Mal puttered around, still feeling more than a mild tickle of anxiety, along with a premonition all was not yet well. He had to keep busy to ward it off. First, he patched the gas tank with tape. He believed it should hold temporarily but he’d suggest again that Dan have it professionally soldered or get a new tank put in.
After that, he added a few small finishing touches to the workbench and shelves he’d built. Standing back, he gave them a careful scan. Damn, guy, you do good work for a mechanic playing at being a carpenter. He wasn’t about to sprain his arm patting himself on the back, but he thought Dan would be pleased when he had a few calm minutes to look over the job. Maybe he’d earned at least part of his extra wages.
Just then, he heard a vehicle approaching. He turned to glan
