Chapter 52

Phillip's flight from O'Hare touched down at National just before eight on Tuesday night, so Kendra had plenty of time to get off work, change clothes and get something to eat before she drove out to the airport. He came through the boarding gate, hugged and kissed her, and said, "Thanks for meeting me. I have lots of news. How is everyone here?"

"Fine. Are you hungry?"

"Oh, yeah. Abby's family fed us like kings last night and breakfast at the pancake house across my Abby's Uncle Eddie's motel was good, but airport food was airport food. I could really go for Marvin's right now. I didn't check a bag, so we can just go."

Over burgers and fries, he told her all the news. "Jamie looks great for a guy that was just shot five days ago, but having Abby there probably has something to do with that. When we stopped in Kansas City on Sunday, we went over to the loft he's subletting to pick up some more clothes and things he asked for, so Mom got a good look at that. She approves. One of the things he asked for was a catalog from UMKC; he's thinking about going to grad school to get a master's in public administration."

"That will be good," Kendra said. "He won't always be a field agent, and an advanced degree like that will certainly improve his chances of moving into management."

"That's what he's thinking too. I didn't spend a lot of time with him, because too many people in his room would tire him out too much, so after we got to Alliance yesterday, I stayed at the motel and kept an eye on the kids so Mom, Lee and Grandma could go over to the hospital. It's an older motel and the rooms are really dated, haven't been redone since about the time I was born, but it's clean and the kids just wanted to get in the little pool and splash. Oh, and Abby's Uncle Eddie – great-uncle, really, her grandfather's oldest brother – has a crush on Grandma."

"Really? Oh, that's so cute! How old is he?"

"Mid-seventies, so a few years older than she is. He invited her to bingo at the legion hall tonight right off the bat, and she said yes."

"Oh, wow."

"Yeah, it was something to see this old guy flirting with her, but he's a great guy, from what Abby says. He's been trying to sell the motel for a couple of years since his wife died, but he won't sell to anybody that will turn it into a haven for druggies or prostitutes, so he's turned down several offers."

"That's good. So what did the family do today?"

"Abby and Grandma stayed in town while Lee and Mom and the kids took me to the little airport in Scottsbluff, and then they were going to see Chimney Rock and some of the other historic sites before they went back and let the kids hit the pool again. They're the only ones at the motel right now, so they've got the place to themselves. Eddie lost a lot of business when several chain hotels moved into town."

"Yes, I imagine he did; people want a hotel chain they're familiar with, one that has free breakfast and gives rewards points."

"Right. His rates are very reasonable, but the place is still old. Still, it's the perfect solution; they're not imposing on anybody in the family, there's a pool right there, and the pancake house serves lunch and supper too. Now that Mom has seen Jamie and assured herself that he's going to be all right, they'll probably take a few days and go touring out there. You know, take the kids to Mount Rushmore, maybe even as far west as Yellowstone. They haven't had a real vacation since before Emily was born."

"That long?"

"Yeah. The kids were small, the jobs were demanding, you know the drill."

"All too well."

"Oh, sure, they'd take a few days and take the kids to Virginia Beach or up to Vermont to see Mom's relatives up there, but a vacation of this length just never happened."

"Then I'm very sorry that Jamie got shot, but I'm glad that they get a chance to spend time as a family. If they go all the way to Yellowstone, is Dotty going with them?"

"I don't know. I need to go home and call them, tell them I got here okay."

Kendra drove him back to the house on Maplewood and went into the kitchen to fix them glasses of iced tea while Phillip dialed the number at the motel, one he read off an old picture postcard that Eddie had handed him before he left that morning. He checked his watch, noted that it was a quarter to seven in Alliance, and waited for the phone to ring.

"Cactus Motel, Alliance, Nebraska, home of Carhenge. How may I help you this evening?" his grandmother's voice said.

"Grandma? Hi, it's Phillip. I'm back in Arlington, I had something to eat, and now we're back at the house, so I called to let everyone know I got here okay."

"That's good. We're heading out to bingo in just a few minutes, but I'm glad you called. Phillip, is Kendra with you?"

"Yes."

"Good, I need to ask her a favor. Put her on, please."

"Sure." He handed Kendra the phone and said, "She needs to ask a favor."

"Okay. Hi, Dotty. How's it going?"

"Oh, very well. Eddie and I have been talking all day about how he can bring this place back, make it a going concern again, but it's going to take time, and that means I need more clothes. If I give you a list, can you box them up so Phillip can send them to me Parcel Express?"

"Sure. I've got your notepad right here and I'm ready to copy."

Phillip looked confused as Kendra wrote down a list, said, 'I've got that; if I have any questions, will you be at this number?"

"After about nine our time, or you can try tomorrow morning. Lee and Amanda want to get out by eight for the drive up to Mount Rushmore, so we'll be up by six-thirty."

"That sounds good. I'll get started on this tonight and we'll get them out to you tomorrow. "

"Thank you, dear. I didn't want to ask Phillip to pack my ladies' frillies, you know?"

Kendra laughed. "No, that would have been awkward. Good luck at bingo, and we'll talk to you later."

"Thank you, dear. Goodbye now."

Kendra hung up and Phillip said, "What are you doing that would have been awkward?"

"Packing a lot more clothes for Dotty, including what she described as her 'ladies' frillies'."

"Oh, Lord. She wants you to send her the stuff from Rebecca's Fantasies?"

"Why, yes, Phillip, she does, and why not? She's met a man, a good man, to all accounts, and she sounds more animated than she has since I met her. She said she and Eddie have been talking all day about how they can make the motel 'a going concern again' as she put it, but it's going to take time, and that's why she needs more clothes."

"How much time?"

"I have no idea, but does it matter? You're perfectly capable of fending for yourself, after all, and you have to admit that you and your mother were both worried that she was failing fast. She needs somebody to need her, and frankly, you don't. It sounds like Eddie does."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"Of course, I'm right; I'm Kendra Davis, Secret Agent - well, trainee Secret Agent. I'd better go up and start working on this list of clothes. Can you find me a good box in the garage?"

"I think so; if not, I'll go to the shipping place and get one tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good."