. A wide aisle led down the center of the building, and each vehicle occupied a stall. Several were covered in old tarps or blankets, whetting Caleb’s curiosity to see what treasures were hidden underneath. But Cooper was moving too fast, and Caleb didn’t want to offend his host by demanding to see every cracked mirror they encountered.
He’d just have to get an invite back to dig through the rest.
Cooper stepped into a stall at the end of the aisle that looked nothing like the rest. The space around the vehicle was clean, or as clean as anything could be in an old building filled with relics, and a spotless car cover protected the large object occupying the center.
Looking like a magician about to reveal his premier trick, Cooper said, “Here she is.” He grabbed the front corner of the cover and pulled slowly until the material pooled on the floor behind the back tires.
Caleb couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Dude,” was all he could manage, as he inched into the stall.
“I know,” Cooper said, nodding his head as if they’d exchanged some great thought.
This wasn’t the typical Thunderbird model that most car enthusiasts focused on, but with such a gorgeous piece of machinery glimmering before him under the fluorescent light, Caleb couldn’t understand why. Deep scarlet with black vinyl hardtop, complete with the signature “S” bar emblem along the sides, the car made his palms itch and he hadn’t even heard her run yet.
“Please tell me she purrs,” he said, glancing through the driver’s side window.
“Of course,” Cooper said with pride.
The red leather bucket seats looked fresh from the factory, and the dash sported enough chrome to be blinding. “Swing-away steering wheel?” Caleb asked.
“You know it. I don’t take her out often, but there’s a cruise-in down in Goodlettsville once a month during the warmer months. Since that doesn’t put a lot of miles on her, I try to get down there as often as I can.” He brushed something invisible off the front fender. “They hold it on Friday nights, which makes it tougher to get out of here, but sometimes I make it.”
“Seems a shame not to show her off.” Caleb admired the large, round tail lights that looked as if they belonged on a rocket instead of a car. “No cruise-ins here in town?”
“Nah,” Cooper said. “Other than the fairgrounds, nobody has a parking lot big enough. And Mayor Winkle doesn’t want what he calls a bunch of old, leaking gas-guzzlers messing up his fairground.”
Caleb had yet to be officially introduced to this notorious town mayor. He also had yet to meet a native with anything positive to say about him. What he’d witnessed at the Ruby meeting hadn’t left Caleb with a positive impression himself.
“Sounds like a great guy.”
“Pompous asshole is more like it.”
Dropping the subject of the civic leader, Caleb reached the passenger side and stepped back. “You said she was a beauty, but this is better than I imagined. A 1962 Thunderbird Landau. Amazing.”
Cooper reached for the car cover, and Caleb moved to help him. “I don’t know how long Tanner had her, but this turned out to be the original color. They call it chestnut brown. The only thing I had to do was a little upholstery repair, give her a tune-up, replace the tires, and apply soap and water. The rest Tanner had already done.”
“Like I said, amazing.” The pair tucked the cover tight under the front end. “So what’s the next project?” Caleb asked, giving a fleeting look to the rest of the inventory. “I don’t see that old truck you swiped out from under me.”
“I told you,” Cooper said, leading back to the entrance, “if you wanted that truck, you should have outbid me. I’ve got that one at home where I do my fun work. Next up in here will be that ’57 Vette over in the corner.” He pointed toward a heap in the shadows covered by a dirty tarp. The only thing showing was a smudged round headlight.