Patching The Past (The Extended Hobson Family Trilogy: Book 3)

The Quest Part 2

You'll find our sister in her soon to be new getaway.

I walk out of my room and head to the attic entrance. I climb the stair and can see Lily reading in her nook in front of the window. Lily closes her book, walks over to me, hands me the cookie, and settles back into her reading nook again. I watch her pick up her book again, watching me instead of reading.

What was my first response to the question you asked here that led to where we are now?

I think back to the day Danny asked me to marry him. He rambled on and on before asking me that question in response to my first question of, "what are we?".  Knowing Danny, I know he doesn't want his rambling answer, but what he said before giving that answer. I think of all the possible answers Danny would give to that question and many pop into mind that sound like something he would say. I choose the answer I think sounds the most like him.

"Human." Lily nods and points to a picnic basket on the floor i hadn't noticed beforehand. I open up the picnic basket to find it empty except for a note.

"Pack" a picnic and apprehend our picnic thieves by the creek.

I suppose Danny wants me to meet Rex and Buzz by the creek. They are the only candidates to be picnic thieves, since they have actually taken the food from one of the picnics Danny and I had. Andy and I take horses, the "empty" picnic basket attached to Bubbles, out to the creek and ride along the bank till we spot the picnic thieves, Buzz and Rex, talking away quite a bit farther upstream. Andy takes hold of Bubbles reigns as I make quick work of getting off Bubbles and grabbing the extra ropes I hid in the picnic basket. I dart into the bushes, soundlessly as possible. The twins saunter towards Bubbles and Andy, not noticing me in the bushes, giving me the upper hand. As soon as they arrive at the basket they hoped to have food in, I make my move. I jump out from the bush, catching both twins off guard, and tackle Rex down to the ground. I quickly tie his hands behind his back and feet together, ignoring his complaints, to keep him from escaping. In the meantime, Buzz has moved farther upstream, empty picnic basket in hand. I leave Rex with Andy, who doesn't untie him yet, and chase down Buzz. I catch up to him in no time at all and jump onto his back. A surprised Buzz drops the basket. I jump off his back and step in front of him. He holds his hands up in surrender and I tie his hands behind him, but leave his feet free to walk over to Andy. I pick up the basket and grab hold of my cousin's arm. We walk back to Andy and Rex, who is still tied up on the ground where I left him.

"Can you untie me already?" Rex asks, as Buzz, Andy, and I stand above him, Buzz's ropes now untied.

"What fun would that be dear cousin?" I ask, moving to untie his feet. Rex glares at Andy and me. I figure Andy gave him a similar answer. Once Rex is cut free and standing again, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out my next clue, a Hershey's kiss.

"I'm guessing this means to go where Danny and I had our first kiss." Andy nods. "So we go the church and meet with whom?"

"This one is another surprise." Andy says and we make our way to the church. I enter the sanctuary to find Pastor Toby and Eliza waiting for me at the altar. Together, they hand me my fortune cookie.

After we were made husband and wife, you said something I'm sure no one will ever forget.

I can feel myself blushing at the thought of what I said and how embarrassed I was after saying it. "I'm starving, can we go eat now." I repeat aloud to Pastor Toby and Eliza what I had said less than a month ago that will haunt me forever. "In my defense, I hadn't eaten anything that day and I truly was hungry." Our laughter echoes through the sanctuary. Pastor Toby and Eliza hand me a note.

Meet the people that made you possible at your first Hobson home to receive directions for your last challenge.

"Well, my first Hobson home was Dad's place, so am I supposed to meet Dad and Mom there?" I ask Andy and he nods. Dad and Mom are waiting for us halfway up the driveway. I give Andy my last fortune cookie after taking my challenge out.

Let's see how you do with a crossword meant for you.

Dad hands me a crossword puzzle. I read over each clue and notice each one has something to do with Danny and my relationship, all of it stuff I covered today. I fill in each of the words correctly and show it to my parents. My mom hands me another piece of paper with more instructions written upon it.

1 down, letter 2. 3 across, letter 7. 11 down, letter 11.

The clue goes on and on with directions like this. I look at my clue and match the letters from the crossword puzzle and notice it creates real words. I write down the combination of letters.

I've been in our garage the entire morning with your surprise, come and talk to me, I'm probably very lonely by now.

When I left the house this morning, I hadn't even looked in the garage. If I would have gone into the garage this morning then I could have just met him there instead of going on this fun quest. I would have missed out on all the fun involved. I'm glad I didn't look in the garage. Andy pulls into my driveway and I run to the garage, anxious to see Danny and my surprise. Danny is sitting on top of a car I don't recognize, a black 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible, my favorite type of car.

"Danny, whose car is this?"

"Yours."

"Mine?" I’m shocked beyond belief.

"I told you I was going to teach you to drive. What better way than with your own car?"

"Danny? Where did you.....? When did you....? How did I not.....?"

"It was a car my grandpa had stuffed away in here under piles of junk. Over the years, I've been restoring it and I finally finished it. Now it's all yours."

"Danny, why did you send me on a wild goose chase to give me the car? Wouldn't it have been easier to have just given me the car without the quest involved?"

"Easier, yes, but more fun, not at all. I wanted you to revisit everything and for there to be a big surprise at the end. Now quit your complaining about having a fun day and get in the driver's seat. Your first driving lesson starts right now,"