With the Valiant loaded up and cinched down, we retired to the shop to watch Boone and Dale continue to work on the Duster.
I took a chair and struck up a conversation while they removed both valve covers, "So, I've only saw Dad for about five minutes since I arrived...".
"He's knee deep in helping Darren get the engine back in the Charger. He parked the motor home over there, so we haven't seen much of him either" Boone explained.
"When did the engine get assembled?" I shrugged, up to this point I really knew little of Darren's effort to make it.
"Last weekend", Dale laughed, "He brought it over here in his Dodge R/T and we pretty much tossed it together on the tail gate!"
"You had the block on an engine stand for a week before that didn't you?" Boone questioned, as he opened a box with "Pushrod Factory, Reed Springs MO" stamped on it.
"No...that was the problem, he brought over the rotating assembly, with the new rings and bearings first, then asked me to grind and gap the rings for him so he could assemble it".
"No way", I exhaled.
"Yeah! So when I explained to him that I had to have the block in order to gap the rings, he decided to bring the whole thing over and let me help him do it here!"
"Must've been eight people with their hands on that thing", Boone chuckled.
"Yeah, for sure", Dale pulled his glasses off, rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to recall a deeply buried memory. "The two of us, Darren, Dad, Cody, Will and Michelle. It was definitely all hands on deck, but it went together fairly quick".
"I want to build an engine someday", Rachael shook her head. "I miss out on all the fun!"
"Well then get over here and help me get these rockers back on the head", Boone motioned her over.
"But don't dent that pristine fender with your baby bump", Dale added.

I was falling asleep again in my chair, and if we were going to beat the crowd to Sam's Alignment and Brakes in the morning, I needed a good night's sleep.
"Boone, I think Rach and I will take the truck and Valiant to your house tonight. So we can get to Sam's early."
Dale looked up in surprise, "You're going to park the Valiant over at Boone's? In the ghetto?"
"I'll back it up in the drive...it'll be fine."
"So you're going to bail, and I'll just drive the Coronet home?" Boone shrugged.
"Yeah, I mean, Rachael and I have like three stops to make in town, and that way you don't have to be stuck with us."

We left Dale's around 11pm and even so, it was just after midnight when my head hit the pillow.