Chapter 11 #2
“The only eternal I care about is the eternal afterlife in Heaven. And I’m pretty sure God won’t open the door for the undead, Marge,” Doris whispered, leaning in close.
“I know He won’t take us if we’re... vampires.
So we don’t need vampires. Because we will live long, full lives, and when we die, I’m going to be right there at the gate, arguing the case for all three of you. ”
“Fine.” I picked up my own menu. “I’m just saying it was a clean solution.”
“Alice doesn’t want to be immortal,” Sylvie said. “She wants to live. There’s a difference.”
“And modern medicine has come a long way. I’m going to kick the cancer to the curb and survive… unless Marge gets us killed on her captain days,” Alice added.
I was about to say something else when the handsome man at the counter stood up, tucked some bills under his coffee cup, and turned to head toward the back of the diner.
As he turned toward us, I saw his hat.
BAYOU BILL’S BOAT TOURS with a big alligator mouth opening toward the front.
I was out of the booth before I’d made a conscious decision to move.
“Marge?” Sylvie whisper-yelled. “Do not ask him to freaking bite us!”
I crossed the diner and fell into stride beside him. “Excuse me. Sorry to bother you. Your hat.”
He stopped, turned, and looked down at me with a pair of blue eyes that were, I had to admit, legitimately suspicious in their handsomeness.
Up close, late fifties, easy smile, the weathered quality of someone who spent most of their time outside.
Flannel shirt, camo jacket, boots that had done real work.
“Ma’am?” His voice came out slow and warm, molasses over gravel.
“Your hat,” I said again, pointing at it. “Airboat tours. You run those?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’d be me.” He touched the brim. “Bayou Bill, most folks call me.”
“You can call me Marge.” I stuck out my hand. He shook it with a firm but gentle grip. “Can you take four of us out today? Like now? Right after breakfast?”
He tipped his head, contemplating it in the unhurried consideration of a true Southerner.
“Well, maybe this afternoon I can fit you in. Just have a few things to get done yet.”
I frowned. “Aw, man. Can’t take us now, by chance, can you? We’re on a tight schedule.”
He scratched his stubbled chin. “It’s really better in a few hours.”
I glanced at Alice, then leaned in and dropped the cancer card like a grenade. “She has breast cancer. The tall, pretty one. Could really use this win for her. You sure you can’t take us now?”
He looked at her, face softening as he shook his head.
“My mama had breast cancer. Hell of a fighter. Man, sorry to hear your friend is going through that.” He chewed on his lip, head tipping back and forth.
Then finally, a sigh. “Aw, alright. Gimme twenty minutes to make some calls and move a couple things around and I’ll get you and your friends out on a fantastic ride. ”
“Yes!” I pumped a fist down by my waist. Cancer card for the win again. “Fantastic. We’re on a road trip, looking for fun stuff to do before her cancer battle, and a trip to see the gators sounds perfect.”
“Happy to help any way I can.” He pointed to my Viking hat. “Can I ask?”
I pointed at his hat. “I’m a captain, just like you.”
He gave a slow nod, no more questions. “I see. Well, then two captains are better than one on an airboat tour.”
“Exactly.” I clapped once and pointed to him. “I like how you think.”
I looked back at the widows, who were watching me with fear and suspicion in their eyes, no doubt wondering what I was saying to him.
Then as I looked into those blue eyes of his, I leaned in and said, “You can go now, right? In the sun? Don’t need to wait for dark… know what I mean?”
He furrowed his salt-and-pepper brows, a confused smile tipping up one side of his lips. “I can go now. More dangerous at dark on account of all the twists and turns we need to navigate.”
“Yeah. Right. Good point.” A little sigh of defeat caused my shoulders to slump.
Not a vampire, I mouthed to the widows.
Alice pressed a hand to her head, and Doris made the sign of the cross.
“Tell ya what. I’ll wait for you to finish up your food, then you can follow me to the boat. We can head out right away.”
“Deal.” I grinned at him, then hurried back to the widows.
“What did you do?” Sylvie shoved me when I sat down. “Did you seriously run up and ask that poor man if he was a vampire?”
“Well, not outright, of course.” I shoved her back. “But I did figure out that he’s not.”
“How?” Doris asked, her gaze flicking to him as he sat back down at the bar.
“Because I asked if he could go out in the sunshine, and he can. And assuming the lore is real, he’s not a vampire.”
“You just asked that man if he could go out in the sunshine?” Alice pressed two fingers to her temples.
“Well, I was more sly than that, of course. But forget the vampire thing. He’s not one. What he is is an airboat captain.”
“An airboat captain?” Sylvie asked.
I grinned. “Yep! Told you Bertha knew what she was doing. She brought me to the first wish. We’re going airboating!”
I sat back in the booth and crossed my arms with satisfaction.
The bayou. An airboat. Open water.
“Right now? He’s taking us right now?” Alice’s eyes widened.
“Yep. Well, I had to drop the cancer card for expedited service, but we’re in.”
She swatted me with her plastic menu. “You dropped my cancer card? Without me? Only I get to drop the cancer card, Marge.”
I waved her off. “Ah, it’s all good. His mom had it. He’s all in for giving you the pre-cancer time of your life.”
“Or end of my life. Early.” Alice sighed.
“Marge.” Doris reached across the table and grabbed my wrist. “Is this safe?”
“Completely.”
“Is it, though?” Sylvie tipped her head.
“Don’t you girls trust me yet?”
All three mouths opened, but before they could answer, I said, “Don’t answer that. Just eat your biscuits.”
They closed their mouths. Three suspicious sets of eyes stared at me, but I just smiled and shoved a biscuit in my mouth. We were going on our next adventure.