Secrets of the Spiral Tower (5 page)

Willow took a chance.  “So how did you two get together?”

“Olga lived in the guest quarters at the McKenzie Estate. About four years ago, while celebrating my birthday on a cold January night, we shared two bottles of chardonnay and, well, one thing led to another.  We decided to tie the knot and have been happily married for three years. Olga is a wonderful stepmother to Anne.”

“Woody, I’m so glad to hear that and I’m really glad you’re moving on with your life. I know the loss of Martha must have been difficult because I know how devoted you were to her. But, it sounds like Olga is filling some of that loss and I know that time will heal those wounds.”

“You’re right. It looks like Anne, Olga and I have a good chance to live happily ever after.”

“Woody, I’d love to see Olga and Anne soon. Maybe we can get together in a few days for a cook-out.”

“Great. Why don’t you and Connor come over to Woods’ Station for an outing on Lake Bruin?”

“We’ll plan something soon.”

 “What about a house? Do you intend to buy one or move into your old home place? It surely could use some modernizing, but could be made beautiful once again.”

“That is a good thought, but at this time, I’m thinking about buying a big house up on Fort Hill.” Smiling and nodding agreement with her own words, she continued: “Yes. I want to live up on Fort Hill. There are several houses up there, but most are in very poor condition. I want a view of the rivers, so I may wind up buying a house for the land, raze it and build one that suits my needs.”

Woody jumped in.

“There are several houses on the Devil’s Backbone. Maybe you should buy them. I know all the owners.”

“Woody, you must be reading my mind! That thought crossed my mind this morning. You’re a genius!”

Woody smiled.  “I know a lot of people in this town and the owners of most of the businesses.”

“That’s great. I’ll need you to introduce me to the owners.”

 “Yeah I know the owner of a great real estate agency in town.”

 “That’s a good idea, Woody. Contact them and I’ll check back with you soon.”

“Will do.”

At that moment, the food arrived and the three enjoyed a relaxed meal of delicious Southern barbecue.  Willow closed her eyes and purred at the first forkful.

“Gosh, I had forgotten how much I missed this stuff.”

Afterwards, she insisted on picking up the tab.

 Willow and Connor excused themselves and left the restaurant, and walked along Washington Street.

 “I want to show you a couple of these renovated buildings that are now successful businesses,” Connor said. “The mayor has done a terrific job in attracting capital improvements to downtown. A good example is Peterson’s Antiques. You remember this old building? It was abandoned and boarded up for several years. Bobbie Peterson (you remember her, she was in our class at Carr Central High) saw an opportunity and has led the way in renovating these beautiful old buildings.”

Willow looked through the plate glass window.  “Wow. This really doesn’t look anything like the Vicksburg I left.”

“Let’s go in and get reacquainted with Bobbie.  Who knows, you may want to establish a business here, too.”

As they entered the store, an antique dining room table immediately caught Willow’s attention.  She walked around admiring it and Connor asked, “Do you recognize the wood?”

“Of course I do! Remember I was in the wholesale lumber business for several years and before that, my daddy taught me all about wood. This is cypress.”

“Good eye.  This lumber was the outside walls of an old tenant house up past Redwood. It was being torn down and the owner salvaged the siding and a skilled craftsman made the table. I can guarantee there isn’t another one like it in the country.”

“Then, I want it. It’s absolutely beautiful. I plan to decorate my new house completely with antiques, especially those with a Vicksburg flavor.  This table will be perfect.”

There was a sign on the door: “Owner out to lunch. Will return at one o'clock.”

“Let’s move on,” Woody said. “I want to show you Lorelei Books. It’s a privately owned bookstore, which is something Vicksburg has needed for a long time.”

But as they stepped outside, a loud clap of thunder shook everybody and everything.  Willow glanced up at the overcast sky.

“It looks like rain. I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we go to your house and we can finish this tour later?”

“What?”

“You remember that I kissed you about an hour and a half ago?”

“How could I forget?”

“I told you I was warm, right?”

“Ummm-hmmm.”

“Now, I’m even hotter. Let’s go to your house and enjoy the rain. You still have the upstairs bedroom under the metal roof, don’t you?”

Connor’s smiling eyes locked with Willow’s.  “Sure do.”

“Then what are we waiting on?”

Taking his hand, Willow led Connor across the street to his pickup.  Halfway there, the sky opened up and by the time they were seated in the truck, both were soaking wet.

“Let’s hurry to your house. We don’t want to catch a cold.”

“I don’t think we’ll catch a cold in the middle of a summer storm. Besides, it’s only about a fifteen minute drive.”

Willow sat with her head on his shoulder, gently rubbing his inner right thigh with a devilish smile on her face.  “I just love these southern summer thunderstorms, don’t you?”

Connor’s thoughts were right with her.

“Yes, I have fond memories of the times, many years ago, we spent in the park when those thunderstorms hit.”

Connor backed out of the parking lot and steered the Ford truck up North Washington Street to old Highway 61. He knew he was driving too fast for the wet conditions, but safe driving wasn’t foremost in his mind. He had never realized how long it took him to drive home.

Finally, they reached the front door of his house on a high hill overlooking the flatland.  They were drenched again by the blowing rain as he fumbled to unlock the door.

Once inside, they began immediately stripping off their wet clothes and by the time they reached the stairs to his bedroom, they were naked.

Stopping at the top of the stairs and locked in a passionate embrace, Connor lifted Willow off her feet and slowly backed to his bed until he was able to lie down gently, keeping her on top of him.

Everything was warm and familiar, even though it had been more than four years since they had made love. Not much was said for the next two hours as they made love to the rhythm of the rain on the metal roof. But all the sounds were completely understood.

Connor breaking the silence said, “I remember those rainstorms and the lovely times we spent in our cave near the spiral tower. But, I must say this was special.”

“Darling, there’s one thing missing.”

Connor gave her a quizzical look.

“What could possibly be missing?”

“Our special song, ‘Afternoon Delight.’”

“Of course!  It’ll only take a moment to fix that little problem.”

Connor stepped out of the bed, walked to his desktop computer and inserted a CD of the Starland Vocal Band.

Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight,

Gonna grab some afternoon delight.

My motto’s always been, ‘When its right, it’s right

Why wait until the middle of a cold, dark night?

“How’s that?”

Willow opened her arms inviting Connor to come closer saying, “That’s great. Now sing to me, like you used to.”

Connor pulled Willow into a close hug and sang along with the CD while Willow thrilled to his deep voice thrumming from his chest to hers.

The CD moved on to the next song, and Connor pulled back to look at Willow with a wide grin.

“What’s so funny, big boy?”

“We’re a long way from those teenage years, but after making love to you, I feel like a teenager.”

Willow finger-combed her mussed hair back from her face and looked up at Connor. “You may feel like a teenager, but you felt more like a strong, virile man to me. But I know what you mean.  You touched off a hormonal surge in my body that I haven’t felt since I was a teenager. You didn’t take one of those male enhancement pills, did you?”

“Heavens no! That was all natural.”

For the next hour they lay in bed enjoying the afterglow and listening to the Starland Vocal Band and the rain on the metal roof as they drifted off to sleep.

Willow awoke an hour later, leaned over and gently kissed Connor on the cheek. “It’s 4 o’clock. We need to go see Daddy.”

Connor glanced at his watch.

“Yeah, he’ll be ready for dinner and won’t stay awake past six.”

“Let me take a quick shower and while I’m fixing my hair, you can shower.”

Willow slipped out of bed still completely naked. She pulled at the sheets to wrap up but Connor wouldn’t let go. Even in her early 50s, Willow still had a beautifully tanned and shapely body.

Willow twisted her firm butt slightly to tease Connor.

“It’s all yours, big boy. Just promise me we’ll do this often.”

“Just as often as you want. All you have to do is give me that come-on look, crook your finger and I’m yours.”

Chapter 6

 Unlike the fifteen minute drive to Connor’s house, the return trip to town was quite relaxed. Leaving the South Frontage Road headed toward the Assisted Living Complex, Connor said, “You know, that trip didn’t seem quite as long and I noticed that you sat closer to the door this time.”

Willow looked at Connor and smiled.

“Yeah, I was horny. Now I’m completely satisfied and calm. I hope I can carry on an intelligent conversation with Daddy.”

“Don’t worry. If you start to fade, I’ll jump in with some idle talk.”

As they entered the foyer, Willow said, “This place is beautiful. I wouldn’t mind living here.”

Connor laughed. “I hope you’re a long way from needing this kind of assisted living. It is nice for your daddy, but it costs an arm and leg.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“I know, because he has worked hard all of his life and deserves to live in comfort until he passes. Another good thing about this place is that all of the residents are friends or spouses of friends of your daddy, even though he doesn’t remember them. They generally have a good time with all of the activities and groups that come to visit.”

Walking down the hall toward Rupert’s suite, they spotted him sitting in the solarium. 

“He loves that spot,” said Connor.

Hesitating and looking somewhat pensive, Willow asked, “Can he walk on his own?”

“Not really. He needs a steadying hand but doesn’t like for anybody to hold his arm. You know he wants to be independent.”

“That’s a McKenzie trait for sure; self-reliant and independent.”

Still peering through the large glass doors, Willow’s upper lip began to quiver. She had never seen her daddy, the strong one that nobody thought would die, reaching a stage where it could happen any moment. For the first time in her life, she suddenly felt alone and wondered what would happen to the McKenzie family name. She had never married and was approaching the end of her child bearing age. There was no blood relative to carry on the McKenzie name. With her life flashing in front of her, she wondered,
have I been successful and selfish and failed my Daddy?

Noticing her sudden change in demeanor, Connor put his arm around her. “Come on, Willow, cheer up. Your Daddy could live for many years. If he doesn’t recognize you, you must for the moment accept that and put on your happy face. In time, with frequent visits from you, his memory may come back. Let’s go talk to him.”

“No, wait. I need to go to the restroom and splash some cold water on my face. Give me a few minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll go talk to him and you join us when you’re ready.”

“Good idea.”

Connor walked in and greeted Rupert with a big hug.

“Hey boss man, how are things today?”

Rupert recognized Connor.

“I’m fine. What’s going on at the plant?”

For a moment Connor was stumped. The plant? Then he remembered that many years ago, Rupert referred to the fleet of barges and tow boats as the ‘floating plant’.
   

Standing in front of the mirror, Willow looked deeply into her soul. Her mind drifted back to the last time she and Connor visited the cave. Although, at the time, she was convinced what they had been doing as teenagers not only brought them excitement and intrigue, but she was equally convinced their activities brought some pain and agony to their families and friends. Now, some thirty years later, her conscience became a heavy burden that had to be lifted.
It may require a confession to the sheriff. Or is this the time to confide in Daddy?
Whatever, I need to get out there and visit him. Connor is probably wondering what happened to me.

Walking toward the solarium, Willow recognized several people she had not seen in years. Pausing momentarily to speak to each one, even though they didn’t recognize her, she was fighting back tears. Entering the solarium, Willow stopped, took a deep breath and walked briskly toward Connor and Rupert.

Connor looked up. “Rupert, look who is here.”

Turning slightly to his left, Rupert’s mouth fell open as Willow reached for him saying, “Daddy, it’s so good to see you.”

With excitement in his voice, Rupert asked, “Winsome, is it really you?”

Willow was stunned for a moment. Her father thought that she was her mother who had been dead for over thirty years.  “No, Daddy. This is Willow, your daughter. How are you feeling?”

With a twinkle in his eye and a tremble in his voice, Rupert said, “I’m doing much better now. I thought for a moment you were Winsome. You’re the perfect image of that angel.”

Rupert took Willow by the hand. “To hold your hand is absolutely wonderful and a dream comes true for me.”

“Daddy, I’ve really missed you this past year. Now, I’m home to stay and I’ll visit you every day.”

With a slight chuckle, he said, “Don’t come during meal time. The food isn’t that good.”

“Daddy, it looks like it is agreeing with you. But, if you want, I’ll take you out for a steak or barbecue anytime.”

“That would be wonderful. I like it here, but I do miss being out on the river.”

“I know, Daddy. Connor and I will take you out there as often as you want to go.”

“You know there is going to be a lunar eclipse tomorrow morning about five thirty,” Connor said. “If we came by, would you want to go outside and see it?”

“That would be fun, Daddy.”

As Rupert leaned back in his recliner, Willow could see his mind churning. Squeezing her hand, he asked, “Do you remember the trip the three of us took to St. Louis a while back?”

Willow looked at Connor and he replied, “Yes, Mr. Rupert, we remember.  That was one of the times we pushed 37 empty grain barges up river to the Port of St. Louis. Willow and I spent quite a bit of time up on the front barge watching for floating logs in the swirling muddy water and watched the sun set.”

“Yeah. I worried about you two. I watched from the pilot’s house on pins and needles every time you were out on those open barges.”

“Daddy, we always wore our life jackets, or ‘personal flotation devices’ as you called them.”

“I know, but a father still has to worry about his baby girl. That river is unforgiving if you ever fall overboard.”

“Daddy, I felt safe with you and Connor close by.”

“I know being young and adventurous as you were, you didn’t see the danger, but if you had fallen over, pulling you back to safety would have been very difficult.”

“Daddy, I have to apologize for causing you so much stress.”

“That’s not the half of it. When you and Connor left the tow to visit the Arch and didn’t return till the next morning, that was stress. I can laugh about it now, but I was worried sick until I saw you two walking down the pier.”

“Daddy, I’m really sorry for all of the problems I caused you during those years. Connor and I had great times together, thanks in large part to you. You are a wonderful provider and forgiving father.”

“Willow you’re going to make me cry. Let’s talk about some of the adventures you’ve had in New York.”

“Daddy, like you, I kept my shoulder to the wheel and my nose down always pushing forward harder than ever. And also like you, I never stepped back from a challenge. That’s what makes us McKenzies who we are.”

“But you need to stop and smell the roses along the way. And by the way, why didn’t you ever find a man to suit you?”

Slightly embarrassed by that question, Willow looked at Connor. “Daddy, I found him at about the age of fifteen. I’ve never met anyone any better than Connor Peppler.”

“Why, then, haven’t the two of you ever married?”

Again, caught off guard, Willow said, “You know, Daddy, that’s a very good question and the only answer is we’re just too involved in work. Do you think it’s too late?”

“Willow, I’ve loved Connor just like my own flesh and blood. He has worked faithfully with me all these years. He’s always been there to help me.”

“I know, Daddy. Now we’re both here and I want to catch up on my share of helping you.”

“So, does this mean that you and Connor are getting married?”

With a look of amazement on her face, she turned to Connor and asked, “Are we?”

Connor was just as shocked as Willow and stuttered, “I don’t know.”

“But, Daddy, why didn’t you remarry after mother’s death?”

“There is an old song that goes something like this, ‘One in a Million’ that is what your mother was to me and I never saw or met anyone in the last thirty years that came anywhere close to her. We McKenzies just don’t need to be married.

“Your mother was the love of my life and the memories of our time together have given me many hours of pleasure. Even now, I remember some of our love making and I smile all over. But, it would have been very unfair to the woman I married, because I would have always compared her to your mother.”

“Wow, Daddy. But, a young strong male like you needed female attention.”

“Wait, Willow. Don’t misunderstand me. I didn’t go lacking for female attention. It’s just that I didn’t or couldn’t love anyone like I did your mother.”

Willow rolled her eyes around at Connor saying, “Daddy, we’ve never had a conversation like this before.”

“True. But that’s okay. I just want to let you know that my love for your mother is one that has endured all these years and I love you just as strongly. Regarding my association with members of the opposite sex, I’m certain Connor can answer any questions you may have. Several lovely socialites have tried to connect with me. But, those connections were short lived on my part. I had no real desire to become emotionally involved with anyone.”

“Daddy, you said Connor knows about your connections,” Willow said, laughing. “Can you tell me if Connor had any similar connections?”

“Heavens, no. Connor was too busy running our towing business. He dated a few eligible women around town, but never had a serious relationship with any of them. Right, Connor?”

“Oh, yes Sir. Occasionally, I would take someone to dinner and a movie, but at the end of the night I always went to my house.”

With a smile on her face, Willow said, "Yeah, Connor. I’m sure you never stayed over for dessert?”

“Willow, now that I think about that question, I must tell you that Connor has spent a lot of time in San Antonio, other than at the tow boat conventions.  Connor told me a few tales about some of the goings on. Connor, what was that girl’s name that worked on the Upper Mississippi River?”

“Rupert, I don’t remember. Willow, why don’t we leave and let your Daddy rest?”

“Wait a minute! This is new information to me. Daddy, how long have these annual meetings been going on?” 

“Oh, for at least 25 years, maybe longer.”

Turning toward Connor with a slight smile on her face, Willow said, “Seems like Connor wants to change the subject. I believe he’s embarrassed.”

“I certainly have nothing to be embarrassed about. How about your escapades in New York, Washington, Miami and other places I don’t know about? I’m certain many opportunities came your way.”

“Why, Connor, are you jealous?”

“Yes, I’ll admit I had many opportunities, as you put it, but never anything as serious as an annual meeting for twenty-five years. But, I must say, the more we talk and the more uncomfortable you seem to become, I’m really intrigued to learn more about this ‘mysterious girl’.”

“There is nothing more to tell,” Connor said. “I need to get back to the office anyway. Rupert has a car parked in the garage, why don’t you use it while you’re in town?”

“Connor, surely I can do that, but this nerve we’ve uncovered needs to be settled soon.”

“Whatever, Willow, I’m going to the office. See you later. Why don’t you’ll talk about the property you want to buy up on Devil’s Ridge? Your Daddy knows a lot about that place.”

“Okay. I see the discussion has gotten a bit under your skin. You high-tail it out of here because I want to talk to Daddy about Devil’s Ridge.”

Connor opened the door to leave. “Willow, call me later. Bye, Mr. Boss man, I’ll see you soon.”

Turning to Rupert, Willow said, “Connor and I had lunch with Woody today.”

“Sounds like you and Connor have talked about this and arrived at a plan. Since you’re my closest blood kin and you want to join in the operation of McKenzie Towing, which I wanted you to do thirty years ago …”

  “Now, Daddy, tell me about Devil’s Ridge.”

“Devil’s Ridge? You bet. In my younger days, I spent a lot of time near Mason Creek’s waterfall. After playing around for a while, my pals and I would slide down the cliff at Devil’s Ridge to the highway below. We used to sit up there and watch the traffic on the river. I guess that is where I became so interested in the river towing business.”

“What? You played on that cliff? I’m surprised you survived that without any broken bones.”

“Didn’t break any bones, but had lots of cuts and bruises and torn clothes. Mama told me many times to stay away from that waterfall and cliff, but I didn’t mind very well.”