by Nathan Roden
As we took the nearest turn—on two wheels, I’m sure—I heard the driver’s voice on the intercom.
“Please, please, please tell me you didn’t just rob that place. I’m on probation, man!”
“No,” I said. “Nothing that exciting. What’s your name? I hate calling somebody ‘driver’.”
“Todd.”
“All right, Todd. Let’s just drive around while we decide what else we might do tonight.”
“You got it.”
“It’s getting late,” Nate said. “We’ll have to come up with something pretty quick.”
“Yeah,” I said. I turned and started to say something to Holly until I saw the odd look on her face.
“What is it?”
“Those people were acting like you were part of the Royal family—or like you were one of the Beagles or something.
“Does she mean the Beatles?” Tooie whispered to Nate.
“I have no idea,” Nate whispered back.
‘Yeah, well,” I stammered. “It’s only because I’m working with Skyler KwyK now. She’s all kinds of bloody famous.”
Holly nodded.
“Okay,” she said. She still looked at me funny.
“What about the riverboat?” Tooie asked. “The one that has the dinner show. I haven’t been on that boat since I was a little girl.”
“That sounds perfect!” Nate said.
“Yeah, except for those conventions in town,” I said. “What are the odds that we could even get on board?”
“I can get you on that boat!”
We all looked around because for a moment we forgot about the limousine’s intercom.
“Uh, what do you have in mind, Todd?” I asked. “Breaking and entering?”
Todd laughed.
“Oh, no. I used to work on the dinner theater boat—back in the day.”
“So, you still have friends there?” Nate asked.
“You might say that. My old man drives the thing.”
“Really,” Tooie said. “Why would you leave?”
“I didn’t get along with the boss,” Todd laughed.
“Tell you what, Todd,” I said. “Drive us to an ATM. Whatever Quentin Lynchburg tipped you, it wasn’t enough. If you can get us on the boat for the show, I’m gonna tip your old man, too.”
“You got it, Mr. Westerhouse,” Todd said. “Four seats on the dinner-boat, coming up!” The limousine accelerated.
“Hey, Todd!” I said.
“Yes, Sir!”
“Knock it off with the ‘Sir’, all right?”
“Sure! Whatever you say, Wylie.”
“An extra two hundred if you can make it six seats.”
“Six—uh, okay,” Todd said.
Seventeen
Wylie Westerhouse
Branson, Missouri
We followed Todd across the parking lot toward the river boat. He walked up to the ticket-taker. They had a big handshake and a bro-hug. The other guy said something into a walkie-talkie. A few minutes later, Todd ushered us past the roped off area, and up the gang-plank.
I was a little bit excited I guess, which might explain why I temporarily forgot what I was doing.
“Okay, Wylie,” Todd said. “I don’t know why you wanted six seats, but—”
I had just grabbed Todd’s hand to thank him for saving our evening. And he was watching all six of us board the riverboat.
“What the—?” Todd said. He turned his head in both directions, and then he turned in a complete circle.
“Where did those other two people come from?”
Todd had helped us out, big time. I hated to leave him hanging.
“Wait for us, huh?” I said. “Look, Todd. This is all new to me, too. We’ll talk about it later.”
Todd nodded.
“Thanks,” I said.
The riverboat show was excellent. I can’t give an honest review of the show itself. I paid more attention to the reactions of the others than I did the stage. Holly was mesmerized. That pleased me to no end.
And Nora—you would have thought that we were witnessing an award-winning Broadway production. This pleased Duncan to no end. I couldn’t have been happier. Nate was watching their reactions, too. He kept grinning at me—like we had hit the biggest home run in the history of triple dates. I think we did, too.
We were the last of the guests to leave the boat. Todd leaned against the hood of the limo.
“One, two, three, four. So, are we ready to go now, or are we waiting for…?”
“We’re all here,” I said. “Listen, Todd—”
Todd shook his head.
“Look, Wylie. You’re a good dude and everything. Between you and Mr. Lynchburg, I’ve made two months’ worth of wages in one night. There’s something really weird going on here, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. But I messed up last year, big time—and I have to get myself right, now. You know what I’m saying?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Todd held out his hand. I didn’t move.
“I’m sorry. You can’t touch me, Todd. That’s how this thing works. You helped me out tonight—probably more than you’ll ever know. Get your life back on track. And one day—I may be able to show you wonders that you can’t begin to imagine.”
Todd bit his lip.
“I believe that. I really do.”
Todd dropped Nate and Tooie at Nate’s house. He let Holly and me off at the castle. He also dropped off Duncan and Nora, but he had no way of knowing that. Nora dragged Duncan toward the castle as she ran. Holly and I laughed. Nora couldn’t wait to tell her mother and father all about their experience.
I took Holly’s hand. We walked down the hill, past the patio. We sat on top of the picnic table that looked out over the pond on the neighboring golf course.
“That was fun,” I said.
“It was breathtaking,” Holly said.
“I don’t know if I would go that far.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Wylie!” Holly said. “Were you watching Nora?”
I chuckled.
“She was cute, that’s true.”
“Cute? You don’t understand. I’ve only known Nora for thirteen years, but she’s been—
“Wylie, you just don’t understand. Nora’s father was determined that she wait until she turned eighteen to even have a boy call on her. You have no idea what this night meant to her. She’s been waiting for five hundred years!”
Holly grabbed my chin. She looked into my eyes with a look that I felt all the way to my core.
“Nora is like my very own sister. And you gave her a night—of magic!”
Holly kissed me. I felt her tremble. Her touch did indeed feel like magic.
My phone rang, of course.
I didn’t want to look at the screen, but it wouldn’t stop ringing. Holly looked like she expected me to answer it.
It was Skyler.
I sighed.
“It’s the boss. I have to take this.”
Holly nodded.
‘”Hi,” Skyler said.
“Hi.”
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Skyler said. “I know you only had a couple of days, and it’s late.”
“Not a problem, Skyler. What’s up?”
“We’re having another press conference—to announce the tour. It’s going to be here, on Thursday night. I know that you’ll be here on Monday—I just wanted you to be prepared.”
I winced.
“Another press conference? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“We’ve spoken with everyone who will attend—ahead of time, this time,” Skyler said. “We’re going to be in total control—no questions or comments from the press gallery. This press conference will be one-way—information on the albums and tour only.”
“I guess I can’t screw this up, then,” I said.
“You’re the one with the number six song in the country, Mr. Big Shot. That will go a long way toward keeping the critics quiet.”
“I’m still a nervous wreck about the tour.”
“I would be worried if you weren’t a nervous wreck.”
“So, this press conference,” I said. “Do I have a script to follow? Or should I just keep my mouth shut?”
“We’ll talk about it when you get back,” Skyler said. “Have a good time.”
“ I will. I am.”
“Another press conference?” Holly asked. “Will it be on the tellie?”
“I forgot to ask,” I said. “I think so.”
Holly wrapped her hands around my arm and laid her head on my shoulder.
“I’m going to watch.”
I got chills at that.
“That will be great.”
“Holly?”
We turned and looked toward the second story balcony of the castle. Holly’s parents shielded their eyes as they peered in our direction. We waved at them.
“Over here!” Holly yelled.
“Just checking, dear!” Gwendoline yelled back.
I stood up and held out my hand. Holly took it.
“Maybe Mr. McIntyre and your father had a few chats, back in the day,” I smiled.
“It’s possible,” Holly said.
“Are you going for a run in the morning?”
“Every Sunday morning, for sure,” Holly said. “It’s so peaceful and quiet.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all. That will be like two dates in a row.”
“I could get used to that,” I said.
Sunday afternoon was interesting. Nate and I were leaving at six P.M. to go back to St. Louis. Mr. And Mrs. McFadden conducted the two afternoon castle tours so that Holly and I could spend the day together. Quentin invited everyone over again—the living as well as the ghosts. One thing that Quentin hadn’t thought about was how popular his pool table was going to become. A lot of the tour guests wanted to play, or at least watch.
This put a definite cramp in the ghost’s participation. Bruiser, Dougie, and Delbert leaned against the wall while Quentin and Oliver teamed up to play a game against a pair of college boys. The ghosts were being good sports about it, but I felt bad for them.
After Quentin finished his turn, he walked over and whispered to me.
“Would you mind doing me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Would you take the guys and show theme where my condo is? I put a table in there, too. It doesn’t look like they’re going to get to play here today.”
“I can do that. Are you sure you want them to know where you live?”
Quentin looked around the room.
“Wylie, one year ago, my world was only as big as me and my birds. Look around us. All of these people are my family now.”
Q clapped me on the shoulder. He sniffed.
“And it all started with you.”
“It’s your shot, Quentin,” Oliver said. “Come along. Do the best you can.”
Q laughed.
“No respect!” No respect, at all!”
Quentin ushered the last of the college kids out of the castle. It took quite a while for mine and Nate’s goodbyes.
Holly and I had a goodbye kiss that prompted a chorus of whistles, whoops, and hollers from the others.
“C’mon, Holly!” Tooie said with a laugh. “They’re going to St. Louis to sing and dance around—they’re not going off to war!”
I would remember that statement later.
Artie Taylor was pulling night duty at the KwyK Ranch’s security gate.
“Hey, Wylie! Hi, Toby! How’s that big boy? I guess that’s Nate’s car behind you, huh? How was the weekend?”
“It was a good one, Artie. You’re doing the night shift?”
“Yeah. One of the young guys had a kid’s ball game to go to, so I swapped shifts with him.”
“We brought you a little something,” I said. “I’ll swing by your office.”
Artie told me that he and his wife found a little bakery near their cabin on their last little vacation in Branson.
“No way!” Artie said when I gave him the box.
“One dozen of Momma Jo’s finest cinnamon rolls—fresh this morning,” I said.
“Wow,” Artie said. “It’s a shame you didn’t bring some for the wife.”
“Let your conscience be your guide. My hands are clean.”
“This is great,” Artie said. “Thanks a bunch. Ya know, you’re quite the buzz around here, lately. Your song is tearin’ it up.”
“Yeah, well, the song that Skyler and I did together is the one that’s driving the bus.”
Artie looked around.
“Don’t be so quick to sell yourself short, Wylie. The KwyKs are good people—Lord knows they’ve been good to me and my family. But it’s a big, wide world out there. There’s plenty of room for you to shine. Life is a big brass ring, son. Don’t ever pass up a chance to reach up and grab it.”
“Wise words,” I said. “Thanks a lot, Artie.”
“Thank you. I got two hours to go before my relief comes in. Me and the coffee pot and Momma Jo’s cinnamon rolls have some bonding to do.”
I laughed.
“You sound just like Nate!”
“I’ll take that as the highest form of compliment.”
I pulled into the parking space next to Nate’s car. He had already unloaded his bags and gone inside.
I took Toby to his room. That still sounds really weird to me. I mean, less than six months ago, Toby and I were this close to being homeless. I was making plans to move back to Boston and live with my mom.
That’s what I was thinking about while I opened the back of my car to get my luggage out. I heard a bell tinkling. It was the bell on the exit door from the gym. Apollo pushed it open. He took a long drink from a water bottle. He had a towel wrapped around his neck.
Does this guy do anything else? I thought.
I pretended that I didn’t see or hear him. I hoped that he would ignore me and keep walking. Yeah, that didn’t happen.
“I don’t ever see you in the gym,” Apollo said. He was standing behind me.
“Yeah,” I said. “I would rather be outside. I do some running. I do pull-ups around there on the…over there…”
“On the playground,” Apollo sneered. “The little kids’ playground.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“I’m not sure you realize how grueling these tours can be.”
“I get it. Skyler told me—”
“Skyler,” he said, “has a lot more to deal with than making sure that you get in shape and stay that way. She’s used to dealing with responsible professionals.”
I didn’t like where this was going.
“So, you don’t think I’m a responsible professional—is that it?”
I couldn’t help but watch the bead of sweat that rolled from his neck, and down his shoulder. It followed the bulging vein down the length of his right bicep until it dropped off of his elbow.
I shuddered a little bit. That last bit was kind of creepy.
Apollo raised his chin.
“I don’t think you’re anything, yet. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a zero. A complete unknown. Unproven. Untested.”
“Everybody starts at zero,” I said.
“No. Not everybody.”
I didn’t see Apollo take a step but I swear he was closer to me than he was before.
“Some people get to skip the bottom rungs of the ladder. Some people have a wealthy, successful star pluck them from their meaningless, nowhere existence and lay the keys to the ranch in their hand.”
“Look,” I said. “I don’t know what you’ve been told, but Skyler came to me. I had my own career when Skyler was still having pillow fights in her pajamas for an audience of children.”
“Yeah, your own career,” Apollo said. “That worked out great, didn’t it?”
I hefted my duffel bag and slammed the hatch closed.
“This conversation is over,” I said. I turned
around.
Apollo grabbed my arm and spun me around. I dropped my bag and fell against my car. A pain shot through my lower back. The passenger side mirror now hung half-way to the ground, suspended by a single cable.
“Do not ever turn your back on me, punk!” Apollo said through clenched teeth.
I heard a clanking sound to my right. Apollo heard it, too, but he was facing me and the sound echoed off of the nearby buildings. He didn’t seem to know where the sound came from. He returned his attention—and his hatred—toward me.
The noise was familiar, somehow—a sound I hadn’t heard in a long time. I kept my head still but looked to my right as far as I could.
Glinting in the overhead lights, I saw what made the noise.
An aluminum baseball bat.
That was not the most significant thing in my vision.
No, that would be the man standing next to the bat and pointing at it—over and over and over.
The ghost of a man.
I winced and stood up straight.
“What are you gonna do now, Big Guy?” I said to Apollo.
I looked him in the eye. I took a step toward him. I put one finger under my chin and pushed it up.
“You want to break my face? Break my jaw? Here it is. But I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen after that. We have a press conference in three days. The tour starts in eleven days. In six months, my jaw will be as good as new. You, on the other hand—
“You’ll be trying to find the strength to drag your sorry butt into the gym after a day of digging ditches. Say ‘bye-bye’, biceps.”
I watched Apollo clench and unclench his fists while his nostrils flared like a wild animal.
“I have no idea why she is gambling her career on the likes of you,” Apollo said. “You’ve already turned the media against her. Why don’t you just do the right thing and disappear?”