Chapter 19
“Yes,” Caleb said, staring at the Ruby parking lot with his hands on his hips. “This is the perfect spot.”
Spencer rubbed his chin as he squinted at the empty lot. “Perfect for what?”
“A cruise-in.”
“You mean one of those old car things?”
Caleb gave his new friend a dubious look. “They aren’t old cars, they’re classics, and the people who own them like to show them off. We’re going to give them that opportunity.”
“Now you sound like Coop,” Spencer said. “I can appreciate an old car”—Caleb increased his glare, and Spencer corrected—“a classic car as much as the next fella, but anything that happens in this parking lot needs to go toward the restoration project. That’s not my rule, that’s according to the owners.”
“It’ll all go toward the restoration project.”
That announcement caught Spencer’s attention. “You’re talking about a cruise-in to raise money?”
“I am,” Caleb said. “We can hold them all summer long. This lot is large enough for three sections.” He pointed to the row directly adjacent to the back wall of the theater. “Cruisers over there.” Shifting to the middle section, he added, “Muscle cars in the center, and over on the far side will be the sale lot. We’ll charge a higher fee for those spots, of course.”
“Let me get this straight,” Spencer said, stepping forward and surveying the lot as if trying to picture what Caleb described. “People will pay to park their cars here?”
“They will.” He could see it clear as day, as if the cars were already filling the space. “Once the first event is a success, word of mouth will spread, and by the third time around, we’ll have to turn people away.”
Catching Caleb’s enthusiasm, Spencer said, “What about vendors? People will need to eat, right?”
Liking the idea, Caleb nodded. “People will definitely need to eat. It’s the perfect fundraiser because it’s almost no overhead. Provide a couple generators for the vendors, if they don’t supply their own, and maybe set a little of the entry fees aside as prize money. Award a ‘best in show’ or something. The owners love that, and we can let the attendees decide the winners.”
“Buford would cough up the generators with no problem,” Spencer said, referring to the local hardware store owner and official Ruby Restoration committee chair. “I can’t believe we didn’t see this before. Especially after utilizing the space for the festival.”
“The idea came from Cooper. He told me that the mayor wouldn’t let him use the fairgrounds for something like this.” With a conspiratorial smile, Caleb added, “I bet if we team up, we can coax our mechanic friend into coordinating the whole thing.”
“Are you sure folks will come?” Spencer asked as he looked out over the parking lot. “Not the owners, but other people?”
Recognizing how his position at the paper could benefit the cause, Caleb said, “If we advertise it right.”
That elicited a chuckle from Spencer. “We’ll need to get an advertising budget approved by the committee, but something tells me you won’t have any problem selling them on the idea.”
“Me?” Caleb asked. “You’re the one they all listen to.”
“Oh no,” he said, tipping his hat back. “This one is your baby, and you’re the salesman. I doubt you’ll have any trouble making them listen.”
He appreciated the man’s faith in him. “Fair enough.”
With a check of his watch, Spencer said, “Time to go.” The pair hustled back to the front of the building as Spencer explained, “Carrie’s appointment is in less than thirty minutes, and I still need to pick her up out at the construction office.”
“You’re taking Carrie to an appointment?” Caleb asked, confused once again by the connection between Boyd and the expectant mother.
“Sure,” Spencer answered, pulling his keys from his pocket to unlock his truck. “She can’t fit behind the wheel of Patch’s old truck anymore.”
Caleb hadn’t heard the name before. “Patch?”
“Her good-for-nothing dead husband.” Pausing at his open door, Spencer said, “We’ll wait until we talk to Coop before presenting this idea to the board. You good with putting something together for next Friday?”
“Not a problem,” Caleb answered.
As the gray Dodge drove off down the street, Caleb wondered if Lorelei knew how her fiancé felt about Carrie Farmer’s former husband. Or more importantly, how he felt about the tiny brunette about to be a single mother.