The Gatekeeper's Challenge (9 page)

She vanished, but he sensed her presence. Dionysus did, too.

“What will you do for me in return, Thanatos?”

“Anything that is within my power.”
He felt himself losing blood at the wound where his thumb should be. He was in agony, but did well to hide it.

Dionysus’s merry smile faded and he jutted his chin. “Indeed. Leave us, maenads. Follow the satyrs up the mountain.”

The satyrs played a melody on their wooden flutes and led a parade of women further up the mountain. Once they were gone, Than carefully molded his thumb back to his hand and healed it, asking, “Why do they fear me when they’re immortal?” The pain continued, but the thumb was back, and though it hurt, he could move it a little. How long it would be before he had full strength in it, he didn’t know. He’d never, in his ancient life, sustained an injury such as this. He could only imagine the pain of enduring his entire body ripped this way.

“Only the wine keeps them so. Without me and the fruit of my vines, they would die.”

“Tell them I’m your servant.”

“There
is
something I want.”

Chapter Ten: The Festival

Therese was surprised by the happiness she felt when she went downstairs to the gallery of friends awaiting her. She hadn’t seen Todd and Ray since school let out four weeks ago, and they always managed to lift her spirits.

Ray, a chubby, but tall, Native American with dark eyes and short thick black hair, started things off, as usual. He wore his signature look: an open plaid shirt with a t-shirt underneath, jeans, and sneakers. Unlike Todd, he refused to dress like a cowboy since he wasn’t actually a cowboy, and Todd, who also wasn’t one, but who looked like one with his tall, wiry frame and Wrangler jeans and boots, was the butt of a lot of Ray’s jokes: “You know what the urban cowboy would say…” and so forth. Now, Ray stood up and asked, “Why does it always take girls so long? I mean, what do they do, shave their legs by plucking one hair at a time? Or maybe there’s some kind of good luck ritual they have to go through before they even get started.”

Jen gave Ray a look that said “Not tonight,” but Therese actually laughed.

“You’re on to us,” Therese said, “on both counts.”

The rest of the group stood now, too, and Todd said, “Come see what I’ve done to my truck.” It was a fifty-seven Chevy painted bright yellow and mounted high on a lift kit. They all said goodnight to Carol and Richard and headed outside.

Matthew linked his hand into Jen’s as they walked down the steps to the gravelly drive, and Therese felt a stab of pain pierce her chest. She blinked and pushed the pain away, telling herself tonight would be a good time with good friends and nothing else mattered.

“Oh, hold on. I forgot something.” Therese ran back inside, up the stairs to her room and into her desk drawer. She had promised to give Vicki the money for the NDE drugs, and she didn’t want anything holding up their plans. She ran back out just as the group gathered around Todd’s truck. “Okay. So what’s new?”

“Check out my chrome. I was so excited when I found this authentic fifty-seven grill. Now my truck matches. Cool, huh?”

“Very cool,” Therese said. “It looks so shiny and new. You wouldn’t know it was an antique.” She enjoyed making a big deal over Todd’s truck because she knew how important it was to him. She would have liked to ride with him and Ray, but she knew Vicki would feel like a third wheel riding in Matthew’s truck, which had an extended cab, and the two girls couldn’t fit in Todd’s, which did not. So Therese oooed and awed and then climbed into the backseat of Matthew’s truck beside Vicki.

Once they were on the road, Therese silently passed the one hundred dollars over to Vicki, who nodded, folded the bills, and tucked them into her purse.

The Pagosa Springs Fairgrounds were a happening place by the time the two vehicles arrived. They had to drive up and down a dusty dirt parking lot for over fifteen minutes looking for a place to park. They each finally found one a couple of hundred yards away from the entrance. Therese’s boots were covered in white dust by the time they paid their cover and entered the grounds.

Carnival rides and game and food booths were scattered across the grassy field that was surrounded by mountains still visible in the summer evening. As the group walked through the lane between the booths, they recognized people they knew and occasionally stopped to talk. Then they continued their way to the dance area where they looked forward to watching Pete’s band perform.

Someone came up from behind Therese, tucked his hands beneath her armpits, and lifted her in the air, spinning her around and making her laugh. She could tell before he put her down that she was in Pete’s hands. She turned to face him.

“When’s your band onstage?”

“About eight.” He led the group to a table where the rest of the Holts were already sitting, except for Bobby, who was dancing the two-step on the concrete dance floor with some girl Therese didn’t know. “Ready?”

Pete smelled and felt good as he led Therese to the dance floor and took her in his arms. His white cowboy hat brought out the glow in his tanned face and sparkling blue eyes. His nose was sprinkled with a few summer freckles, and when he smiled, his teeth were pearl white. His shoulders were broad and well defined in the starched denim shirt unbuttoned at the very top. His jeans were tight, hugging his backside in a flattering way. Therese wanted to reach out and touch it. She was surprised by how good she felt in his arms, how much she liked him, and now that she was finally giving up on Than, Pete had her undivided attention.

He was a master at dancing—such a good lead that she hardly had to think at all. He twirled her around and past the other dancers in show-off fashion. She squealed a couple of times when he lifted her over his head.

And his voice was as smooth as her father’s red wine, which he let her taste when she turned thirteen. She loved to listen to Pete sing the lyrics he knew; and when he didn’t know the words to a song, he hummed softly in her ear, sending tingles down her neck and back.

When Todd wanted to cut in after several songs, Pete complained. “I’ll have to go on stage soon and you can have her then.”

Todd reluctantly backed off the floor and settled for Vicki.

Therese noticed Vicki didn’t know how to dance, but Todd was patient with her and took things slow. He kept to a very basic step, talking her through the moves.

The salty taste of sweat made Therese lick her lips. Beads of sweat were pouring down her face and Pete’s. They had danced at least a dozen songs—a couple of polkas and swings, several Texas Two Steps, and one slow waltz that had her closing her eyes and imagining a life with Pete. Now Pete asked if she wanted something to drink.

“I need a break before I go on stage,” he said.

“A diet coke sounds good.”

He walked her to one of the booths on the side of the dance area. “Diet? Why do you drink diet? You sure don’t need to watch your weight.”

“I just like the taste better. Regular coke tastes too sweet to me.”

He gave her a quick and spontaneous peck on the lips. Then with a devilish smile, he asked, “Do I taste too sweet to you?”

She felt the heat rush to her face. “No, definitely not, Peter Holt,” was all she could think to say as she turned away toward the booth.

They got in line behind four or five others. “Jen texted me about your hamster. I’m sorry you lost him, but I’m glad you decided to come tonight. My night wouldn’t have been the same.”

“I’m glad I came, too. You’re such a great dancer. I’m having fun.”

He blushed and kissed her again with a quick peck on the cheek, which made her blush, again, too. Then it was time for him to get their drinks. He bought himself a Sprite.

“I can pay for my pop,” Therese said, but he wouldn’t let her. “Then I’ll get the next round.”

They caught up with the others at the Holts’ table when Pete suddenly said, “We gotta ride the octopus.”

Therese gave him a doubtful look.

“Come on. It’s my favorite ride, and I have a little more time before I go on.”

Jen joined in. “Let’s all go. What do you think, Matthew?”

“I’m in,” Ray said before Matthew replied.

So a whole group of them ran of
f to get some tickets and get in line for the octopus.

On the ride, Therese sat against Pete, who had his arm around her, as one of the black tentacles whipped them around in the air. She shouted, delirious, not having laughed this hard in a long, long time. Todd and Vicki were in another car, Jen and Matthew in another, and Ray rode alone, with his arms up in the air. When the ride scooped down, Therese buried her face in Pete’s chest.

“Oh my God!” she said, her stomach lurching.

Not long after, Pete left her standing near the table by the Holts talking to Ray as they watched Todd and Vicki, Matthew and Jen, and Bobby and his new partner dance to some transitional, pre-recorded music while Pete’s band set up. When Pete’s smooth voice finally rang out across the Fairgrounds, his crystal eyes and gorgeous smile directed at Therese, she felt surprisingly content. She felt as though he was singing exclusively for her, and she really didn’t mind the occasional eyes in the audience who would seek out the object of the singer’s attention. For the rest of the evening, Todd and Bobby danced with her, but not without Pete getting in his winks and waves to her. After Pete’s band finished its one hour performance and put away the equipment, Pete came back to reclaim her for the evening.

Therese was dizzy with excitement. Pete had not been shy about showing his feelings for her, and she was overwhelmed. But it was a good feeling. She liked the feeling. She had encouraged Pete tonight more than she had all year, and it felt so, so good. By the time the group was ready to go, Pete had convinced Therese to ride back with him. Todd offered to take Vicki home, which took pressure off of her: she didn’t have to worry about Vicki feeling like a third wheel with Matthew and Jen.

Pete helped her in on the passenger side, and then went around to the other. When she started to strap herself in near the door, he objected and pulled her over to the middle of the bench seat beside him. She laughed and was delighted by his strength and persistence. He put his hand on her thigh. She covered his hand with hers.

They talked about school—about band and her classes. Then he asked about her plans after high school. She didn’t know. Probably college, but not Fort Lewis. It reminded her too much of her mom.

He asked how she was doing with her parents’ death, and it felt good to talk about it honestly with someone.

“I still sometimes act a little loony,” she said. “I’ll be in the mall or at the movies, and I’ll see someone with my mom’s red hair or my dad’s build, and I’ll almost call out to them. I guess I still can’t accept that they’re really gone.”

“That’s understandable.” He squeezed her hand.

She asked if he planned to stay working at the Holt Ranch.

“I’m really happy right now. I work with the horses, get to be around my family, and get to play a few gigs with my band here and there. I feel like I’ve got everything I want right here. I don’t plan to go anywhere.” He gave her a wink.

“How’s it going with your dad home? Jen doesn’t talk about it. I noticed both your parents were drinking pop tonight.”

He sighed. “I don’t know. I think my dad might be drinking again. Ever since that one night, I guess once you fall off the wagon it’s hard to get back on again. It’s another reason for me not to go anywhere.”

“What makes you think he’s drinking again?”

“Well, don’t say anything to Jen.”

“No, of course not.”

“The other day the toilet in our main bathroom wouldn’t flush, so I took off the lid of the tank. Inside I found a half-empty bottle of rum. It was a big bottle, leaning in the corner of the tank.”

“That’s kind of weird. What did you do?”

“I thought about confronting him. I mean, there was a slight chance he had left it there from before.”

“Very slight, I would think.”

“We hadn’t looked in that tank in forever.”

“Yeah, you could be right.”

“But then I decided to pour it out in the grass and throw the bottle away. If he had put it there recently, it would still send a message someone’s on to him.”

“But wouldn’t he just find better hiding places?”

He shrugged. “I guess I should confront him.” He gave her a glance and she nodded.

“I think so. It’s the only way to get closure.” She was thinking of her own plans to confront Than.

He asked if she would be coming over to groom Stormy tomorrow.