by Bill H Myers
“Lori if you want, I can get up and help you with the feeding during the night.”
She shook her head. “No. No need for both of us to lose sleep. I can do it by myself. But before you turn in, I'll need you to bring Bob's kitten up here and put him in the box with the others.”
I went back to get the kitten that had been sleeping next to Bob. Before picking him up, I stroked Bob's back, letting him know I was there. He opened his eyes and looked up at me. He blinked and stretched all his legs at once, giving me room to take the kitten.
When I got back up front, Lori had pulled the kitten box close to the couch so she'd be able to hear them during the night. She had her pillow positioned just inches away.
I gave her Bob's kitten, and she gently placed it in the box with the other two. It quickly snuggled up against them and went back to sleep.
With the kittens all accounted for, Lori stretched out on the couch and covered up with the sheet. I checked all the doors to make sure they were locked and closed the window blinds.
To keep the motorhome from getting stuffy, I turned the overhead vent fan on to low. It would pull in fresh air throughout the night and provide a bit of white noise to cover the sounds of the casino parking lot.
Satisfied we were safe and secure, I turned off the inside lights and headed to the back.
As I was walking away, Lori said, “Walker, it was a good day. Thanks.”
I smiled, thinking, Yes, it was a good day. For both of us.
Chapter Forty-Six
I slept through the night. I didn't wake when Lori fed the kittens. When I did eventually wake, the sun was already up. Checking my phone, I saw it was just after eight in the morning.
I pulled on the same clothes I'd worn the day before and headed up front to see how Lori was doing. She was sitting on the edge of the couch feeding one of the kittens. When she saw me, she smiled.
She looked tired. Her hair was a mess, and she had kitty throw up on the front of her shirt. It looked like she hadn't slept much during the night.
“Morning,” I said. “How was your night?”
“Not too bad. I got a little sleep between the feedings. But not enough.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“Yes. You can go over to the casino and get me some breakfast. Toast and eggs. And bacon. And coffee.”
I smiled. “I can do that. Anything else?”
“No. Just go get the food. After we eat, there's an errand I need you to run. But right now, I just need food.”
I grabbed my wallet and headed over to the casino. The main parking lot was nearly empty. Apparently, there weren't many people in the mood to gamble that early in the day.
The van I'd rented from Enterprise was still parked where I'd left it the night before. I'd have to remember to turn the van back into the rental agency before the day was over.
Inside the casino, I headed to the Hammock Grill. It was on the ground floor and was serving breakfast. I ordered two breakfast specials. Two eggs, two pieces of bacon, two pieces of toast, and two pancakes to go.
I got a large coffee for Lori and orange juice for me.
Seven minutes later, my order was ready. After paying I headed back to the motorhome, food in hand.
Lori met me at the door, smiling. “I love a man who brings me food.”
She'd said this same thing the last time I brought her food. Still, it was good to hear her say it, even if she didn't really mean the 'love' part.
She pointed to the table. “Show me what you've got.”
I pulled the foam takeout packages out of the bag and placed them on the table. “You want me to get real plates?”
She shook her head. “No, I'm way too hungry for that. Just hand me a fork and get out of my way.”
I pulled two forks from the silverware drawer and handed one to Lori. I sat down across from her, and we started in on the food.
While we ate, Lori told me about her night. “The kittens woke me about every three hours. I'd get up, mix and heat the formula, and spend a few minutes feeding and cleaning each kitten.
“After they were fed, I'd clean up the mess and try to go back to sleep. I'd get maybe two hours of sleep, and the kittens would wake me, wanting to be fed again.
“The problem is we only have one bottle. If we had three, we could feed them all at the same time. It would go a lot faster.
“So, today, before you take the rental van back, I want you to go to the pet store and pick up three more feeding bottles. That will give us one for each kitten and a spare in case one springs a leak.
“While you're out, I want you to stop by CVS and Publix and pick up a few things. I've made you a list.”
I nodded. “I can do that. But you're not coming with me?”
“No, I'm staying here with the kittens. I'm going to try to catch up on some sleep while you're gone.”
After we had finished breakfast, I cleaned up. Other than putting the empty food containers back in the plastic takeout bag, there wasn't much to clean. I put the bag near the door so I'd remember to get rid of it later.
I wanted to take a shower and change into some clean clothes, but Lori said, “No shower. Just go.
“First stop, CVS pharmacy. It's in the shopping center right before you get to the pet store. After that, go to the pet store. Get three of the nursing bottles. If you see another box big enough for all three kittens to sleep in, get it.
“After the pet store, find a Publix and get the other things on the list. And then don't come back here. At least not right away. I'm going to try to get some sleep and I don't need you here making noise. So stay away for a few hours. Don't call me unless it's an emergency. I don't want the phone waking me.
“Any questions?”
I laughed. “No questions. Just give me the list. I'll get everything on it. I promise I won't call and won't be back for at least two hours.”
“Good, maybe I'll be able to get some sleep. One more thing; leave the motorhome keys with me. If I go out, I want to be able to lock the door behind me.”
I nodded and put the keys on the kitchen counter. I picked up the van keys along with my wallet and phone and put Lori's list in my shirt pocket.
As I headed for the door, she said, “Don't call me unless it's an emergency. I'm going to try to get some sleep.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
She wanted me to be gone for at least two hours. I could understand that. She'd had a long night nursing the three panther kittens, and now she needed to rest.
With me gone, she'd be able to sleep without having to worry about me bothering her. I was happy to oblige. Staying away for at least two hours shouldn't be a problem. Especially with all the things to do in Miami.
Leaving the casino in the rental van, I took a left out onto Alligator Alley and headed toward downtown Miami. Three stoplights later, I reached the shopping center with the CVS pharmacy. According to Lori, this was supposed to be my first stop. Instead of stopping, I cruised on by.
I figured there was no need to buy everything on the list and leave it in the van while I spent two hours doing something else. A better plan was to kill two hours first and then do the shopping on the way back to the casino.
The van had a full tank of gas, and my rental agreement gave me unlimited mileage as long as I returned with a full tank. That meant I could drive all over Miami if I wanted to. I could go to the beaches or visit some of the historical sites downtown or just sit at a cafe on South Beach and watch people walk by.
But I didn't want to do any of that. I'd already driven in Miami traffic and knew it got worse the closer you got to the beaches. The rental van wasn't the easiest thing to drive in heavy traffic because of its size. The lack of side windows created huge blind spots, making lane changes a challenge.
So instead of diving headlong into Miami traffic, my plan was to stay within a ten-mile radius of the casino. This would keep me from getting lost or getting hung up in a major traffic jam. I just needed t
o find something nearby that would keep me occupied for a couple of hours.
I pulled the van into an empty parking lot and got out my phone. The “Around me” app on the phone showed several nearby attractions including the Miami Dolphin Shopping Mall. It was less than five miles away.
I had no interest in shopping but thought the mall might be a good place to spend a few hours. At the very least, I could get in a long walk, eat at the food court and maybe find one or two stores of interest.
I clicked the “Take me there” link in the app and followed the phone's GPS voice instructions to the mall parking lot.
Instead of pulling into the first empty space and heading inside, I drove the perimeter road around the mall to get the general layout of the place. This would help me find the best way to get back on Alligator Alley when I was ready to head back to the casino.
As I drove, I could see the names of some of the mall stores; Calvin Klein, Neiman Marcus, Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue. These were upscale clothing stores, not the kind of places I usually shopped.
I'd be miserable if I had to spend two hours walking through those places, so I kept driving. At the southwest corner of the parking lot, I saw several motorhomes parked near a row of fishing boats. As I got closer, I saw they were parked in front of a large Bass Pro store.
I knew from a previous visit to Bass Pro that it would be filled with outdoor gear and have an entire section for those of us who traveled in motorhomes.
There'd also be a cafe, wildlife exhibits, and lots of other things to keep me busy. I found a parking place close by and pulled in. Before getting out of the van, I put my phone inside the console. I wouldn't need it in the store and didn't want to be tempted to call Lori and disturb her sleep. With the phone hidden away, I headed inside.
Knowing I had at least two hours to kill, I took my time as I wandered the aisles. I checked out everything in the hunting section, the camping section, even visited the large aquarium and watched the exotic fish for a while.
After exploring the store for about two hours and picking up a few things I wanted to buy, I headed to the main checkout. It was there I discovered my mistake.
Like a lot of people these days, I don't wear a watch. Whenever I need to know what time it is, I check my phone. That works well as long as I have a phone with me.
But that day, I'd intentionally left my phone in the van. And because of that, I'd lost track of time. So I was surprised when I saw the clock behind the register. I asked the cashier, “Is that thing right?”
She looked up at the clock and then at her watch. “Looks right to me. Fifteen after one.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
When Lori sent me out to pick up supplies, she had told me to be gone for at least two hours so she could get in a nap after her sleepless night. She said not to call while I was out because the call would wake her.
So just to be sure that I wouldn't call, I'd left my phone in the van when I went into the Bass Pro store.
That turned out to be a mistake. Without the time display on the phone, I'd just guessed at the time and I'd guessed wrong. Instead of being gone the two hours Lori had asked, I'd been gone four hours. Twice as long as she had requested.
As soon as I got back in the van, I checked my phone. There were five missed calls. Three from Lori and two from Polly.
Lori had probably called to see where I was and to find out why I wasn't back yet. We had planned on driving back to Oasis, and if we got there late, the gate would be closed. With Kenny out of the picture, there wouldn't be anyone there to let us in after hours.
That would create all kinds of problems. We needed to get the panther kittens back to Oasis. And Lori needed to check on the condition of the mother panther.
As soon as I saw that Lori had called, I called her back to let her know I was on my way. After six rings, the call went to her voice mail. She was either on another call or too angry to talk to me.
Either way, I figured I'd soon find out.
I pulled out of the mall parking lot and started making my way back to the casino. Traffic wasn't bad, and after stopping at CVS, Publix and the pet store to pick up the things on Lori's list, I made pretty good time.
It was one forty-five when I reached the stoplight at the casino. I knew I was late and figured Lori might be a little upset. On the other hand, she had said she wanted to be left alone so she could sleep. Maybe it did her some good for me to be gone for four hours. Maybe she'd be happy to see me. After all, I only did what she'd asked me to do.
I made my way over to the RV lot. When I got to the space where my motorhome was supposed to be parked, it wasn't there. Another motorhome, a newer Fleetwood, was parked there instead.
It had to be a mistake on my part. I'd probably just misjudged where we'd parked. I was sure my motorhome was nearby.
I put the van in gear and slowly cruised all the rows of parking in the RV area. My motorhome wasn't in any of them. It was gone.
Kenny's truck with the camper on the back was still there, but my motorhome wasn't.
Either Lori had moved it or it had been towed away.
I drove back to the main parking lot and circled around the edge, checking to see if for some reason Lori had moved the motorhome over to that lot.
But it wasn't there either.
I pulled into an empty parking space and tried Lori's phone again. After three rings, I got a recorded message. “This customer's phone is out of the service area. Please try again later.”
That was the same message we'd gotten when we were camping at Oasis. It was in a “no service” area. Getting that message might mean Lori had driven my motorhome back to Oasis without me.
I wasn't sure why she'd do that. But I needed to find out.
I called Polly. She answered on the second ring.
“Walker, where are you?”
“In the casino parking lot. Looking for Lori.”
“Walker, she's not there. She tried to call you, but you didn't answer. She wanted to let you know what was going on. When she couldn't reach you, she called me.
“She wants you to go to Oasis and see Denise. She'll have a package for you. Lori said it was real important for you to get there before four this afternoon.”
“Denise has a package for me? I don't care about that. I want to know where Lori and my motorhome are. Did she take it somewhere?”
“Yes, Walker, she took your motorhome. Something came up, and she needed to get to Oasis. She couldn't reach you, so she did what she had to do. She took the motorhome.”
I was stunned. Lori had taken my motorhome.
“Polly, I don't understand. Why did she take it? Can she even drive a motorhome?”
“Walker, all I know is what I've already told you. She was in a hurry when she called and didn’t have much time to explain. She just said it was real important for you to get to Oasis and see Denise before four this afternoon.”
“Polly, this is crazy. I can't believe Lori took my motorhome.”
“Well, she did. Get over it. Just get to Oasis and see Denise. Before four.”
I ended the call and thought about what I needed to do. I had the rental van for the day. If I took it to Oasis, I wouldn't get it back to Enterprise in time. I didn't want them to report it stolen, so I called and extended the rental agreement for another day.
I checked the time. It was two thirty. Oasis was forty-five miles away. If traffic wasn't bad, I could make it with time to spare. I pulled out of the casino lot, turned right on Alligator Alley and headed west toward Oasis.
The posted speed limit was forty-five but with all the construction zones and the steady stream of tourists and sightseeing buses, I'd be lucky to average thirty-five.
I wanted to go faster, but it wasn't possible. The only thing I could do was follow the long line of cars and hope no one did anything stupid.
It would be a long, boring drive.
Chapter Forty-Nine
As expected, it took me almost an h
our to get to Oasis. When I got there, the employee gate was still open. The public parking lot was about half full. There were three large motorhomes parked in the back row of the lot but not mine.
Lori probably wouldn't park it in the public lot. She'd go through the employee gate and park next to the hangar as we had done before.
I pulled through the employee gate and drove back to the hangar. The motorhome wasn't there. I parked and went inside, hoping to find Denise. According to Polly, she had a package for me.
I walked over to her office, and she was there, waiting. When she saw me, she stood and gave me a big hug. “Walker, I'm so glad you made it. Doctor Joy said you'd be coming, but she wasn't sure you'd get here before we closed.”
I nodded. “So, where is she?”
“She's not here. She left about an hour ago.”
“She left? In my motorhome?”
“Yes. She left in the motorhome.”
“Did she say where she was going?”
“No, but I got the impression she was heading back to Venice.”
“Without me? Is she going home without me? Did she say why?”
“No. All she said was you'd be coming by and I was to give you a package and a note.”
She handed me a slip of paper. It had two words on it.
Skunk Ape
I showed it to Denise. “This is all she wrote? Did she tell you what it means?”
She shook her head. “All she said was to show you the note and give you the package.”
“What package?”
Denise pointed over her shoulder to the room where the panther had been in earlier. “It's in there.”
I followed her into the operating room. The panther was no longer on the table. In its place was a small, soft-sided animal carrier with something moving inside.
“What's that?” I asked.
“Your cat.”
“My cat? You mean Bob?”
“Yes, Bob. Doctor Joy said you'd be coming to get him.”
“She left Bob with you? Why?”
“I'm not supposed to say. You'll find out soon enough. But right now, you need to take him and go.”
