Dueling Partners

After nine year old Lacey's parents die in an automobile accident, a New Jersey judge ordered that she live in Montana with Josh, her seventy-eight year old bachelor grandfather.

FIRST NIGHT ON THE ROAD TO MONTANA

The neon sign Sundown Motel, Singles $16 caught Josh’s eye because it didn’t look “stuck-up” like so many he had passed. He coasted into a parking place in front of the office.

“Gotta leave the engine runnin’ until we park for the night. When she’s hot I might not get her started again.”

“Why are we stopping here?”

“I’m tired, ain’t you?

“I don’t have enough money for a room.”

“All right. I’ll get the room.”

“Just one room?”

“Sure.”

“A lady can’t spend the night in a room with a strange man.”

“Gol-durnit. I ain’t a strange man. I’m your granddaddy. I ain’t going to do nothing to you, and I ain’t going get two rooms. I’ll get a room with two beds.”

Lacey sulked over that for a time. “You promise to behave?”

“I promise.”

“Cross your heart and hope to die.”

“Jeeesus Christ. Yeees.”

“If you’re going to curse, the deal’s off.”

Josh got out of the truck muttering, “Damnation, and this is just the first night.”

Lacey yelled after him, “Get a no-smoking room.”

Josh threw up his arm without looking back.

Lacey entered the room, sniffed and turned up her nose. “Stinky.” She found a Bible beside the twelve-inch TV. She picked the Bible up and thrust it toward Josh. “You can swear on this.”

Josh looked at the Bible dumbly. Then he straightened his stooped shoulders, expanded his chest, held his hat over his heart, laid his other hand on the Bible, and said, “Cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die.”

Lacey smiled triumphantly.

LACEY'S FIRST NIGHT IN MONTANA:

Lacey got up and pulled the string to turn off the ceiling light. Erie moonlight penetrated a dingy window to cast a square of haze on the pine plank floor. A triangular piece of glass was missing so there was a matching bright spot on the floor.

Lacey knelt at the side of her bed. “Lord, you sure got me into the worst mess ever. You let my Mother and Daddy die and you gave me to my Grandfather, a stinky old man. He doesn’t like me and I don’t like him. He dragged me fifteen hundred miles from civilization in a filthy old truck with no seat belts. He’s smelly, he smokes, he curses, he drinks beer, and he’s so stingy I might starve to death. The only thing worse than his cabin is his outhouse. I know I’m bossy, Lord, but am I really this bad? Mother always taught me take care of myself and not to ask favors from anyone, but I’m in a fix here, Lord. If you could help me even a tiny bit, I’ll try to pay you back some way. Please Lord, think it over. I’ll get back with you tomorrow night for your answer. Amen.

Lacey pulled herself onto the bed. She stared at moonlit hulks of Josh’s junk against the wall until her eyes filled with grit. She feared if she closed her eyes she would fall forever and ever down a black abyss, and not a soul anywhere would miss her.