All In

CWE16-One Lives, One Dies: The Butterfly Effect

Part II

For the next several days, the Wheeler stable was a quiet one, with the Bobwhites only dropping in sporadically to visit  Danny but never  suggesting any activities with him. Danny kept busy helping Regan  but Regan worried his nephew was quickly becoming lonely. As Regan watched the guarded interactions between the kids,  his torment  mounted.  “If the friendships were strong, at least that’d be one thing I could offer Danny.” To Regan’s chagrin, there seemed to be a dwindling connection between Danny and the Bobwhites.

“You know, I almost wish they’d stop dropping in,” announced Danny one afternoon.

“Who?” asked Regan.

“The Bobwhites.  Don’t they have anything else to talk about except the weather? Their avoidance of mentioning their dating situation is so obvious. What do they think I”m going to do, yell at them or something?”

Regan shrugged.  “Hey, how about you and me go into town for a couple of burgers.”

“I’m game.”

After finishing the tasks at hand, the two jumped into Regan’s pick-up truck and drove off.

“At least Sleepyside seems to be the same,” remarked Danny as Regan drove down Main Street.

“It is.  I’m sure there are a few new businesses here and there, but the heart is still the same.”

“Hey, there’s that train car diner.” Danny pointed ahead.

“And that’s where we’re going.”  Regan swung into the small parking lot.   Inhaling the smells of grilled burgers and fries that wafted through the air, the two went in and stuffed themselves with  hot juicy sandwiches and thick, creamy milkshakes, enjoying their time together. Afterwards, they picked up some steaks they had decided to grill for dinner that night then headed home.  Singing along with  the radio together, their tenor and bass voices synced  perfectly with the music.

When they arrived back at the Wheeler stable, Regan and Danny were surprised to find Trixie there. Her head was down and she was standing next to Susie, gently stroking her the mare’s nose.

“Hey, Trixie.”  Regan smiled at the young woman.  “Fancy seeing you here!”

Trixie gave Regan a weak smile.  “I thought I might take Susie out.  It that okay?”

“Sure.”  Regan held up a wrapped package. “I’m going to run these steaks up to my apartment.”

Trixie nodded, her gaze again focused downward.

“Would you like some company?” offered Danny.

Trixie nodded sadly.  “Sure.”

Danny saddled Starlight while Trixie got Susie ready, then the two walked the horses out of the stable into the mid afternoon sun.

“Where to?” asked Danny. “I kinda know the trails but I bet you know them better.”

Trixie pointed to a lesser used path at the end of the driveway. “Let’s take that one. It comes out near Lytell’s store.”

“Lytell’s Store?”

“Don’t you remember?  Mr Lytell, the man who hates me but loves Honey.”

“Ahh, yes.”  

With Trixie in the lead the two led their horses along the quiet trail. When they arrived at the end, they crossed the road and went into the small general store where they each bought an icy cold Coke.   Remounting their horses, they crossed back across the narrow road then opted for a different path on which to travel.

“So, you wanna tell me what’s on your mind?” asked Danny as they rode along.

“What makes you think something’s on my mind?”  

“Well, you’re quiet.  You’re not looking for a mystery or anything mysterious for that matter.  In fact, you didn’t even notice the couple in Lytell’s Store that seemed to be new to the area.”  

“New people in the area?  How did I miss that?”  Trixie looked down, her dismay apparent.

“Why don’t we rest the horses.”  Danny motioned to a clump of trees and Trixie followed.  After securing the horses, the two sat down together on an old log. Uncapping their drinks, they both took long pulls of the cold beverages.

“So?” queried Danny.  “What’s up?”

Trixie shook her head.  “It’s nothing.”

“Why don’t I be the judge of that?”

Trixie took a deep breath.  “Okay, but no ‘I told you so.’” She shifted on the log to face Danny.  “See, last night Jim and I went out for some ice cream.  When we got back to the farm, my parents were sitting on the front porch waiting for us.  It seems they’ve decided that Jim and I are seeing too much of each other.  They don’t want us to date.”  Trixie stopped, her eyes welling up with tears.

“And…”

“And...nothing.  How could they do that?  They said Jim and I could date and now they’re saying we can’t.” Trixie’s curls quivered.

“Maybe your parents thought you and Jim wouldn’t spend as much time together as you are or that you’d still be keeping up with your hobbies and activities.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Trixie glared at her friend.

“Look, when I got here, you and Honey were all excited about dating Jim and Brian.  But it soon became clear that you weren’t doing anything else.  It’s not hard to figure out that your parents wouldn’t be very happy about that. And when I said I thought it was kinda dumb that you two were all wrapped up in dating, you decided you didn’t have anything else to say to me.”

“We have plenty to say to you.”  

“Really?” Danny quirked his eyebrows.  “Then why do I know so much about the weather around here?

Trixie picked up a nearby stick and poked at the ground in front of her.  “I don’t know.”  She concentrated on trying to dig out a large stone.  “And, for your information, we do do other things,”.

“Like what?” Danny wiped the sweat off his forehead and took another gulp of his drink.

Trixie thought for a moment before answering in a small voice,  “Maybe we don’t do anything else.”

“See! You used to volunteer at the hospital, do you still do that?”

Trixie shook her head.

“You used to help out the neighbors.  Has that happened lately?”

Again, Trixie shook her head.

“And dare I ask when was the last time you got involved in a mystery?”

Trixie shrugged.

“Then I can see why your parents aren’t happy, except for the part about no mysteries.”  Danny grinned.

“But if Jim and I aren’t allowed to date, what do you think will happen?”

Danny looked confused.  “What do you mean?”

“What if he starts to think I’m too young and decides to date college girls?  What if everybody laughs at me because I’m not allowed to go steady with him?   And what if the kids at school decide I’m just a big loser?”

Danny ran a hand through his dark hair.  “Are you done?  Because none of that makes any sense.  First, Jim’s not going to date anybody else.  He’s crazy about you and always has been.  Second, you’re still Trixie Belden.  The kids at school aren’t going to change their opinions of you. And third, the only way you’d be a loser was if you sat at home and let your parents’ decision dictate what you do.”

“Still, you know how people like to gossip.  And Jim and I were going to do a whole lot of things this summer, but now Moms and Dad say we can’t spend that much time together.  What am I going to do?”

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.” Trixie sighed loudly.  “I want to date Jim but that’s out. Meanwhile, Honey and Diana are still wrapped up with Brian and Mart. I’m not going to have anybody to hang around with.”

“So find something else to do.”

Trixie sat and chewed at her bottom lip and nervously twisted the soda bottle in her hands.  “Like what?  I already help out at home and watch Bobby.  I’m not like you.  I don’t have a sport that I’m crazy about.”

Danny snapped his fingers.  “Then find something to be crazy about. Be the Trixie that used to hang around here.”

“Hmm… I don’t know.”

“Come on, Trixie.  I know you play a pretty mean game of basketball and I bet you’d be a tough soccer player.  Heck, I’ve seen you turn a few cartwheels so I know you have some acrobatic skills.”

“Are you saying I should join a team or something?”  

“If that’s what you want to do. And if that doesn’t appeal to you, maybe you could get a part-time job.”

“A job?” Trixie’s eyes widened.  “I never thought of getting a job.  That’d be pretty cool.”

“There are a lot of things you can do.  You just need to figure out what you want to do and, if not that, try a few things and see what feels good.”

“You’re right, Danny.  I did used to do a lot of things.”  Trixie frowned.  Snapping her stick in half, she threw it into the underbrush and tossed back her curls.  “Let’s figure this out.”

They sat and talked for almost two hours,  with Danny suggesting possible activities and  Trixie  working through them.  

When the horses started pawing restlessly at the ground, Trixie gulped the last of her coke and stood up. “Okay.  Let’s get the animals  taken care of so we can continue to work on this new mystery.”

“New mystery?”

“Yes,” grinned Trixie.  “The mystery of what I’m going to do with my free time.”

“That’s a mystery I can agree to.”  Danny stood up and brushed the dirt from the seat of his worn jeans

Trixie stood, then stopped suddenly

“What?” asked Danny.

“It’s...well...I just want to thank you.  I wasn’t very nice to you after you indicated you thought my dating Jim was stupid.”

Danny shrugged.  “Blame it on my excellent memory of the Trixie I met years ago and certain she was still in there.”  He winked.  “C’mon.”

Untying their horses, the two remounted then headed back to the stable.

Regan was in his office when he heard the approach of Danny and Trixie, their voices carrying over the clip clop of the horses’ hooves.

“Huh?” Pushing back his chair, Regan came out at the same time Danny and Trixie passed through the stable’s large doorway. He watched as the two led their horses to their stalls and then got to work, talking excitedly the entire time.  “Something’s changed,”  Regan realized.  “And it’s obviously a change for the better.”

“Hey, Regan,” called Trixie.  “We had a great ride.  Once we’re done here, if there’s anything else we can help with, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Sure.”  Surprised  by the sudden change in Trixie’s demeanor, Regan returned to his office and tried to concentrate on his paperwork.  However, he kept his ears open as bits and pieces of Trixie and Danny’s conversation filtered back to him.

“Really, soccer?” Trixie asked.  

“Yes. And like hockey, it’s a game of transition and  involves a lot of energy.  You’d be perfect.”

“You really think so?”  

“Sure. Let’s go kick the ball around after we’re done here.”

“You’re on!”  

From his chair, Regan could see the wide grin that  was gracing Trixie’s face.  “That sounds like the old Trixie,” he thought.  Curious to find out what had precipitated the change, Regan was forced to  tamp down his curiosity and wait until he and Danny were alone.

*****

Regan was sliding a hot meatloaf, courtesy of  Helen Belden, out of the oven when Danny came into the apartment.  

“Good thing you showed up.  I thought I might have to eat this entire meatloaf by myself.”

“Perish the thought, Uncle.”  Danny disappeared into the bathroom then returned, washed up.  He got out the glasses and filled them with iced tea then the two sat down to dinner.

“So, anything interesting happen today,” asked Regan.

“Nope.”  Danny scooped several spoonfuls of corn onto his plate.

Regan tried again.  “Did you and Trixie have a good ride?”

“Yep.”

“You were gone quite a while.”

Danny shrugged as he put a forkful of meatloaf into his mouth.

Regan stared at his nephew  “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

Danny grinned.  “Nope.”

“So what happened?  When you and Trixie left, she was all sulky but when you guys came back, she was like the old Trixie.”

Danny swallowed his mouthful of food.  “It’s like this:  Mr. and Mrs. Belden decided that Trixie and Jim were spending too much time together and don’t want them to date anymore.  Trixie was feeling a bit panicky over not being with Jim all the time and worried about what might happen and what people would think of her.  I just gave her some options.”

Regan nodded, then took a big bite of the savory meatloaf.  “That explains why Jim was in such a bad mood this morning.  Although, I’m not surprised the Beldens put a stop to the dating.  Mr. Wheeler has told me he thinks the kids are way too serious.  It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Honey was given a similar directive.”

“I kinda hope so. The old Bobwhites were so much more fun and interesting.  But I agree with you;  it was great to see the old Trixie back.”

“Yes, it was.  You must have given her a lot of advice.”

“Once we got past her worries about Jim I suggested she look into getting involved in other activities like basketball or soccer, although after this afternoon, I think soccer might be the better choice.   I also pointed out  she could get a part time job.  There’s so much she can do; she’s just forgotten how to be Trixie instead of part of a couple.”

Regan watched his nephew while he ate.  He couldn’t help but notice Danny’s bright eyes and enthusiasm as he spoke.  “If things get better between him and the Bobwhites, maybe he’ll be okay with moving in with me.”  Lost in his thoughts, Regan missed Danny’s next remark.

“I’m sorry.  What?”  Regan took a long drink of his iced tea.

“I asked if you’d heard from Grandpa?”

Regan shook his head.  “No.”

“That’s kinda odd, don’t you think? I mean, he was only going on a vacation, right?”

Regan said nothing, but he felt the delicious meal in his stomach start to sour.

Danny continued. “Oh well, at least I had a lot of fun kicking the ball around with Trixie.  You know how she’s so fearless when it comes to mysteries?”

Regan nodded, shuddering inwardly at the number of times Trixie had gotten herself into dangerous situations.

“She plays soccer like that.  She’ll be great on a team, I just know it.”

Regan nodded, again lost in his own thoughts.  He knew he needed to tell Danny the truth; that his grandfather wasn’t just off on a vacation.  But he dreaded doing so.  “I'll just give him some more time to reconnect with the kids.  Then I’ll tell him.”  Satisfied with that plan, Regan returned his attention to his nephew and quickly finished off the meal that Helen had given them.

**********

The next morning, Regan and Danny were working in the stable.  Hearing the phone ringing in his office, Regan went to answer it.  

“Danny! It’s for you.” A surprised Regan held out the phone to his nephew.

“Me? Who’d be calling me here?” Danny pulled off his work gloves and hurried over to the phone, stepping into Regan’s office in order to take the call.

Regan tried to stay busy but his curiosity grew the longer Danny was on the phone. When Danny finally hung up and returned to the main room, Regan pounced.“Who was that?”

“You’ll never guess what’s happened?” Danny’s eyes were bursting with excitement.

“Do I have to guess or will you tell me?”

“That was one of the coaches from my hockey team.  And they’ve selected me to be team captain.  Me!  Can you believe that?”  Danny was beaming from ear to ear.

Feeling the familiar sense of guilt creep over him, Regan took his broom and began vigorously sweeping the floor. “That’s great, Danny.” he said through the haze of dust he was creating.

“I’ll get to make the call when they toss the coin and I’m going to have a special jersey.”

Coughing, Regan swept faster.

“I can’t believe they chose me.  They said they liked my team spirit and my ability to help other players.  They said those were leader attributes.”  Danny walked around the stable, gesturing as he talked.  “I’m going to be the best captain I can be.  I think I’ll plan activities so the team will be able to relate to each other better.”  

Regan paused.  “How’d they’d get this number?”

“I think Grandpa put it on my information form, you know, in case something happened to me and they couldn’t reach him.” Danny rubbed his hands together.  “I can’t wait to get back home.  And wait till Grandpa hears.  He’ll be so proud.” Danny tried to return to his chores,  but his excitement had the better of him and he couldn't stay focused.  “

Regan kept working, his anxiety growing.  “You better tell him,” he said to himself.  Instead, he listened as Danny came up with additional plans to improve his already strong team.

“Wait till I tell Trixie,  She was already planning to come to a few of my games.”

Regan screwed his eyes shut.  He knew he needed to tell Danny the truth right then and there, but didn’t have the courage to.  By the time the two sat down to lunch, Danny had mentally created a long list of what he wanted to do for his team as well as how he would fit his additional responsibilities in with his school work and responsibilities at home.

“Can I borrow your truck this afternoon?’ asked Danny, carrying his empty plate to the sink.

“I guess so.  Where’re you going?”

“I promised Trixie I’d take her to the high school and let her practice on the school’s soccer field so she could get a feel for its size and the way it’s marked off.”

“Sure.”

“Last night I assigned her the task of calling around and seeing what information she could find out about the team and tryouts and all that.”

“Sounds like you gave her a good assignment.”

“I think so.”  Danny grinned.  “I like having the old Trixie back.  By the way, you said Jim was around yesterday.  How was he?”

Regan winced.  “Yes.  I saw him in the morning then in the afternoon when you and Trixie were out riding.  I don’t think he was very happy when he found out where she was.  He kinda stomped off into the house.”

Danny shook his head.  “I was hoping he’d take the Beldens’ request better.  He can still see Trixie and hang out with her, just not as a steadily dating couple.  He’d be smart to realize that.”

“I’m sure he’ll figure it out eventually.”

“Wonder what the rest of the Bobwhites are doing?”  Danny disappeared into his room and came out a few minutes later wearing a pair of shorts and sneakers.

Regan shook his finger at his nephew.  “Be careful playing around. You don't want to hurt yourself, you know.”

“I know.  I’ll be fine.  See ya later.”  After grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator and snagging the keys from Regan, Danny bounded down the apartment stairs.  Regan watched from above as Danny got into the truck and drove off  

“He’s a natural leader; I see why they made him a team captain.”  Regan wandered around the apartment and finally into Danny’s room where he sat on the  bed.  A few books, required reading for his senior year, were stacked on the dresser.  A large pile of dirty laundry was in the corner and a stack of sports magazines were sitting on the desk next to the bed, which was not only unmade but the covers were piled to one side.  “Humph!  Guess he’s enjoying a few weeks without ridiculous rules.  Can’t blame him for that.”  He scrubbed his lower face with his hand, then propped his elbows on his knees.  “What am I going to do?  He’s slated to have a great senior year.  He may even get picked up by a college team.  Do I have the right to take that away from him?  And then what?  Is he going to live here in Sleepyside for the rest of his life, trying to earn money to go to college like I did?” Regan sat and stewed for a while until he realized he needed to get downstairs and exercise the horses.  

************  

 

“Hey, Uncle Bill,” yelled Danny as he slammed the apartment door shut a few hours later.  “Are you here?”

“Yep,” answered Regan from his bedroom.  He came out rubbing his hair with a towel.  “I just had to take a quick shower.  Some stubborn horse decided to kick up a lot of mud.”  

“You’ll never guess what happened today,” exclaimed Danny excitedly.

“That’s what I was going to say,” said Regan. “You first.”

“Well, while Trixie and I were practicing soccer at the school, the girls’ coach came over and talked to her.  She said she’d been watching Trixie and liked what she saw.  Then she told us  that she’d lost two girls from the team; one with a broken ankle and the other moved away.  She told Trixie she could start practicing with the team.  Do you know what that means?”

Regan tossed his towel into his bedroom.  “That she’ll be playing a lot of soccer?”

“She’ll be a part of the team as a walk-on.  How great is that?”

Regan ran a hand through his damp hair.  “That sounds like the perfect thing for her.”

Danny frowned.  “The coach said that the one girl who moved away was a senior.  That’s gotta be a tough thing moving into a new school  your senior year.”

Regan pursed his lips and said nothing.  

“Anyway,” continued Danny, “what’s your big news?”  He went to the kitchen and got a big glass of water.

“It seems that Honey and Brian are no longer dating either.”

Danny raised his eyebrows.  “Oh?”

Regan nodded.  “I guess the Wheelers liked the stand the Beldens took. Not only was Honey upset, but I had to listen to Jim and Brian carry on while they were cleaning up the horses after their ride.” He rolled his eyes.

Danny chuckled,  “I’m glad I missed that.  Do you think I need to find an activity for Honey too?”

Regan shook his head.  “I think you’ve done your share.  Besides, I can’t see Honey joining a sports team.”

“Me neither.” Sitting in a chair, Danny drank his glass of water in long, thirsty gulps. Lifting one arm, he sniffed at his armpit.  “Whew!  I really stink.  I think I”ll take a shower.  After that, I’m available if you need my help with anything.” Danny went into the bathroom and shut the door.

Regan stood alone in the middle of the room.  “I’ve got to tell Danny the truth. But what do I say?  Forget hockey and your friends, you’re going to live here now?” Regan’s thoughts were interrupted by the soft whinnying of the horses, letting him know they were ready for their dinner.  He hurried out of the apartment and down the stairs.

When Danny was done with his shower, he grabbed another glass of water before going down to the stable.  As he was filling his glass, the phone rang and he grabbed it.

“Hello?”

“Danny, my boy, how are you?” exclaimed a familiar voice at the other end.

“Grandpa!” cried Danny.  “I was wondering when I’d hear from you. Guess what?  I was selected to be captain of the hockey team.”

“What?”

“I’m the captain of my hockey team. They called me yesterday with the news.”

Sean remained silent at the other end of the line.  “I’m confused.  I thought your Uncle would have explained everything to you.”

“Explained everything?” Danny took several gulps of water.

“Yeah.  And to be honest, I thought you’d be upset.”

“Grandpa, what are you talking about?”

“The move, Danny.”

“What move?”  Danny shifted the phone on his shoulder so he could put away the clean lunch dishes.

“Didn’t your Uncle tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“I’m living in Florida now.”

“What?”  Danny’s shocked voice echoed off the walls.

“That’s right.  I have a friend down here who lives in one of those cute little retirement communities. He offered to let me room with him so I took the chance.  I’d have thought your uncle would have told you by now.”

“But what about me?  Where am I going to live?”

“With your Uncle Bill.”

“No way. I’m not moving here.   I’m going back home to my school and my hockey team.”

“Danny, did you hear what I said? I don’t live there anymore.  There’s nobody there to take care of you.”

“I don’t care.  I’ve got everything I could ever want back home.  You’ll have to move to Florida another time.”

“Careful, Danny,” said Sean sternly.  “That kind of back talk will earn you a lot of demerits.”

“Who cares?  Not you.  Besides, according to you, I’m with Uncle Bill now.”  Danny slammed the phone down, threw open the door and pounded down the stairs.

“Uncle Bill!  Uncle Bill,” he yelled as he entered the stable.

“Whoa!” Regan held up his hand.  “Stop all the racket. You’ll startle the horses. Is something wrong?”  

“You tell me.”  Danny stood in front of his uncle, his eyes glaring, his hands fisted at his sides.

“What?” asked Regan, his suspicions about Danny’s irate state creating a knot of apprehension in his stomach.

Danny crossed his arms. “I just had an interesting conversation with Grandpa.”

Closing his eyes, Regan groaned softly.

“He says I’m not going back home.  Is that true?”

“Now, Danny…”

“Answer me.”

Regan nodded.  “Your grandfather went to Florida to live and  left you with me.”

Danny shook his head. “I can’t believe nobody told me.  And for your information, I’m not staying in Sleepyside.”

Regan pushed at his eyes with the heels of his hands.  “Danny…”

“No.  I mean it.  There’s nothing here for me.  I belong back home.  I bet any of my friends’ parents will let me live with them and be happy to do so.  But I’m not staying here.”

“Danny, let’s sit down and talk about this.” Regan took Danny’s arm and tried to steer him to his office.

“No.” Danny shook off Regan’s grasp.  “You’ve been lying to me all along. I have nothing more to say to you.  I’m going to go pack my stuff and get out of here.”

“And where do you think you’re going?” Regan’s apprehension was rapidly turning to anger.

“Home, where I belong.”  Danny turned and vaulted up the wooden stairs to the apartment.  

Below in the stable, Regan could hear Danny as he thundered through the apartment.  “I’ve got to go talk to him.”  As he was heading to the door, Trixie appeared.

“Hi, Regan.  Did Danny tell you my good news?”

“Not now, Trixie.”  Regan tried to hurry past the young girl.

“What’s wrong, Regan?”  

“It’s Danny.”  Regan paused.  “He’s upset and I need to go talk to him.”

“Why is he upset?”

Regan sighed in frustration.  “Because his grandfather moved to Florida and Danny has to live with me. Now, excuse me, Trixie, but I need to go.”  Regan gently pushed the girl aside and hurried up the stairs.

“Danny, we need to talk.” Regan slammed the apartment door behind him.

“I think you’ve said enough. Wait, is that possible when you haven’t told me a single thing about what’s going on?”  Danny was stuffing dirty shirts into one of his duffle bags.

“Danny, look, I haven’t had a chance to weigh all my options.”

“What options?  Danny angrily zipped up his bag.  “You live here.  You work here.  Your life is here.  End of story.”

Regan grabbed Danny’s arm.  “Stop.  I’m telling you, this is not settled.  Just let me think on it overnight, okay?”

“Haven’t you had enough time to think about it already?”

Regan waved his arm through the air.  “Just let me think.” Seeing Danny pause momentarily in his packing, Regan grabbed the duffle bag and tossed it inside Danny’s room.  “Just let me think,” he said again, his eyes pleading with his nephew. He winced a minute later when Danny slammed the door in his angry exit from the apartment.

Dinner was an icy and silent one.  Regan reheated the meatloaf,  then set it on the table, but Danny chose to eat in front of the television and stare at a baseball game. Sitting alone in the kitchen, Regan blindly flipped through the day’s newspaper, the words and content lost while the meatloaf remained untouched.  When Danny was done, he washed off his plate then dropped it in the dishrack next to the sink.  Flinging open the door, he stormed out, his feet angrily stomping down the stairs.  

Regan cleaned up the rest of the dinner dishes, then wandered around the apartment, absentmindedly corralling stray items.  As he was grabbing one of Danny’s socks that had fallen out of the duffle bag, he saw a small plastic bag under the edge of the couch.  Picking it up, he slowly opened it and pulled out two cards:  one was the prayer card from Danny’s parents’ funeral and the other was their driver’s licenses.  Regan held his sister’s license in his hand and studied the picture that had been taken years earlier.  “She was so pretty.” He gently touched the tiny photograph that smiled up at him.  “She thought she had life by the tail.”  Regan put the cards back in the bag, then put it on the desk in Danny’s room.  Coming back into the living room, he noticed the pile of mail he had brought up earlier.  Rifling through it, he tossed aside the ads for new furniture and pet food.  The rest consisted of his dental bill and a bank statement.  Regan paused as he looked at the bank statement, remembering another one of his bank statements that had ultimately led him out of the house.  “I was so angry when Sean pulled the rug out from under me,” recalled Regan.  Flipping the statement back and forth in his hand, he stared out the window, lost in his memories.   Finally, he made a decision. Slipping the bank statement into his desk drawer, Regan left and headed to the Manor House.

“Hi, Regan,” greeted  Miss Trask when he entered the kitchen.  “Can I offer you some peach cobbler?”

“No, thanks.  Is Mr Wheeler available?” Regan’s heart pounded in his chest at the thought of the conversation he was going to have with his boss.

“Let me check.”  Miss Trask hurried out of the kitchen and down the long, plushly carpeted hall.  In a few minutes, she reappeared.  “He just finished a phone call.  Go ahead.  He’s in his study.”

“Thanks.”  Regan, mindful of his work clothes, tiptoed down the hall to the study then stopped and rapped on the door frame.

“Regan, come in.”  Mr. Wheeler stood and motioned the groom into the room.  “What can I do for you?”

“I need to talk to you.  Do you mind if I close the door?”

“Not at all.”  Mr. Wheeler waited for Regan to close the door then offered him a seat  in front of his desk.  “Now, what’s this about?” Leaning forward, Mr. Wheeler rested his elbows on his ink blotter and fixed his shrewd gaze on his employee.

Regan took a deep breath.  “Let me explain a few things to you.”  Regan described the visit from his father and the subsequent arrival of Danny.  He laid out the dilemma he was facing, wondering if Danny could or would want to live in Sleepyside. He even shared the story of his pilfered bank account and how that incident had forced him to abandon his hopes of owning his own racehorse.  “I always believed Danny was doing all right with Sean.  And he was until Sean decided to move. I want what’s best for my nephew.  I want him to have the support and faith  I didn’t have.  I’ll always wonder, if my father hadn’t taken my money, where would I have ended up?” Would I have earned the creditinonals to work in a big racing stable? Would I have gone to college?”  Regan pondered aloud, more to himself than to Mr. Wheeler.

Matt Wheeler listened intently, his understanding nods providing encouragement to the groom.  The more Regan talked, the more relaxed he became and the words flowed out of his mouth.  After more than an hour, the two reached an understanding and Regan stood to leave.

“I appreciate you hearing me out.” Regan held out his hand to his boss.

Mr. Wheeler shook it.  “Our business isn’t quite finished.  Let me see what I can do.”  

Bidding good night, Regan tiptoed back down the long hallway and through the kitchen.  When he left the Manor House, the sun was setting.  After getting the horses settled for the night, he returned to his apartment, noting that the door to Danny’s room was shut tightly.  

The next morning, Regan awoke at his usual time, but Danny was already out of the apartment.  Regan grabbed a few pieces of toast, slathered them with peanut butter then went to the stables.  Expecting to find his nephew there, he was surprised when all he found was silence and one empty horse stall.  He went into his office and ate his breakfast at his desk,  while frantically reviewing and editing  notes on the stable log. He was cleaning the hayloft a few hours later when he heard Danny come back in and climbed down the ladder to greet him.

“Hey, Danny.”  Regan tried to sound upbeat.

Danny gave his uncle a perfunctory nod, then got down to the business of grooming his horse.  

Regan stood behind him.  “I need to tell you something.”

Danny kept busy.  “I think I’ve heard enough.”

“You need to hear me out.”  Regan wanted to grab Danny and turn him around, but checked the impulse.

“Regan,” Mr Wheeler’s booming voice echoed through the stable.

“Yes, sir.”  Regan stepped away and went to his boss.

“Here.”  Matt Wheeler handed Regan an envelope.  “I think you’ll like what’s inside.”

Regan opened the envelope and pulled out a letter, his eyes growing wide and a slight grin tugging at his mouth, as he read the contents.  “I can’t let you do this.” He stuffed the letter back into the envelope.

“Yes, you can.  After all you’ve done for me, it’s the least I could do.  Now, let’s consider this matter settled.”  Seeing Danny watching from a nearby stall, Mr. Wheeler went over and clasped him by the shoulder.  “You’ve got a great uncle, Danny.  And one who knows his priorities.” Turning back to Regan, he added, “We’ll work out all the details later.”  Then Matt Wheeler strode out of the stables, leaving Regan and Danny alone.

Danny, finished with his horse, sat down and started to clean his tack.  

“Better do that right.  I’d hate for you do have to come back and do it over,” cautioned Regan.

Danny rolled his eyes. “I am doing it right.”

“Yeah, well it will be a while before you have another chance to clean tack.”

Danny nodded his head and kept on working.

“Danny! Are you listening to me?” Regan walked over to his nephew.

“Yeah.  You want me to clean the tack and do it right.  Will I get a demerit if I do it wrong?”

Regan look surprised.  “I never thought of that.  I suppose I could start a system of demerits for behavior unbecoming for a captain of a hockey team.”

Danny stopped his polishing and looked at his uncle.  

“Oh, you heard me that time?  Good.”  Regan slapped Danny on the back then walked back to his office.

“Wait a minute.” Scrambling to his feet, Danny chased  after his uncle.  “What about a captain of a hockey team?” He caught Regan and spun him around.

“What?  Oh, yes, your hockey team, the one where you’re the captain.  Did you forget about that already?”

Danny stared at Regan.  “But, how?  Is Grandpa coming back?”

Regan shook his head.

“Then...?”

“You and I are going to Saratoga Springs together.  I gave Mr. Wheeler my notice last night.”

“I don’t understand.”  

“Your plans are important to me and I’m not going to take them away from you.  So I quit my job here and I’m moving back upstate with you.  When I talked to Mr Wheeler last night, he offered to make some phone calls and see what kind of job he could find for me.  This morning he handed me an offer to be a stable manager at the nearby racing facility.”

Danny stared at his uncle.  “Really?”

“Really.”

“But what about this stable?  Who’s going to take care of these horses?”

“Mr Wheeler will hire a new groom and I’ll train him before I leave.”

“What about the Bobwhites?”

Regan looked puzzled.  “What about them?”

“Who’s going to watch them?”

Regan shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Right now, I’m focused on one teenager and that’s you.”

“We’re really going back home together?”

“Yep.”

Danny threw back his head and whooped.  “Oops!” he said, covering his mouth.  “I forgot about the horses.” He stopped suddenly and looked at Regan.  “I can’t let you do this.”

“What?”

“You’re giving up your job for me.”

“No, I’m not.  Working in a big racing facility is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

“Then how did you end up here?”

“Look, when I was your age, Sean pulled the rug out from under me, kinda like what he did to you.  Only, I didn’t have any options. I was forced out before I had acquired the skills I needed to get the job I wanted.  I bounced through several small stables before I met Mr. Wheeler.  Fortunately, he was willing to take a chance on me.”

“I thought you liked being in Sleepyside?”

“I do. And working for Mr. Wheeler is great.  But a new path has opened up for me and I plan on following it.”  Regan walked back through the stables, whistling as he went.

Danny quietly followed his uncle through the structure.  “So, we’re really going home together?”

“Yep.”

“Are we going to live in Grandpa’s house?”

“Nope.  Sean’s going to sell that.  We’ll find something nicer, which shouldn’t be too hard to do.”

“Will I have to make my bed everyday so tight you could bounce a quarter off it?”

Regan shook his head.

“Will I have to line up my shoes in my closet and keep them polished with the laces equal length on either side?”

Again, Regan shook his head.

“Will I have to clean up the kitchen after every meal?”

Regan grimaced slightly.  “I’ll expect you to help.”

“Deal!” The two gave each other a resounding high five, then walked outside to the sunny pasture.

“You’re gonna love watching me play hockey,” said Danny.

“I better. I understand I’ll be seeing it a lot.”

“Oh, yeah.”

*****

The news of Regan’s decision to leave the Wheeler Estate devastated the Bobwhites.  After hearing of the impending change, they gathered on the veranda of Manor House.  

“What are we going to do without Regan?” Honey looked across the driveway to the stable and shook her head.  “I can’t believe how this summer turned out. Definitely not the way I thought it would.”

“Do you think your Dad will get rid of the horses?” asked Trixie who was seated on the glider next to Jim, her head on his shoulder.

Honey shrugged.  “I really don’t know.  He and Mother like to ride, but he’s also very picky about grooms.  That’s why Regan was so perfect.”

“I wish Danny wanted to live here?” lamented Mart.

“But he doesn’t,” Trixie sat up.  “And I, for one, am glad that he’s going to get his chance to do what he has worked so hard for.”

“You’ve become his biggest cheerleader, haven’t you?” asked Brian.

Trixie looked toward the stable.   “He’ll be a great captain of his hockey team. He was good at encouraging me to try something new and now I’m playing soccer. Just think what he’ll do with his own team.”

“I can’t even imagine this place without Regan,” continued Honey sadly.  “Besides being the best groom in the world, he was also a good friend to all of us.”

“That’s true,” said Jim.  “If I weren’t going away to school, I’d offer to take over the care of the horses.”

Honey looked up.  “Wouldn’t that be great if you really could do that, Jim?”  

The group fell silent. A light summer breeze blew across the veranda, ruffling the leaves of the majestic trees that dotted the estate. Birds and butterflies darted around the plants and bushes that surrounded the big house.  In contrast to the beauty of the day, a heavy gloom had settled over the Bobwhites.

“When is Regan leaving?” asked Brian, breaking the somber silence.

“He gave Dad a two-week notice,” answered JIm.  

“I assume your father is already looking for a new groom?” Brian looked at Jim quizzically.

Jim nodded.  

“Then I guess all we can do now is hope that whoever takes Regan’s place will be as great a guy as Regan is,”  said Brian.

“Nobody can ever take Regan’s place,” said Trixie.  “Never.”

“Never,” echoed Honey.

**************

Regan leaned back in the new recliner, propped up his feet and popped open a frosty beer. “Ahhhhh,” he sighed. “The perfect place to be after a hard day’s work.” He looked around the living room of the townhouse he had rented and smiled. “This is so much nicer than that dump Sean lived in.”  The last time Regan had seen Sean’s house was the day he and Danny moved to Saratoga Springs.  They had stopped by the house to pick up the boxes Sean had left sitting on the front porch.  After loading them into his truck, Regan took one final look at the sad dwelling, then he and Danny climbed back into the truck and drove away. Exhaling contentedly, Regan took a sip of his cold beer and reached for his laptop computer. Logging on, he opened his e-mail,  quickly deleting the multitude of ads that filled his inbox. He stopped when his eyes lit on an email from Trixie.  Clicking on it, he read:

Hi Regan,

How are things up north?  Danny said he really likes the place that you rented. When I talked to him the other day,  he was complaining of being sore from hockey practice.   Have you seen him play yet?  I can’t wait to come up there and see you guys.  Hey, do you and Danny know when you’re coming down here?  I gave him my soccer schedule.

School is back in session. Gleeps!  Why do I have to take geometry.  All those angles and proofs!  Who cares whether or not you can prove why a right angle is a right angle?  I don’t!

We all miss you.  The new groom is nice enough, I guess.  But he couldn’t handle all the horses so Mr. Wheeler had to get rid of two.  That leaves Jupiter, Lady and Susie.  The stable is clean enough, it’s just not “Regan” clean.

Do you like your new job?  I bet you do.  It must be fun to work with so many horses, plus the excitement of being at a racetrack.  

Can you send me your address?  Moms wants to send you some cookies. And you better send your address quick before Mart eats all of them.

Seriously, Regan, I can’t describe the feelings I have when I go in the stable now.  It’s so lonely in there. I really wish you were still here (all the Bobwhites wish that) but I also think you made the right choice.  

I better go get to work on my geometry.  Blah!  Tell Danny I said “Hi.”

Trixie

Regan closed the email.  He felt Trixie’s sadness too, knowing that some of the horses he had taken such loving  care of had been sold. A new guilt ate away at him despite his attempts to rationalize his decision.  The sound of a car door slamming outside the house roused him from his contemplative state.

“Hey, Uncle Bill.”  Danny came into the house, a book bag slung over one shoulder and a bulging gear bag on the other.  

“Hey, yourself.”  Regan pushed down the recliner footrest.  “Hungry?”

“Starving.”

“I’ve got dinner in the oven.  Hope you’re in the mood for enchiladas.”

“Si. Si,” grinned Danny.

While Danny washed up, Regan got dinner on the table.  Then the two sat down and dug into the hot, spicy food.

“I got an email from Trixie today,” announced Regan.

“You did?  What’d she have to say?”

“She hates geometry.”

Danny laughed.  “That’s not news.”

“She misses you and me.  The new groom is okay but couldn’t handle all the horses so Mr. Wheeler had to find another stable for two of them.”

Danny put a forkful of his enchilada into his mouth. ”I know.  I didn’t want to tell you. I bet that hurts.”

“Yeah, it does.  I really thought the guy we hired was going to be a good fit.  But there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Do you want to go back?”  Danny paused, his fork in midair, as he waited for his uncle’s answer.

Regan took another bite of food and chewed it.  Swallowing, he shook his head.  “No.  I don’t want to go back.  I like where I am now and the responsibility that comes with it. I’m all in.”

Danny rolled his eyes.  “Is that what I am?  A responsibility?”

“Oh, you thought I meant you?  I meant the horses down at the racetrack.”

Danny fell back in his chair, clutching at his stomach. “Ouch!  That was a low blow, Uncle Bill.”

“Trixie described the stable as a sad place.  I can totally see that.”  Regan took a long drink of water.  

“You can check it out when we go to one of her soccer games.”  Danny scooped another enchilada onto his plate.

“Nah.  I think I’ll just enjoy watching Trixie play.  I’m not interested in going back.”

“Not even to have a look around?”

“Nope.”

“What do you think will happen to the rest of the Bobwhites?”

“You told me Honey’s been volunteering at the library during story time with the kids and that Diana is taking some serious art classes. I assume Trixie will tear up the soccer field.  Brian and Jim are back at college.  Beyond that?” Regan held up his hands and shrugged.

“I meant with all their dating and stuff.”

“Oh, that.  I don’t know. Maybe they’ll get back together when they’re all a little bit older. You know, it’s kind of funny how your arrival was just enough of the catalyst to shake things up.  And then you left.  But the Bobwhites didn’t go back to the way they were. Thank goodness!”

“No, they didn’t.  Trixie did say that she and Jim went to the movies one weekend when he was home from college but that’s about it.  And Mart and Diana are still dating, but they’re only allowed to see each other on the weekends. The Bobwhites were such a fun group at one time. I think I’m going to miss them.”

Regan nodded.  “Me too.  We’ll have to stay in touch.  And who knows, maybe your paths will cross again in the future.”

“Maybe.” Scraping his plate clean, Danny took it to the kitchen sink.  “Hey, want some ice cream?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Regan held out his empty plate so Danny could add it to the sink, then got out two bowls  “Here, and make mine a super, duper double scoop.”

“Yes, sir.” Danny gave Regan a slight salute.  

“Tsk! Tsk, Danny.  Did you forget that salutes and sirs are not allowed in this house.”

“Got it.”  Danny scooped a big glob of ice cream into Regan’s bowl.  “Here, Dude.”

Regan winced.  “Not sure about “Dude” either.”

Danny laughed.  “I think we’re going to be here for while. We’ll figure it out.”

“That we will.”  

Sitting back down at the table, Danny and Regan ate their ice cream while they mapped out their plans for the upcoming months, plans that included a visit to Sleepyside as well as other towns that were on Danny’s hockey schedule. Watching his nephew poring over his hockey schedule, Regan smiled, pleased that a major bump in the road had turned into a whole new adventure for both of them.

Word count-8127

Author’s notes:  This story was written in response to CWE 16 - One Lives, One Dies: The Butterfly Effect.  A big “thank you” to Katia and to my sister Judith for their editing and comments.  Picture by Pixabay.com.

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