Once Upon A Midnight

by Stephanie Rowe

  Darla pulls back. “Boy you two aren’t wasting any time, are you? Most people would take a night to say, sleep.”

  I take my sister’s hands, and although it is my voice speaking, the warmth I sense around me whispers the words into my ear. “Never waste a moment.”

  “I love you, GranGran. Thank you. And thank you Grandpa Frank. No matter where life takes me, I will never, ever waste a moment again.”

  DALE

  Brandon tips his top hat to us as he holds the car door open, and I help my bride into the waiting nineteen forty-nine Lincoln Cosmopolitan. Although the band has stopped, one final song hums in the distance. I last heard that hum on my first date with Bailey, and even though I know the source’s real name now, I sort of prefer his nickname.

  “I’ve missed, ya, Fedora Guy.”

  Brandon shuts the door, and I lean against the car, smiling at the moon. “He’s back, isn’t he?” Brandon asks.

  Of all the amazing things that have happened over the last few years, next to meeting Bailey, living without keeping secrets from my closest friend is up there on the list. My eyes don’t leave the celestial spotlight. “He sure is.”

  Brandon leans along side me, also looking up. “Man, we are really freaks. Your story is almost as weird as mine.”

  I turn to him, jokingly indignant. “Almost? Really?”

  He just crosses his arms and looks at me.

  “Yeah, your show is way freakier than mine.” I point my finger to heaven and thank the powers that be before giving my best friend a hug and a couple of pats on the back. “Don’t let that kid out before we get home.”

  “What am I supposed to do, duct tape him in?”

  “Hey, whatever works.”

  Brandon snarfs at my words.

  “See ya in a couple of weeks.” I head around and open the driver’s side. “And Brandon, take good care of her.”

  He tips his top hat to me. “You know I will.”

  There is not a doubt in my mind.

  Inside the car, I grab the hand of my bride, press it to my lips, and thank the powers that saw fit to show me the way into her heart. As we drive off, I make a point of detouring past Warped Records and tip my hat to the golden glows spotting the inside.

  Once upon a time I visited a psychic, and while I said I was searching for love, what I really wanted to find was myself. Seeking Jennifer may have been the first step, but walking into that store is what changed my life in so many ways. I found magic there—in music, in friends, in my life, and in my soul.

  Thank you for reading Moonlight Serenade, part of The Rock and Roll Fantasy Collection. Learn the wild story of how Brandon and Katherine met in Voices Carry. Want to see how it all began? Join Darla, GranGran, Bailey, and a charmed Ouija board in It’s A Marshmallow World, then follow that board into a crazy, rock and roll adventure in Scary Modsters … and Creepy Freaks, accompanied by Jacqueline’s side story, Queen Midas In Reverse. All standalone adventures; all available now.

  Play List

  “Moonlight Serenade” - Glenn Miller Orchestra

  “Witchcraft” - Frank Sinatra

  “It’s Only A Paper Moon” - Ella Fitzgerald

  “Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me” - Sidney Bechet

  “I Got A Right To Sing The Blues” - Ella Fitzgerald

  “Scattin’ At The Kit Kat” - Duke Ellington

  “It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie” - Patty Page

  “I’ll Never Smile Again” - Frank Sinatra

  “Why Don’t You Do Right” - Peggy Lee

  “Devil May Care” - Frank Sinatra

  “Minnie The Moocher” - Cab Calloway

  “Stormy Weather” - Ella Fitzgerald

  “And The Angels Sing”- Martha Tilton

  “This Nearly Was Mine” - Frank Sinatra

  “Straighten Up And Fly Right” - The Andrews Sisters

  “With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair” - Bob Chester Band with Delores O’Neill

  “The Coffee Song” - Frank Sinatra

  “Duke’s Place” - Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington

  “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair” - Ella Fitzgerald

  “Going To Chicago” - Count Basie and Joe Williams

  “Thanks For The Memory” - Dorothy Lamor

  “Look To Your Heart” - Frank Sinatra

  “The Man With The Horn” - Harry James & His Orchestra

  “I’m Beginning To See The Light” - Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington

  “Cheek To Cheek” - Fred Astaire

  About Diane

  Enjoying San Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in USA Today Bestselling Author Diane Rinella's one hundred and fifty-year old Victorian home augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun's crowning hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n' roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence her idiosyncratic writing.

  Sign up for Diane's newsletter and never miss a new release: http://eepurl.com/7iLSb

  Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianeRinellaAuthor

  Catamount Ridge

  Aubree Lane

  ©Aubree Lane 2016

  1

  Spring 1985

  BUILT ON SWEAT and sacrifice, Cade Marcus marveled at the upscale home he built with his own two hands. The house was magnificent, but the last six months had tested his marriage in more ways than he thought possible. While it had been Bonnie’s idea to build the house themselves, she repeatedly remarked how difficult it was to live life alone as a single parent while he toiled away. The Marcus family was still together, but they were hanging by a thread.

  Cade drew in a sigh of relief. It was moving day. A peaceful world without angry words waited patiently just over the horizon. While loading the moving van the previous evening, the couple vowed to make their marriage a priority the moment they were settled in their new home. That mountain was in the process of being scaled. There were more to conquer, but Cade was confident he and Bonnie were headed in the right direction.

  Jessie walked up the ramp of the moving van and held out her hands. The eight-year-old was the apple of Cade’s eye, but she was constantly at odds with her mother. With this larger house, he hoped the tension between the two most important ladies in his life would also settle down. Cade handed her a manageable box and the helpful mover headed inside.

  Nathan was up next. Three years younger than his sister, the boy was a little on the whiny side. Cade loved the kid, but it was challenging to remain calm when the five-year-old started grumbling. Nathan’s shrill voice grated on him like no other. So far, today had been a good day. Nathan was excited about getting his own room and being able to play out in their massive yard. The child wouldn’t be much help, but taking a few boxes inside would make him feel useful and keep him happy for a while longer.

  The box the young boy carried was light, but too large for him to see over the top. Jessie stopped and the boy crashed into his sister. Both children ended up sprawled out on the redwood deck with the contents of their boxes scattered everywhere.

  “Jessie,” Cade called out. “Why did you stop?”

  “Somebody left a bunch of papers on the porch.”

  He placed his load aside and went to see what she was talking about. “Anything important?”

  “Pamphlets,” the little girl replied. “One is from the CDF, and the other one is from the Department of Fish and Game.”

  “What’s the CDF?”

  Jessie rolled her eyes. “It’s the California Department of Forestry. It explains how to keep our house safe from wildfires.”

  Cade thought the superior expression on his daughter’s face was cute, but he dreaded what that was going to look like when she hit
her teens.

  “What’s the one from Fish and Game about?” he asked.

  “Wildlife,” she answered sarcastically. “It talks about bears, skunks, birds, snakes and—”

  That was all he needed to hear. The information left on the porch could wait.

  “Okay, baby,” he interrupted. “We need to get back to work. Set them on the table and I’ll look at them later.” He glanced at his son and asked, “Are you all right, kiddo?”

  Nathan held up a bent toy fishing pole and cried, “It’s broke!”

  Cade felt his irritation level begin to rise, but how he treated Nathan was one of Bonnie’s sore points. For the sake of his wife and child, Cade pushed his annoyance aside and dutifully examined the pole. “Don’t worry, big guy. I think I can fix it.” He applied pressure to the plastic and curved it back until the toy almost resembled its original shape. Cade feared it wouldn’t be enough to appease his emotional son, so he said, “Sometime tomorrow, let’s take a break and head down to the creek and put this fishing pole to use.”

  Nathan wiped his tears and grinned. “Won’t we need worms?”

  That was a great idea. The search for bait would keep the kid occupied and out from underfoot. “I’m sure there are a ton of them out in the yard. There is an empty coffee can on the kitchen counter. You can put your worms in that.”

  Nathan danced away and Cade wished all their problems could be solved so easily.

  • • •

  THEIR BACKYARD WAS nothing but dirt and scrub brush. Thirty feet from the house, the hillside dropped off into the canyon below. Nathan could dig just about anywhere and not get into trouble. His stubby hands were full. On one side, he carried the coffee can. The other hand drug a small kid size shovel in the dirt behind him. Every once in a while, he would stop, kick over a rock and check for night crawlers. So far, he hadn’t had any luck. Frustrated, he plopped down in the dirt.

  “What are you doing?” Jessie called from high upon the deck.

  “I’m looking for worms,” he whined. “But I can’t find any. Will you help me?”

  “Have you lost your mind?” the young girl replied with disgust. “I’ll get dirty.” She held up the pamphlets. “Would you like me to read to you?”

  “No,” Nathan shot back. “I have to find some worms so Daddy and I can go fishing tomorrow.”

  “Daddy will be too busy with the house!” Jessie replied adamantly. “He’s always too busy. He’s going to forget and not take you anywhere. You should come up here and let me read to you.”

  The little boy turned red in the face. The house was done. They were moving in. Tomorrow Daddy would have time.

  “Leave me alone!” He blasted at his sister. “I don’t want you to read to me, and I don’t want your help!”

  “Fine!” With her back turned towards her brother, Jessie sat down to study her pamphlets.

  Nathan stormed off wanting to get as far away from his sister as possible. When he reached the edge of the canyon, he pitched the container and plunged his shovel into the ground. The earth was bone dry. His shovel only went in a tiny bit, and hardly any soil turned over. Frustrated, the little boy scanned the area for a softer place. He spied a series of small holes under a bush next to the drop off. With a hard push of his foot, his shovel dug deep into the soft soil. To his surprise, he unearthed a mound of worms. The squiggling creatures hurried to wiggle away. Nathan’s can was on the other side of the yard. He didn’t want to lose his bait, so the little boy stuffed the squirming crawlers into his pocket and raced off to find his father.

  • • •

  CADE WAS IN the back of the U-Haul when Nathan pranced up the ramp patting his pockets.

  “Daddy, I found a whole bunch of worms,” he announced proudly. “Listen, they make music.”

  Cold fear gripped Cade’s soul when he heard the familiar sound. “Pumpkin, worms don’t make music. Take your jacket off and let me see what you have in there.”

  For once, Nathan did as he was asked and dutifully handed his jacket to his father.

  “Be careful,” the young boy warned. “They bite.”

  Cade dropped the jacket to the floor, and Nathan’s worms slithered out. Their triangular shaped heads, and the tan and black pattern running down their backs confirmed his suspicion. Nathan’s worms were baby diamond back rattlesnakes.

  The little boy lunged to recapture his booty. “Don’t let them get away,” he cried.

  The panicked dad snatched his son’s hands away, but the sudden movement startled the snakes.

  Every last one of the tiny creatures coiled and attacked the unsuspecting boy and his horrified father.

  Cade was struck twice on his hand and once on his ankle before he wrangled Nathan away. By the time they reached the house, Cade’s leg was already burning. Fearing the worse, he frantically flung open the front door, and shouted, “Bonnie! Call 911. Nathan and I need immediate medical attention.”

  The little boy whimpered in his arms.

  Fighting to control his own shaking hands, Cade placed him on the floor and concentrated solely on his son’s injuries. “Where did they get you, baby?”

  Nathan’s eyes were wide with fear. “On my hands,” he sniffed. “But those don’t hurt much.” He lifted his shirt. “They also got me on my side. That one hurts a lot.”

  The child’s hands looked fine, all Cade saw were a few tiny scratches. The bite on his side was another story, it was already swelling and changing color.

  “Bonnie! Jessie!” he called again. “Where are you? We need help!”

  The door slammed and Jessie stomped in from the back deck. Irritated hands were mounted on her hips, and she barked, “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t want you to panic,” Cade soothed. “Nathan and I were bitten by some baby rattlers. Where’s Mommy?”

  Bonnie flew down the stairs with her cell phone in hand.

  “I’m here,” she wailed on the verge of hysterics. “I can’t get through. The signal keeps cutting out. The land line isn’t hooked up yet. What are we going to do?”

  “I can tell you,” Jessie stated from the far side of the room.

  “Enough!” Bonnie snapped. “I’m trying to think.”

  Jessie held up the pamphlet. “I read all about rattlesnake bites in the booklet, Fish and Game left on the porch. I know what to do.”

  Cade looked at his wife, then at Jessie. It was a no-brainer. His calm, self-assured daughter was their best bet. “Tell us what it says, baby girl.”

  The child’s face filled with pride. “The best remedy for a snake bite is a set of car keys. That means we need to get to the hospital right away.”

  Cade dug into his pants pocket and tossed his car keys to his wife.

  “Get Nathan into the car,” he ordered. “Jessie, you take Mommy’s phone and get buckled in.”

  With Jessie at her heels, Bonnie seized Nathan and raced for the SUV.

  Cade stumbled out the front door. Sweat ran into his eyes and he couldn’t put any weight on his foot. Bonnie ran back to help. She propped him up with her shoulder and hauled him towards the vehicle.

  “We have another problem,” she whispered in his ear.

  In a pathetic attempt at humor, he chuckled, “Only one?”

  An angry glare flashed in his wife’s eyes. “I don’t know how to get to the hospital, smart ass.”

  He wasn’t surprised his remark wasn’t appreciated, but Cade didn’t think it would have been received with such hatred. Changing his tone, he tried to sound reassuring. “It’s less than twenty minutes away. Just head down the hill. When we pick up a signal, Jessie can call 911.”

  “How do you know the time it takes to get to the hospital, but not where it’s at?” she snapped.

  Cade wondered when the loving woman he married had been replaced by the shrew standing next to him. Bonnie had every right to be upset, but the loathing in her voice made it clear their marriage was in more trouble than he thought. Cade didn’t care what
happened to himself. He cared about his son and getting him the medical care he desperately needed. For Nathan’s sake, he had to keep Bonnie focused on the matter at hand.

  “No matter what happens,” he said gravely, “you have to keep driving. Concentrate on the road. Don’t stop. The only thing you can do is get us to the hospital. Promise me you won’t stop.”

  Bonnie shuddered. Her anger dissipated and the determined lady got down to business. As soon as she shoved him in the car, she jumped behind the wheel, and threw the SUV into action.

  From the backseat, Jessie sang out, “The article says a rattlesnake’s venom is called a hemotoxin. It can make you pretty sick, but with proper care, it’s rarely fatal in healthy adults.”

  “But I’m just a kid,” Nathan whimpered.

  “Oh, be quiet,” Jessie snapped. “It also says the snakes can choose whether to inject venom into its victim, and that half of the rattlesnake bites to humans are dry. Which means, no poison. You’re going to be fine.”

  “It still hurts,” the little boy cried louder.

  “Well, duh. You were bitten by a snake.”

  “Not just once,” Nathan wailed at the top of his lungs. “The snakes bit me a lot!”

  The bickering in the back seat gave Cade comfort. Jessie’s ramblings explained why the sites on their hands weren’t as painful as the one on his ankle or the one on Nathan’s side. It took every ounce of his self-control to keep from screaming out in agony. Nathan was only crying sporadically. Cade prayed that was an indication that his son’s injuries weren’t nearly as severe as his own.

  As gently as possible, he pulled his pant leg up to look at his ankle. The pressure of the material brushing against his wound was agonizing, and what he saw made him ill. His leg had grown twice its normal size and was turning black. Blisters were developing and spreading fast. His stomach churned.

  Cade rolled down his window, hung his head outside the car, and vomited.

  Weak and lightheaded, he pulled his sweat covered face back inside the SUV. “Jessie,” he said feebly, “try calling 911.”