Kelly chuckles and takes the object from Dalton, twisting it so the front faces her chest, then shoving it back into his hands.  “Yes— well, kind of.”  She grips the handle and pulls it, popping open the device and reaching inside to remove the two trays and inspect them.  “It’s like an oven and a fryer in one.  I’ve found one before.  The fryer basket is missing, though, so it’s really just an oven.”  She shoves the trays back inside and clicks the door back into place.

“And you know how to fix these?” Dalton asks, glancing from the appliance to her.

"Enough that I got the other one to work,” Kelly replies, motioning for him to follow her down the path of scrap piles.  Bear sticks close to her side, trotting along and matching her pace with ease.

Dalton shifts the device in his arms so it’s settled better and follows along behind them, peering over the top of it.  “How did you learn all this?”

“I read,” Kelly answers, glancing back over her shoulder at him.  “And I do a lot of trial and error.”

“What do you do with all the things you fix?” Dalton asks.

Kelly waves a hand in the general direction of the entrance, where the junkyard master’s tiny shed of a house is situated.  Bear looks where she points, ears perked up like he expects something to be there.  “I give it all to Greg.  He figures out who can make use of it.  Wouldn’t be surprised if the soldiers end up with this fryer when I’m done with it.”

Dalton chuckles under his breath as he adjusts his grip on the appliance again.  “You’re too good for Halifax.”

“What did I tell you about flattery?”  Kelly pauses as a glimpse of something red in a pile of scrap metal catches her eye.  Bear trots a few steps ahead before stopping himself and looking back at her.

Dalton comes up to her side and tries to follow her gaze.  “What is it?”

Kelly approaches the pile and plucks the red cylinder from the scrap metal, turning it slowly to inspect it.  Attached to one end is a thin metal tube with a trigger.  “A blowtorch, I think.”

Dalton leans in to get a better look at it.  “Wow, definitely don’t see those everyday.  Do you think it still works?”

Bear attempts to sniff the torch, but it’s head too high, so instead he sits and watches, head tilted slightly.

Kelly brings the blowtorch close to her ear and shakes it, frowning as she listens.  “Doesn’t sound like it has anything inside.”

“Damn,” Dalton mutters.  “Would’ve loved to have seen it in action, you know?  My dad says blowtorches have blue flames.”

Kelly grins at that, holding the torch away from her slightly.  “Oh yeah?  Are you a bit of a fire-starter, Quebec boy?”

Then the blowtorch roars to life in her hand, producing a long blue flame with a golden core, filling the air with its hiss.  Kelly yelps and drops it, jerking her foot back as it hits the ground.  Dalton lurches back, nearly dropping the air fryer in the process.  When the torch lands, the flame snuffs out.

Kelly stares down at it, then at Bear, who is on his feet again and looking at the fallen tool.  She looks at Dalton, who has the same confused expression as her.  Their eyes meet and both remain frozen for a moment before Dalton tentatively says, “You said it was empty.”

“It sounded empty,” Kelly says, looking down at the torch again.  She reaches down with the intention of picking it up, pausing a moment in hesitation before taking it into her hand and shaking it again.  Not a single slosh to indicate there’s any leftover fuel in it.  It’s completely spent.  “It is empty.”  Bear whimpers and paws at the ground nervously.  “It’s okay, boy,” Kelly says, trying to sound soothing, though whether or not it’s for Bear is up to interpretation.  “I’m just going to give this to the yard keeper, okay?  Don’t want anyone to burn themselves.”

“Wait—”  Dalton leans the air fryer more against one arm.  “Try to do it again.”

Kelly narrows her eyes at him, gripping the torch tighter just a little.  “Why?”

Dalton shrugs.  “Maybe it’ll light again.”

“It’s empty,” Kelly counters.

“You said that the first time too,” Dalton offers in rebuttal.

Kelly sighs and looks at the torch, adjusting it in her hand so she can push in the trigger.  Nothing happens.  “See?”

With a flicker and a hiss the torch comes to life again, its long thin flame reaching out almost two inches.  Kelly gasps sharply and pulls her finger off the trigger and the flame dies.  Her hand feels strange against the metal, as if it contains a charge.

Across from her a wide smile spreads across Dalton’s face.  “Oh come on, we got to keep it.”

Kelly glares at him and takes the torch in her other hand.  “You might be here on a little vacation, but I live here, and if we do something stupid with this I will be the one in trouble for it.”  She begins to walk away, Bear hot on her heels.  “It’s going to Greg’s.”

Dalton groans, but follows after she’s a few steps away.  “That Brent guy was right about you.  He said you always have a stick up your ass.”

“Yeah well Brent’s a bitch,” Kelly retorts, picking up her pace.  Neither of them say anything else as they walk to the shed.  Once there, Kelly knocks on the door and taps her foot, waiting for him to open it.

“Yes?  Find something you want?” the yard master asks as he appears from behind the faded, scratched-up door.  Upon seeing Kelly’s face, his own brightens and a smile crosses his features.  His gaze flickers to Dalton briefly, then back to her.  “Oh, Kelly!  Find another air fryer, huh?”

“Well, yes,” Kelly replies, holding up the blowtorch.  “But, actually, I think I found something dangerous too.”

Greg raises one brow slightly and takes the torch from her, giving it a slow once-over.  “Oh, these aren’t dangerous.  They don’t work anymore.”

“Well this one, uh, turned on,” Kelly mutters.

“Twice,” Dalton adds.

“Oh.”  The yard keeper gives the blowtorch another look, much more critical this time.  “You sure?  I haven’t seen a working torch in, gosh, must be twenty years now.”

Kelly nods.  “It sounds empty, but maybe it’s got a little bit in it.”  She shrugs.  “Anyway, just seemed better to give it to you.”

“Well, I’ll put it aside for safekeeping, then.”  He disappears briefly to place it somewhere inside, then reappears at the door.  “Find anything else?  Besides that air fryer, I mean.  Something you want to trade for?” 

Kelly shakes her head.  “Nope, just that.”

Greg nods.  “Well if you do, let me know.  I’d be happy to get another drill or sander, wouldn’t even ask you for anything in return if you bring it back fixed.  You’ll be bringing the fryer around later, I imagine.”

“Yeah,” Kelly replies, already turning back to Dalton.  “Once it’s patched up.”

Greg nods and disappears back inside, closing the door behind himself.

Kelly begins walking toward the entrance and Dalton follows.  “What, we’re not going to look for more?”

“One project is enough,” Kelly replies, not looking back at him.  Part of her does want to go back, wants to search the scrap for another thing like the torch, but not when Dalton is with her.  It really did seem empty, why would it catch fire?

“Can I watch you work on it?” Dalton asks, jogging a few steps so he’d be at her side.

Kelly glances at him, then back to the road.  “Don’t you have like, literally any work to do?”

“It’s a rest day,” Dalton says.  “Why do you think I’m out here with you?”

“Yeah why are you out here with me?” Kelly asks.  “Why not hang out with Jenna or Brent?”

“You’re more interesting than them,” Dalton answers simply.

Kelly snorts.  “I mean, yes, but I’ve not exactly been nice to you.”

Dalton grins.  “Maybe that just makes you more interesting.”

Kelly rolls her eyes.  “You don’t give up, do you?”

Dalton chuckles, but offers no response.