Page 62 of Daddy, Take Me Away
“Okay, but only a few sips. As much as I love wine, I’m sorta ready to get on with the dining part of the poem.”
Chapter Ten
Stone
“Oh, I’ve heard of this place,” Micah said as they passed an old-weathered sign proclaiming they’d entered Terlingua. “We should have asked Lydia to join us!”
Stone took another glance at the second line of the sign that read, Ghost Town, and chuckled. “I’m no expert, but I thought once a ghost chose a place to haunt, they pretty much stayed in one spot.”
“That’s a good point; I’ll ask her tonight, though maybe we’ll get to see some other ghosts and I can ask them.”
Stone hoped not. One friendly lady ghost was fine, but if you considered the history of Terlingua, you’d be far more likely to encounter a surly miner pretty pissed off at some wealthy owner who failed to give a moment’s consideration to the safety of the mine he sent men down into.
“Isn’t this place famous for its chili cookoff?” Micah asked, her head on a swivel as if looking for rows and rows of simmering crockpots full of different types of meat and, though frowned upon by some, beans.
“That’s in November when the town goes from ghostly to booming during the cookoff. Teams sign up months and even years in advance just to get a spot. If you want, we can try to come back one day and taste some chili.”
Micah gave it some consideration and then shook her head. “I think I like it better now. It’s like we have the whole town to ourselves. But I am hungry.”
“No worries. Ghost town or not, people actually do live here.”
“They do? Where?”
Stone shrugged. “I don’t have any personal addresses, but according to Google, there is a population of around a hundred year round. And I’m pretty certain the restaurant is run by those still breathing.”
His words proved true as he pulled the Jeep to a stop not far from a restaurant with a long porch out front. People were sitting in rockers or on benches, some perched on railings just chatting or snapping photos with their phones.
“We’ll have some lunch then take a tour.” At her quick glance, he smiled. “One that doesn’t include bulls this time.”
“Sounds like fun,” Micah said. “I’m starving!”
They hadn’t made it to the porch steps before Micah stopped and pointed. “How do you feel about snakes?”
Stone read the sign which had a drawing of a snake in mid lunge, his mouth wide open and venom dripping from its fangs. Crude lettering above the snake’s head warned people of “viper crossings”.
“Let’s just say I’d rather face a raging bull,” Stone said. “Maybe our hike will be confined to whatever we can see from the car.”
“Don’t be a wuss, Daddy, I’m sure they’re more scared of you than you are of them.” Seeing his expression and watching him give an exaggerated shudder, had her giggling. “Don’t worry, I can suck the venom out.”
A far more pleasant picture formed in his mind. “Can’t think of a better way to die than to have you sucking me.”
Micah burst out in full laughter, which had several of the porch sitters looking their way. Lowering her voice, she bumped her hip against his and said, “The chances of that snake biting you in the location you are fantasizing about are slim to none. He’s far more likely to sink his teeth about three feet lower.”
“A man can dream,” Stone said, popping her on her ass as she skipped up the steps ahead of him.
Though they did indeed eat some chili, it was only a scoop added to their thick hamburgers. When Micah tried to get her mouth open wide enough to take her first bite, Stone’s mind went directly back to that dream.
“This is impossible,” she declared, setting the huge bun full of beef, onions, pickles and chili back on her plate and stuffing a french fry into her mouth instead.
“All you have to do is squish it,” Stone said, reaching across the table and using the flat of his palm to compress her hamburger.
“What happened to the surgeon who is such a stickler about hygiene?” she asked.
“He wants his Little to be able to consume enough calories to have the energy to hike and enough protein to be ready to do all that sucking she’s promised.”
Micah rolled her eyes. “A poet and a dreamer, you’re such a Renaissance man, Daddy.”
“I’ll plead guilty as charged or perhaps enter a plea of not-guilty due to temporary insanity as just the vision of those pretty red lips parting and your sweet mouth opening wide as you?—”
