Chuck shook his head. “She’ll be fine—it’s the rest of us I’m worried about.”
Carolyn was mesmerized as their plane thrust into the air. It wasn’t her first flight—they had been flown on a private jet to visit Dr. Samuel Jordan in North Carolina to confirm her diagnosis—but that didn’t take away from her excitement.
“Airplanes are really cool.”
Chuck just nodded, while gripping onto the sides of his seat. Flying made him uncomfortable, so he didn’t share her sense of adventure.
“Can we jump out of the plane with a parachute?”
“It’s not really that type of plane, Carolyn.”
She actually looked a little disappointed by the news.
About halfway between New York and Nashville, the captain came on the intercom to warn of some turbulence ahead, and that he was going to put on the Fasten Seat Belt sign.
“What’s turbo-lance?” Carolyn asked, but just as she got the words out of her mouth, she received her answer. The plane began to shake violently.
The passenger in the aisle-seat looked to Chuck and said, “That’s the problem with these commercial jets. If they go into a spin, they can’t pull out of them.”
He wasn’t helping, and Chuck’s grip tightened on the seat.
The man remained calm, and introduced himself as Steve Klump, a former Air Force fighter pilot. He now lived outside of Nashville and owned an HVAC company. Any other time Chuck might have struck up a conversation with the man, but right now he was too busy holding on for dear life.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” the man said. “At your size, if we start going down, the ground will be afraid of you.”
Carolyn got a good laugh at that one. “The ground is afraid of my dad.”
“You’re the one who should be scared,” the man said to Carolyn, as the plane continued to shake, bouncing the luggage around in the overhead compartments.
She giggled. “Turbo-lance is fun!”
The plane eventually smoothed out and they glided the rest of the way through blue skies. Carolyn spent the entire time staring out the window at the big world below, amazed by how small it looked. Chuck sure hoped that Beth could see the wide-eyed look on her face. It was the same thought he had every time she’d flash that cheek-to-cheek grin or unleash her unbridled laugh. He had to believe that Beth did see it—the thought that she couldn’t was just too cruel.
After landing in Nashville, Carolyn said, “I think I wanna be a fighter pilot when I grow up, like that guy next to us.”
Chuck’s legs felt like jelly as they walked through the airport terminal, still shaken from the turbulent ride. “Just so we’re clear. I’m not going to let you go on dates, much less fly an airplane.”
“What do you wanna do when you grow up, Daddy?”
He thought for a moment. “I’ve already got my dream job.”
“A hockey coach?”
“No—being your dad.”
They smiled at each other, as they continued walking toward the unknown.
Chapter 42
Dana looked frustrated. “If we can’t pull off a birthday party for a bunch of kindergarteners, there’s no hope for our wedding.”
Billy was going to remind her that if it had been up to him they would have eloped, problem solved, but he had bigger problems heading their way. Dana locked eyes on the incoming enemy fighters, and her lip twisted in that way it does when she’s pissed.
“You can’t be serious, dude,” was all she said.
“It’s a Superfriends party. They’re modeling the costumes.”
“You do know this is a birthday party for a six-year-old, not your bachelor party, right?”
He smiled. “They offered to give me a two-for-one deal on that, but that’s up to Chuck—as my Best Man he’s in charge of the bachelor party.”
Dana continued to lock on the targets. “When I was a kid, superheroes seemed invulnerable beacons of light, but it turns out they were just a couple snips away from being a sexy Halloween costume. It’s sad.”
“Only because you haven’t seen yourself in the Wonder Woman costume I picked out for you,” Billy said, still smiling, at the woman who allowed him to smile again.
“And let me guess. Being the dark, brooding type you are, you will be Batman?”
“We so get each other. It’s like we’re sharing the same brain.”
She rolled her eyes.
No matter what Billy’s costume would be this year, it would be an upgrade over the itchy Elmo suit Beth forced him to wear at Carolyn’s fourth birthday party, almost two years ago. Actually, forced would be inaccurate. She gave him an ultimatum. Wear it and stop the drinking, and he could stay. Otherwise, start packing. His first instinct was to hit the road, but something changed his mind. Whatever the reason, he was glad he did.
That was the first of Carolyn’s birthday parties he attended, just days after renting the Whitcomb’s cottage, and the theme was “natural science.” The second party, last year, the first without her mother, was a “princess party.” And this year, matching her own transformation from Princess Carolyn to Supergirl’s helper, it would be “Superfriends.”
The plan was for a surprise party scheduled for Monday, Labor Day, when Carolyn returned from Nashville with her dad—a week before her actual birthday. Her friends would come dressed as their favorite superhero, with the stipulation that Supergirl would be reserved for Carolyn. Then Kaylee and Cassidy offered to round up some of their friends to play the role of the “real” superheroes at the party, looking for extra money before they returned to college. That was their excuse anyway—it’s not like the trust-fund kids needed the cash.
Billy sensed confrontation as the Scroggins sisters approached. Cassidy was dressed as Elektra—the Ninja assassin mercenary, who was the love interest of Daredevil—wearing a tight, leather red dress with a slit up to her hip, exposing Elektra’s famed thigh band. A red headdress and matching boots completed the costume, along with a sword.
“It’s just plastic,” she said of the sword, as if they might be alarmed.
“She’d know plastic,” he heard Dana murmur under her breath.
“She can hypnotize her opponents, and make them imagine whatever she wants,” Cassidy said, her eyes on Billy. “What are you imagining right now, Billy?”
Dana seemed especially interested in his answer. “I’m not imagining anything, but I am thinking that Elektra was able to resist extreme cold, heat, and even pain, so I thought it would be a good fit for Carolyn’s party.”
He looked to Dana to see if his answer was correct. It was inconclusive.
Kaylee was dressed in an emerald corset with a double lace-up that looked painted on, and a mini skirt of the same color. She wore black leggings with a circular pattern on them, which looked like linked chains.
“I’m The Enchantress,” she announced.
The Enchantress is the known enemy of Thor, and apparently also Dana Boulanger.
Kaylee looked to Billy, and said, “The Enchantress is famous for her superhuman durability and stamina, but you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?”
Billy smartly chose not to answer, which allowed Kaylee to continue, “She also has the ability to enhance her allure and natural beauty.”
Billy waited for an “enhancement” comment from Dana, but none came.
Kaylee maintained her stare on Billy. “She could get any man to become her slave just by kissing him. Do you want to try it out, to make sure her powers are working correctly?”
“I’ll pass, thanks,” Billy said.
“Your loss.”
“Do you want us to model any other costumes?” Cassidy asked.
“No—I think we’re good.”
“Do either of you have the power to disappear, because I’d like to see if that one is working properly,” Dana said.
They flashed her smug smiles as they strutted away.
Billy grabbed Dana’s hand. “Come with me.”
“I figured I’m already in the doghouse, so I might as well show you the finished product.”
Dana knew what he meant and followed eagerly.
They came to a small clearing in the property where they were greeted by Jay and Tilly. They were putting the finishing touches on Carolyn’s birthday present—a custom doghouse for Nails, which was a serious upgrade over his current digs.
“That is brilliant,” Dana exclaimed.
“It’s nicer than the house I grew up in,” Billy said.
It was a mini red-barn, built to look similar to the main house on the property. It even had a white picket fence that served as the doggie-gate.
Jay continued to paint the white trim on the red door. “Tell me about it. Nails is living the dream.”
“Speaking of which, have you seen him?” Dana asked. She and Billy were on dog-duty with Chuck and Carolyn out of town. It had been a struggle for Chuck to convince Carolyn to go without Nails, but he promised her that he’d be in good hands with Billy and Dana. That was still to be determined.
“He just ran through here. I think he’s after that cute little beagle next door,” Jay said with a laugh. “He doesn’t know how good he has it being single—pretty soon she’ll be bossing him around in his own doghouse, nagging him to clean up his mess.”
Tilly rolled her eyes. “It’s no picnic on our end either, buster. And when have you ever cleaned up anything, nag or no nag?”
His smile turned sheepish. “I was talking about the dogs—not sure what you’re referring to.”
Billy and Dana found themselves nodding along.
Barking interrupted them, but it wasn’t Nails, or his lady friend. It was Ronald and Reagan.
“Sounds like summer’s over,” Dana said with a forlorn look. The time had gone by way too quick.
Maddie and Anna were dressed and ready to go. They were looking very Klein in their designer outfits and hats, unlike most of the summer that was spent in shorts and flip-flops. They looked like entirely different people. And much more grown up.
The dogs were their only luggage, as most of their things had been shipped back to Washington yesterday.
“The Senator called—he said they’d be here for us in five minutes,” Maddie said.
Billy cringed. The Senator? It was still better than “our other dad,” he guessed.
And thanks to Carolyn and the twins, they probably wouldn’t have to ever call him Mr. President, with all the bad publicity he received over the incident with the war hero.
The limo pulled into the driveway and Billy felt a pang in his heart with each bit of dirt and gravel it kicked up. It wasn’t easy to say goodbye.
He gave each of them a big hug and kiss, and then all three of them converged in a group hug, while Dana took photos of them. The girls then encouraged Dana to join, and they took a group selfie.
“Are you going to be lonely, Dad?” Anna asked Billy.
“I will miss you every moment, but I’ll be too busy to be lonely.”
“He’s not kidding, he has to get the next PB&J book done by Thanksgiving,” said his agent.
“The one about the bullies,” Anna reminded him.
He had presented them three possible scenarios, and that was the one they chose. Anna had trouble last year with a bully at their school, but LaRoche convinced her to turn the other cheek, and not report it to her teacher. They later found out that the bully was related to the head of a Super-Pac that had helped fund his campaigns.
“I liked that one, but I still think Peanut Butter and Jelly should have karate chopped him just like we did to that guy,” Maddie said, and hit Billy with a chop to the arm, and a “Hi-ya!”
If I was that bully, I’d be on high-alert this fall, Billy thought. The Harper sisters were not to be messed with. But he still had to provide the parental lecture that there actions that day served no good, and violence is only to be used as a last resort, in self-defense.
A sad look came over Anna’s face. “I’m going to miss this place.”
“Yeah—it’s like our second home.” Maddie added.
“I’m glad you decided not to move,” Anna said.
The person responsible for that, Dana, extended her arms. “How about a hug for the coolest future stepmom ever?”
They rushed to her, wrapping their little arms around her. And with that, another summer was in the books.
Oliver and Kelly graced them with their presence. They shook hands. It wasn’t normally laughter and backslaps, but things had grown increasingly cold since they blamed Billy for the incident that had tossed a monkey wrench into his comeback plan. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.
The twins greeted their mother, and The (former) Senator. And they hardly went kicking and screaming, as Billy’s ego liked to fantasize. Especially when their little brother Gordie made an appearance, and they sure seemed excited to see each other. They would miss their second home, but looked forward to returning to their first. That was just reality.
The family gathered near the limo. LaRoche tousled Gordie’s hair and played with the dogs. It was as if he was constantly campaigning, even when there were no cameras around, and he wasn’t running for anything … that they knew of. Billy had learned to never underestimate Oliver LaRoche.
“Are you okay?” Dana asked him, while watching them drive off.
“It’s just that I always wanted to give them the perfect life—and I don’t mean money. The idyllic home life with two loving parents. Meet me at the door after a hard day at work, eat dinner together, help them with their homework. My upbringing was so full of upheaval, I promised it would be different for Maddie and Anna.”
“That’s your fantasy, not theirs. Life isn’t a 1980’s sitcom. They seem pretty well adjusted to me.”
He put his arm around her. “Maybe so, but I promise not to be a part-time parent with our children. I’m going to tuck them in every night.” He smiled. “Even after they’ve left for college.”
“That was so terribly presumptive of you … and I love it.”
“You’re so good with them—you’d make a great mother.”
“I just hid a couple ice cream sandwiches in the girls’ bag, so you might want to hold off on that assumption.”
“Speaking of great parents—do you think Chuck will take the job, if offered?”
“It would be an amazing opportunity—hard to turn that down.”
“What about uprooting Carolyn?”
“She’ll adjust. She’s meant to fly, not be grounded in one place. Kind of like Supergirl.”
“What about Lindsey?”
“Not sure about that part of the equation. I believe in them, but it will be a very delicate balance to make it work if he takes the job.”
“It reminds me of Dr. Seuss.”
“I thought you had moved past that?”
“Not your Dr. Soos—I mean the writer. He once said: Step with care, and great tact, and remember life’s a balancing act.”
They thought of their own relationship. No words were ever more truer than true.
Chapter 43
Chuck was to meet with John Dobbs in a conference room in the Bridgestone Arena, located in the heart of downtown Nashville.
Dobbs was shorter than he’d expected, and his once reddish hair had turned white, but his presence was big, overshadowing the others in the room. The others consisted of three men in suits; the team’s head coach Mike Bannister, the general manager, and the assistant GM.
Dobbs spoke with a booming Boston accent, and he was immediately taken by Carolyn. “You’re very quiet, young lady—that’s not consistent with the reports I’ve gotten on you.”
He has reports on my daughter? Chuck thought to himself.
Carolyn stood to attention. “I promised not to say anything.”
“Why is that?”
“My Dad was worried that I’d say that the Nashville Predators were in last place.”
Chuck cringed. And he remained curious as to why Dobbs insisted he bring his daughter to a job interview.
“We know we were in last place. We’re trying to fix that, which is why your father is here … to see if he can help.”
Carolyn looked around the room and observed, “This looks like a principal’s office.”
Dobbs’ eyes narrowed. “And why were you in the principal’s office?”
“She wanted to tell me that I did a good job on donating the wing to Daniel’s House. I wasn’t in trouble.”
“That’s good, because I don’t want my grandson hanging around with a derelict.”
Her face scrunched. “Who’s your grandson?”
“Ryan Borcher.”
She lit up—pointing excitedly to her T-shirt that was representing the blog dedicated to him, Hat Trick 4 Hope. “Ryan’s my friend.”
“What type of friend are you?”
“A pretty good one, I think.”
“Are you the type of friend that will be there in the hard times? Stick up for them when they’re in trouble?”
“I beat up a guy who said bad things to my friend Billy.”
He couldn’t help but smile, and turned to his general manager. “Sounds like we could use her—we need all the toughness and loyalty we can get on this team.”
The general manger laughed, mainly because it was his boss, and said, “I’ll make a note of it.”
Carolyn tilted her head slightly. “I’d like to help, but I’m not allowed to play hockey anymore.”
Dobbs continued smiling at her, but Chuck noticed a sadness in his smile. And it started to come out the moment the topic of Ryan came up.
A familiar looking woman wearing business attire entered the office. “This is Lisa, she’s our Director of Community Relations, and she can watch Carolyn while we talk.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said to Chuck. And it hit him why she looked so familiar, particularly the auburn hair.
“Heidi is my sister. My older sister,” she said with a pretty smile.
“Hockey is a family business. Family is important to us,” Dobbs said, as if trying to accentuate a point.
The Carolyn Chronicles, Volume 1 Page 21