The cave was beautiful in its own way, with a waterfall and formations of rock nothing short of fantastical. Much of the time they had to walk single file to get through the narrow passageways. Ellie thought several times of the Lord of the Rings movies. “My precious,” she said to Will in her best Gollum voice, and he laughed.
Happy to have done it, they were both happy as well to board the train that took them straight up and out of the cave. Passing through the obligatory shop at the end, they decided not to purchase the photo that had been taken of them by a Silver Dollar City photographer down in the cave. It was showcased, along with everyone else’s, in a twenty-dollar frame.
“We look like ghosts.” Ellie placed it back on the shelf.
“You know, we do that at The Shepherd of the Hills too.”
“What?”
“Take pictures of people for them to buy.”
Ellie frowned. “Do you think that’s okay? I mean, what do you think about that practice?”
He shrugged. “We don’t do it without consent, but…it’s a little cheesy.”
“That’s how I feel too. Money, money, money.” She waved her hand to the rhythm of the repeated word.
“Of course, the boss would say we’re in the business to make money.”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “I’m glad I’m not a business woman.”
“But your mom is.”
“Yeah. But I’ve never seen her do anything cheesy.”
“What about wine and cheese?”
Ellie punched him in the ribs.
* * * * *
They decided to ride the swings next. Then they strolled through the rest of the kiddie section, stopping for cotton candy and a rainbow-colored slush that they shared, using two straws. Their plan next was to ride the famous Fire in the Hole roller coaster. When they got to the entrance, however, an attendant was fixing a chain across it. He was dressed like an old-time coal miner, complete with black powder scuffed across his face.
“Sorry, folks, we’ve been notified there’s lightning within a five-mile radius of here. All outside rides are closing till the storm is past.”
Will and Ellie glanced up at the overcast sky. A huge dark cloud loomed in the east like a spreading bruise.
“How long will that be?”
“I don’t know, miss. Sometimes it’s fifteen minutes, and sometimes it’s an hour or longer. You just can’t tell about a Branson summer. The weather is unpredictable.”
The man put a lock on the chain and pulled it tight. “Hopefully we’ll be back up and running soon.” He nodded to them and walked away.
“Hmm.” Ellie tossed the empty paper cone from their cotton candy into a nearby trashcan. “Bummer.”
“Why don’t we go do the stuff that’s indoors?”
Will, who knew his way around better than Ellie, led them to a ride called The Abandoned Mine. They queued up near the Silver Dollar City train station, which was also closed down. It was quite a distance from the ride’s entrance.
“I guess a lot of people have the same idea.”
Ellie took the opportunity to people-watch while they stood in line. There were a lot of families with young children and a few groups, like church youth groups, who walked by. As her eyes scanned the crowds, she saw a familiar black ponytail and the outline of muscular shoulders under a tight T-shirt. “Don’t look now, but I think that’s Seth Young across the way—near that food stand. Is that…that Cristal girl with him?”
Will turned to look. Seth was seated on top of a picnic table with his feet on the bench where Cristal sat facing him. They were eating giant sausages on sticks. “Well, speak of the devil. I believe it is.”
Ellie turned her face away quickly.
“Hey girl.” Will gently cupped her chin, nudging her to look up at him. “Want to tell me what that guy did to you?”
She laughed lightly. “Yeah. I want to tell you so you can go beat him up.”
“I will if I need to.” He made a fist and shook it in Seth’s direction, playing.
Ellie reached out and took his hand in hers. She uncurled his fist, tracing the calluses on his fingers that had formed from years of playing guitar. “It’s not that bad. Just stupid, immature stuff. Sometimes I wish you were the only person I’d ever dated—the only person I’d ever given even a part of myself to.”
“I understand that.”
They inched forward together in the line for the ride.
Ellie spoke softly, still caressing Will’s hand as though mapping the train of her thoughts. “We were in a play together in college. That’s how we met.”
“Hmm.”
“It was a bombshell romance—and I thought it was real.” Ellie glanced in the direction of Seth and Cristal. “Looking back, I feel like an idiot that I couldn’t see through him. He moved so fast, made all of these promises, told me he loved me on our very first date. Even though it went against everything I’d been taught, I believed him. We moved in together. I thought I was living a modern fairy tale, until it became a nightmare.”
“What happened?”
“He cheated on me.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. It was rich. He was in a band and had this gig in a bar called Juanita’s. I went to watch him all of the time, but this night I couldn’t—I can’t—remember why. Anyway, he got in real late, and the next day he was acting weird. Turns out he met up with an old girlfriend at Juanita’s.”
“Ouch.”
“He tried to justify it. Like he had no choice—he was in a bar playing music, the ambience was just right, and his old girlfriend walked in.” Ellie laughed. “It’s sort of hilarious now. But it was so painful then.”
“Did you break up with him immediately?”
“No. I still loved him—or thought I did—so I degraded myself awhile and stuck around. Things only got worse. He eventually dumped me.”
“He dumped you?” Will looked like cold water had been thrown in his face.
“Yep. ‘Fraid so.”
“That’s insane.”
The line took another spurt forward, and Will and Ellie moved with it, stepping onto a wooden bridge shaded by willows. It would take them across a man-made pond and into The Abandoned Mine ride.
“I almost transferred schools. I didn’t want to be around him in the drama department or have to deal with any of that.”
“But you stayed at Saint Louis?”
“I went home crying to my mom, and she was wonderful—very sympathetic. But then when I told her about my plan to change schools, she pulled a good one on me.” Ellie raised her eyebrows just as Katherine had. “She said, ‘Ellie, you’ve always made your own decisions, and if you want to change schools, you can do that. But if that’s what you choose to do, you need to know it is not with my blessing.’”
“Wow.”
“I was shocked. I asked her why not, and she said, ‘Because I believe you have to face your fears to overcome them, or they will always haunt you.’ That’s it. And so essentially I went back and faced Seth Young and dealt with all of that junk and got over it—in time. And I’m really glad I did, because here he is to haunt me.”
“You’re matter-of-fact about the whole thing.” Will took a strand of her hair that had fallen in her face and tucked it behind her ear. His eyes shone with wonder and…something else. Discovery. Admiration.
“It took quite a bit for me to become so. But you live and learn.” Ellie shrugged.
“I think the next time I see Seth I’m going to shake his hand.”
Ellie was repulsed. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Because his loss is my incredible gain.”
* * * * *
They boarded the little rickety boats that would take them through the supposedly flooded—and thus abandoned—mine. Resetting the digital counters in front of their seats, they each took a toy pistol in their hands and competed vigorously for points all along the ride: 100 for hitting the stuffed yellow canary in its cage and maki
ng it sing; 200 for ringing a bell on a distant spittoon; 300 for “igniting” a stack of fake dynamite and setting off a loud boom. If you freed trapped miner-mannequins by shooting the lock on their iron bar jail, you got 500 points, and so on. Will was proud at the end to display his 10,000 points in comparison to Ellie’s 7,000.
“You beat me, fair and square.” She took the hand he offered as she climbed out of the boat. “Congratulations.” They followed the line of people exiting out of the ride into a still-sunless day. “Want to celebrate your victory with some lunch?”
“I guess that could be another indoor activity, couldn’t it?”
Someone had recommended the barbecue to Will, so they walked to a large red, white, and blue warehouse labeled THE HOUSE OF BARBECUE and found a seat inside at one of the long picnic-style tables covered with blue-checked plastic. It was crowded. A large stage was lit up on one end of the building, and stands touting regional barbecue fare from Texas, Memphis, and North Carolina lined both sides.
“What can I get for you?” Will asked Ellie over the din of voices. No one was performing on the stage at that moment, but The House of Barbecue was still noisy.
“I don’t know. What is there?” Straining her eyes toward the food stands, Ellie could see heaps of corn on the cob and what looked like chicken legs, ribs, and rolls under the North Carolina sign. “Just get me whatever you’re having.”
“Okay.”
Will started to walk away, but Ellie stopped him. “Take this money. I said I’m getting lunch.” She shoved a twenty into his hand.
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded obediently.
Ellie smiled, watching the way he walked toward the line for food, with his shoulders back and a spring in his step. She didn’t have any fears about Will. And that was an amazing feeling.
Chapter Twenty
After two more hours at Silver Dollar City and careful study of the theme park’s map, Ellie and Will had done everything else there was to do indoors. They played in the big house of balls, shooting air cannons at each other in a place so colorful and imaginative it could have belonged in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. They watched a couple of shows, getting their fill—perhaps for a lifetime—of blue-grass music and having a “hand-clappin’, foot-stompin’ good time.” They attended a glass-blowing session. Watched old-fashioned iron making. Finally, they ended up in the candy shop, where they sat on wooden benches with other tourists and learned how to make saltwater taffy, pecan pralines, and peanut brittle. As they exited with a bag of giant chocolate-covered strawberries, which cost a few dollars each, the sky was still gray.
“Will, I think we’re going to have to call it a day before I gain ten pounds. I’m sorry you paid so much for us to get in here and the rides have been closed.”
“No problem, little lady.” Will mimicked the friendly ironsmith’s jargon. “I’m still glad we got to spend the day together.”
On their way out, Ellie noticed a customer service sign hanging over a small white house. The porch was adorned with hanging flowerpots full of pink and purple blooms and white ladder-back rocking chairs for people to sit. “I think I’m going to go in there a minute.”
Will sat down in one of the rockers while Ellie went inside.
A kind-looking woman, the kind you wished was your grandma, sat behind the counter.
“Ma’am,” Ellie said in a friendly tone, “we’ve been here all day, and just an hour or so after we got here, all of the rides closed down because of lightning. Is there any way we can get a refund, or possibly a discount for the future?” Ellie knew there wasn’t much of a chance, but she had to try anyway.
The woman peered at her from behind wire spectacles with keen blue eyes.
Ellie braced herself for the condescension she found rampant in big businesses, even those that labeled themselves “family centered.”
The woman smiled warmly. “We can’t control the weather, now can we?” She wrote good through the season on two new tickets and slid them across the counter to Ellie.
Ellie burst into a smile. “Thank you so much!”
Will declared, as they waited for the parking trolley to take them back down the hill to the truck, that she was amazing.
* * * * *
“I’ve got an idea.”
“Okay, let’s hear it.” Ellie scooted closer to Will in the cab of Scarlett, thinking that her inner hillbilly—or perhaps redneck—was taking over. She didn’t even care.
“I’m going to take you to my place.”
“The woodland sanctuary of the elusive Will Howard?”
“That’s the one. Except I’m not elusive.”
“Celebrity reporters say you are, or at least they used to.”
“I do like my privacy. But—obviously—not when it comes to you.” Will took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s time.”
“Awesome. I’d love to see where you live.”
“There’s only one problem.”
“What’s that?” Ellie couldn’t imagine.
“Dot’s not going to be happy with this arrangement.”
They laughed at that together. Exiting the parking lot, Will turned down Indian Point Road in the opposite direction from which they had entered. After winding through the Branson hills for a few miles, he turned to the left on an unmarked drive.
It was a paved road, but narrow. Just off the big road, they began to meander through dense trees that opened at a small creek. A quaint bridge from a different century crossed the creek. Out of Scarlett’s windows Ellie could see on either side the trickling clear water, polished stones around the edges, and an overhang of forest that shaded much of the creek from the sun. It resembled a scene from a storybook.
“Will, this is beautiful!”
He beamed.
On the other side of the bridge were more woods. They were driving downward, and Ellie had the sense she was delving into a secret. Oak, hickory, cedar, and pine trees congregated to form a canopy above them. The forest floor on either side of the paved lane was mossy and blanketed in leaves. Beautiful rocks—some very large—were scattered throughout, and more than once Ellie saw a rabbit dash by, no doubt on an important and mysterious mission.
At the foot of the hill was a stone gate, understated in its height. Will pressed a button on a remote control clipped to Scarlett’s sun visor and the gate opened inwardly. Will drove through.
What Ellie saw next made her insides dance. She leaned forward in the truck, gaping. “Oh my goodness! Will!”
His voice was shy. “Do you like it?”
“Like it? Are you serious? I love it!”
Will pulled the truck up to the side of the cabin.
Not waiting for him to open her door, Ellie jumped out. “I don’t know what to look at first!” Ellie twirled around, arms extended. “It’s all so beautiful!”
Will’s cabin was set on a tableau of land that backed up to lovely woods. His back porch, running the length of the cabin, overlooked a rock formation that featured stacks of limestone in uneven patterns about two stories high. A natural spring high above created a waterfall that gathered in a pool mere yards from the porch. Will had nurtured the dogwoods, redbud trees, wild ferns, and moss that grew around the pool into a woodland dreamscape.
Ellie plopped on one of the wicker rocking chairs and leaned back. From the copper fire pit, to the mission-style ceiling fans and the wine-red cushions on all of the furniture, the porch was perfectly appointed. “I see why you love it here so much, Will. You’ve created an astonishing place.”
Will was obviously pleased. Taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet. “Well, don’t stop there. I want you to see everything.”
He led her through the French doors of the back porch and into the living room. A natural stone fireplace filled one wall, and there was an old chest in the center of the room for a coffee table, flanked by two chairs and a small couch. The gold walls were rough, like stucco, and the floors were aged, wide-board red oak. A Persian
rug anchored all of the furniture, providing boundaries for the room.
Behind the living room was an antique carved dining table with ten chairs and a matching buffet, which Ellie thought she recognized as German. A long, rough-hewn wooden bowl was set on the table, full of Anjou pears. An iron chandelier with cut crystals glowed softly overhead.
The dining area flowed openly into a functional kitchen with zinc countertops and painted green cabinets. The all-glass doors opened with brushed nickel pulls, and the large gas cooktop was stainless steel, as were the refrigerator, double oven, and dishwasher. The breakfast nook at the end of the kitchen held a small round table made of iron and a bay window with cheerful toile curtains.
Feeling nosy, Ellie walked to the doorway just off the kitchen and pushed through the white saloon doors. She was pleased to see a neat laundry room with a deep sink and terra-cotta tile floor. A door led into the room from outside, and on the wall beside it was a three-tiered wooden rack for shoes. She recognized Will’s tennis shoes, boots, and a pair of Birkenstocks.
“What do you think?” Will’s voice echoed his amused expression.
“It’s great—especially for a man.”
He laughed. “Thanks so much.”
As they moved through the house, Ellie noticed something different about Will—about the way he related to her. Distant didn’t seem the right word, for his eyes were just as kind and his mood was warm as usual. But he wasn’t quite as affectionate, as if he was holding back somehow. Yet he acted so happy to show her his home. Ellie couldn’t quite put her finger on the problem. But when he showed her his bedroom, he stayed outside the door and let her go in and walk around.
“Will, are you okay? Is something going on?”
“Let’s go out front, Ellie. I want you to see the water, and I need to talk to you about something.”
They walked through the foyer and out the front door of the cabin. Ellie gasped at the view of Table Rock Lake. “Honey, I am so happy for you…to know you have this incredible place to come home to—to call your own. It’s like a haven.”
Love Finds You in Branson, Missouri Page 14