Three For The Road. Shannon Waverly
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he said, surprised to hear his brother’s voice.
“Pete?”
“Yeah.”
“Hey. How ya doin’, man?”
“Great. What are you doing answering the phone?”
“Oh, I thought I’d goof off, sit around and drink coffee. My boss is gone for ten days.”
Pete knew Brad was kidding, at least he hoped he did, but that didn’t stop his stomach from tightening. They were already two weeks behind on the McKenna house.
“Did the shipment of drywall come in?”
“Hey, you’re on vacation. You’re not supposed to be thinking about work. Remember?”
Pete sent a daddy longlegs flying off his boot with a flick of a finger. “So, did the drywall come in?”
His brother chuckled. “No. I just called, though—that’s what I’m doing here at the office—and it’s on its way. Should be here tomorrow.”
“Good. Get the men on it right away, as many as you can spare.”
“I will.” After a short pause Brad said, “So, did you get it?” His voice contained a smile.
As did Pete’s when he replied, “Get what?”
“The measles. Jeez Louise! You know what.”
Pete laughed. “Yeah, I got it.”
Brad whooped. “Oh, man! That’s great. So, tell me about it. Is she as sweet as the ad promised?”
“Sweeter. What a beauty, Brad. I even brought her into my motel room with me last night. Couldn’t get enough of looking at her.”
“Good price?”
“For a mint-condition ‘53 Triumph, the exact same model Brando rode in The Wild One? Yeah, it was a good price. Well, a little steep. The old man knew what he had. But she’s worth it.”
“I can’t wait to see it. Where are you now?”
“Still in New Hampshire, west side of Lake Winnipesukee, about forty miles south of where I bought the bike, although I must’ve put a hundred and forty on it yesterday up in the mountains.” He paused, his sharp builder’s eye sweeping the grounds.
“I wish you could see the motel I stayed in last night, Brad. Separate cabins, each about the size of a garden shed, painted this bright fifties aqua. It’s the genuine article, too, not some fake retro setup with an eye on the nostalgia buck. I’m calling from a phone booth outside the motel office ‘cause there aren’t any phones in the rooms.”
“And you’re having a good time?”
“The best.” He hadn’t taken a vacation like this in so long he’d forgotten how much he enjoyed being on the road, totally alone and freewheeling—how much he needed it. His construction business had thrived this past year, and he’d been working full-tilt all that time, unaware of the wear and tear on his body as well as his spirit. But already he felt better, and he’d been gone from home a mere two days.
“Only you, Pete. Only you.” Brad laughed. “So, are you still going to ride her home?”
“That’s the plan.” That had always been the plan. Pete had flown up from Tampa on a one-way ticket, with only a duffel bag and a certainty of his luck.
“What I’d like to know is,” Brad said, “what are you gonna do with one more antique motorcycle?”
“Love her, cherish her, till the road runs out for either one of us, what else?”
Brad chuckled. “That reminds me, somebody stopped by the apartment yesterday who maybe wishes you’d think about her in those terms.”
Pete was glad his brother couldn’t see his face. He suspected it had fallen to somewhere around his knees. “Sue Ellen?” he asked, trying not to hesitate. Hesitation might give his brother the impression he cared more than he did.
“Uh-huh.”
“What did she want?”
“Came by to hand-deliver her reply to our wedding invitation.”
“Cutting it close, wasn’t she?”
“Sure was. Jill had to call the country club last night with a final count.”
Pete swallowed. “So, is she coming?”
“Of course. She is Jill’s cousin, after all.”
Pete got to his feet and moved around the phone booth like an agitated tiger in a too-small cage. Two teenage girls, walking slowly in his direction and trying to pretend they weren’t checking him out, giggled.
Brad said, “I’m reluctant to give people advice, especially my older and so-much-wiser brother, but now that her divorce is finalized, this might be a good opportunity for you to explore the possibility of getting back with her. She’s a gorgeous lady, Pete, and if you ask me she’s still real interested in you.”
“No, she isn’t.”
“No? Then how come she’s been calling you three times a week? How come she’s been coming by the office?”
“She’s thinking of renovating her house, dummy.”
“A house that was built only six years ago? Come on, Pete, open your eyes.”
Brad was getting a real kick out of this. So were their sisters, Pam and Lindy. They saw it as the ultimate romance, Pete and Sue Ellen, high school sweethearts, getting back together after fifteen years of unfortunate separation.
Pete saw it as a good time to hit the road.
“Listen, kid, I’m not interested in getting back with Sue Ellen, and I don’t want any matchmaking going on at your wedding, hear?”
“Yeah, I hear.”
No, he didn’t. Pete could tell his brother was smirking.
“Look, just because you’re getting married doesn’t mean everybody around you should do the same. Hell, you’re getting as bad as your sisters.”
“It might not be a bad idea to start thinking about settling down, too, Pete. I think I saw a few gray hairs on your head the other day.”
“Yeah, well, they’re my gray hairs and I’ll thank you not to worry about them. Hell, I’m never going that route again. Once was enough for a lifetime. For several lifetimes.”
A few seconds of uneasy silence followed, then Brad said, “Not to change the subject, but when can I expect my best man to get home?” The reminder of Pete’s disastrous marriage had effectively killed the discussion. Pete felt his equanimity return.
“Do you need me sooner than Friday? Not this Friday. The one before the wedding, I mean.”
“Of course I need you. I’m getting as nervous as a turkey in November.”
Grinning, Pete picked at a small tear on the right knee of his jeans. “Well, hell, I’m hardly the guy to have around if what you’re looking for’s support. My advice would be to give up this deranged idea of marriage and come on the road with me.”
“You just haven’t met the right girl yet,” Brad replied righteously. “Wait till you do. You’ll be eating your words.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“And don’t you go sounding so sure of yourself. But to answer your question—no, I don’t need you. Just be here the day before the wedding. We have to pick up our tuxes and go to the rehearsal.”
“Sure enough. How’s the rest of the family holding up?”
“Good. Pam has decided to have the rehearsal