Since Last Time

by Danes, Ellie

  Betty floated into the room holding a disc and a brown wooden box. She gave the disc to Henry and then found a chair in the corner where she could be there in case she was needed. Henry got the recording geared up and ready to go. He stepped back and clicked the remote.

  Pops appeared. I gasped. I hadn’t expected to feel this jolted. I could tell it was near the end, as he had his oxygen on, and his skin was that horrid tea color. Mom’s quilt was on him, bringing a bit of bright cheer in otherwise dreary surroundings.

  “Eric and Taylor, your father wanted me to record his last words, so I went to the house shortly before the end, so we could record this,” Henry began. “His illness didn’t affect his mind, and he was of sound mind when he made his will. He also wanted to read it himself, so you would know it came from him and not some old windbag like me. So, I give you the reading of Patrick Prince’s will being read by Pops himself.”

  I took a deep breath. I put my hands on the table. This brought back all the memories of taking care of him. The countless days going up and down the stairs and helping the hospice nurses. Pops had wanted to be home with all he loved around him. His cherished friends came to say their last goodbyes to him and chat over the last few months when he was fading. The final end, with Eric and I surrounding him as he took his last breath in our arms.

  Oh, my God, I don’t know if I can handle this. My eyes started tearing, and I must have made some movement to stand, as Eric reached over and grabbed my hand, steadying me.

  Pops began speaking and hearing that quiet deep voice helped to settle me. It could always calm me down.

  “I know you're all wondering why I'm doing this with a video instead of just having Henry read this piece of paper to you.” He waved it in the air. “I wanted you all to hear from me. Some of what you will hear will be shocking, as I’m sure you know I don’t like secrets, but I had some, like everyone does, and now you will need to know mine. The few that they are. They may paint me in a bad light, and I’m sorry if they do. I never meant to hurt any of you and thought this was the best way to bring everything into the open, regardless of what you might think.”

  To emphasize that, he coughed and straightened up. “Let’s start with the simple things first and get them out of the way. The house where my family has lived for the last seventy years, that I grew up in, was paid in full many years ago. That home will be staying in the family and will go to both Eric and Taylor.”

  He smiled a little bit. “It was paid off years ago by my dad and the life insurance will be split equally between you two. It’s not much, as I thought we had the bar to take care of most things.”

  My stomach plunged. What was up with the bar?

  “Kris, you were always welcome in our home and a breath of fresh air. We could never have enough hot cocoa and marshmallows for you. That old Chevy we have been working on for years has given me many happy memories. The beers out back, talking about life, and teaching Kris that a claw tooth was a hammer and a flathead was a screwdriver meant so much to me over the years. You are like my second daughter and because of that, I'm giving you the old Chevy, so that once you have it all fixed up, you’ll remember me and smile as you drive that old American heavy metal around.”

  Pops took another breath on the video. He had not yet said anything about the bar. Eric and I looked at each other. I took my hand away and put it in my lap.

  Dad sighed. It seemed he was right there with us and having a conversation instead of this being recorded.

  “Eric, you have been the best son to me. Running the bar and seeing you grow into a man while you did so has made me so proud. I wish I could have taught you more and got you up to speed, but this damn cancer was so much faster than I expected.

  “Taylor, you have been an amazement to me. You look so much like your mom and you grew that little idea of using the Internet to bring people together. It just fascinated me, and I never knew what it all meant. You obviously got your mother’s brains as well, as I’m just an old bar hand. What is it you always said?”

  We said it together, me now and Pops on the video. “You’ve got to reach the market, Pops.”

  He wiped his face with his hand. “I’m going to miss you so very much, my little tadpole.”

  He cleared his throat. “Since I’m not there, of course, I am going to assume that Dalton is there with everyone. You’re probably wondering why I’ve asked him to come, considering he’s been estranged from our family for so many years. If you don’t know already, Dalton has done very well for himself and I wanted him and you to hear it from my own lips that I’m very proud of all he has done.

  “Dalton, I’m sorry if I’m going to put you on the spot right now, but it needs to come out, if it has not already. Dalton is the owner of nightclubs called D&E, which are located across the United States and around the world. He wasn’t sitting so pretty when he left. He had it really rough for much of his life, and I think that had a thing or two to do with how things played out before he left a decade ago.

  “Dalton, my dear boy, you spent the early part of your twenties in hell, trying to figure out what kind of man you were going to be. You made mistakes along the way, as we all do. I hope by now, you and Eric have made amends. It was always my deepest hope to bring the family back together again. To have everyone back in the house, running up and down the stairs, making noise and having fun.”

  He looked off in the distance as if he was remembering. He took a few deep breaths and continued, “Since this may have been ‘on the down low’ as Taylor would say, I'll bring it up now. Shortly after he left us, Dalton was in a series of altercations in LA, which ended with him begin sent to prison for a couple of years on an assault charge.”

  Eric glanced over at Dalton, a crease furrowed between his brow.

  “During that time, I kept in touch with him, letting him know we are still family, and I was there for him. I hoped it helped a little bit, Dalton. We began writing back and forth. He was able to finish up his master’s degree, in a jail cell instead of a university, but he did it. A lot was said, and we continued the practice over the years as I never really got the hang of email and he didn’t have any. So, we had this exchange of letters over the time he was gone. At this time, I would like Henry to give these to Kris for safekeeping. I know she will know what to do with them.”

  Henry walked over to Betty, and she gave him the brown wooden box she had been holding. I guessed it was filled with letters from Dalton. Henry gave them to Kris.

  “In time, I would like them to go to Taylor, but for now, I would like Kris to hold onto them for safekeeping. They will explain a lot of what has transpired over the years, and you’re the only one of the group with a cool head. Take care of them. They hold the world.”

  I glanced at Kris, and she just gave me a wide-eyed look as she put the box in front of her on the table.

  “After Dalton was released from prison, he needed a new start. No one would hire him in a decent establishment, and he didn’t want to start working for people who were up to no good. I also did not want him to come home, yet. Taylor was in her last year of college, and I didn’t want everything in an uproar. It seemed best. At the time.”

  I saw Pops tiring and he waved someone, probably Henry, away.

  “Let me get through this, please. As I said, no one would hire him, so I gave him an investment to get him started with a nightclub called Dalton’s Fancy. It soon took off and before too long, it was incorporated as D&E for Dalton and Eric. Always a dream of mine that you would get your friendship figured out and go into business with each other.”

  Pops stopped and rubbed his eyes. “It started off with me just trying to help Dalton, helping a friend just like I have helped many others over the years. Dalton was probably the best person I’ve ever seen in business outside of my own family. He takes pride in achievements and within a year, Dalton had paid me back and was well on his way to bigger and better things. Our letter writing changed into weekly phone calls.
<
br />   “Years passed with him traipsing around the world and growing his night club empire, I was working on our little neck of it. Then something happened about two years ago. I don’t know what it was and, Eric, you are going to have a hard time hearing this. We started to have issues at The Boar and Brew. Visits from the health inspectors, even though we are up to code, inventory being stolen, electricity going out and spoiling all our food. Even tax bills not getting paid after we paid them. I didn’t know what was going on, but I had run short of money. Dalton offered to help. He gave me the money to keep us afloat for the last couple of years.

  “The plan was to pay him back in time…” Pops chuckled. “Time had other plans. The problems the bar had didn’t seem to be going away and seemed to only be getting worse. I wanted to make sure the problems were handled with someone who knew the backend of bars, and I knew that you have not caught on to the all nuances yet, Eric. And I’m sorry for that. I should have done it years ago, but we all think we have lots of years ahead. The problems started off as little but seemed to keep getting bigger and bigger. I have not been able to find out where the problem is and what I’m not seeing. I’m not a worldly man by far and some things are just beyond my realm of experience.

  “So, to that end, Dalton was made part owner with a fifty percent share, with the other fifty percent being split between Taylor and Eric. Taylor for her marketing mind, and Eric for his way with people. The bar was always meant to be run by family. Dalton, I hope by now you have found the tax bills and hopefully are getting a grip on the issues for all our sakes.

  “Kids, I’m sorry you found out this way, but though my half of the business will go to the both of you, Dalton is the other owner of The Boar and Brew. With that being said...”

  I could tell he was so very tired. He could barely keep his eyes opened.

  “I love all of you. Please keep our family strong and find out who is trying to sabotage our legacy. I wish I could be there with you.”

  He waved his hand for the video to shut off and then the screen just went black.

  I could barely lift my jaw off the floor. Not only had Pops been in touch with Dalton while denying us any contact, he helped him out financially and Dalton helped him out. The kicker being that Dalton now owned half of our business. Was it intentional? Did Dalton want to get back at us all for Pops sending him away? Revenge for a slight?

  All eyes turned toward Dalton. I think Eric summed it up for us all.

  “What the hell!”

  Chapter Twelve

  Dalton

  I knew shit had hit the fan. Eric seldom cursed, being brought up by a Southern mom and the most nonconfrontational man I know. She nixed that in the bud when he was six.

  Eric stood up and went to the far side of the table to get as far away from me as possible and paced. “Why the hell didn’t you tell us? You’ve been here for days, and my dead father has to tell me something you should have had the balls to tell us from the beginning. As soon as you arrived.”

  Taylor was as pale as she could get. I didn’t like that at all. I walk toward her, but she held her hand up and shook her head.

  “Is that why didn't you tell me this? Because you own it now and can do what you want with our legacy? Throw it in my face? Why did you not bother to tell me when we have spent all this time together that you own half of my livelihood and inheritance? Are you that pissed off at me?”

  I hadn’t backed down from a fight in years, and I was damned if it was going to happen today. I stood up, facing Eric. “Where do you think I have been for the last nine years? I spent two in prison making up for the dumb ass mistakes I made as a kid. Once I got out, I’ve been building businesses and running them. I don’t cut them up into little pieces. I make them grow and thrive. The only reason I can see that Pops did this was because there were problems that he wanted both of us to work out together. But I guess you didn’t hear that part.”

  Kris held the wooden box close to her chest. I knew she would read everything because that was how she was, but if she was my only ally, I’d take it. Maybe my meanderings would mean something.

  “I wanted to tell you everything that was going on. Pops didn’t want me to. When we last talked, it was months before he had gotten ill. He didn’t want you to know he had been struggling. I haven’t been here in nine years, and I wanted you to be as successful as I am.”

  I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Once I opened my eyes to what my old town could offer, I could see the development, skyscrapers, buildings, new clubs. With all of those, you bring in new people, not only potential for great things but potential for people who want to hurt you. That person is not me, Eric. But we need to find who is doing this. We’ve all worked hard to get here.”

  Eric took a few steps forward, getting in my face. “No. I worked hard here. You scampered off to Los Angeles. From what Pops said, you were still an asshole there, ending up in prison. In prison? What the hell? You went from being a decent guy to a freaking felon. No, what I have here I worked for. My father gave it to you. Gave you everything you needed to be a hero, a rock star, to build an empire. Meanwhile, I get the scraps of the family pub!”

  What he said hurt. Really hurt. Pops loved his son. I was more of a mentee.

  Henry tried to break in. “Gentlemen, it’s not a bad thing to have a partnership, especially while the business is having a rough spot.”

  Eric wouldn’t hear it. He just took a step back and shook his head.

  I turned to Taylor, so she could hear me, but tears flowed down her cheeks as she looked between us. I was sure she felt like I’d betrayed her as well. But I wasn’t betraying them, I was merely trying to help Pops, but he got sick and died before I could do anything.

  “I didn't know what it all meant it, and I’m not hiding anything, Eric.”

  Eric lifted his hands up and took a step back. “Dalton, I have nothing else to say to you.” He walked out and slammed the door.

  I crossed over to Taylor. “You heard your father. He wants us to work together to get the bar back on its feet.”

  She looked at me with tears in her eyes. “I can’t do this right now.” She shook her head and followed Eric out the door.

  I was left with Kris holding a box of letters and Henry shaking his head.

  He looked at me with regret in his eyes. “I told Pops to come clean with the kids, but you know how he was. He wanted to do things his way. He probably felt by keeping everything quiet, he was protecting them. Now you have the unfortunate task of having to work with them, and they don’t want you here.”

  He clasped me on the shoulder and walked out the door. He stopped and turned back. “It probably wasn’t going to happen any other way. At least it is out in the open with family and now the healing can start. New beginnings can happen.”

  Henry and Betty, who had been quietly listening in her chair, walked quietly out the door. I had forgotten she was there.

  I sighed and looked at Kris. “I know that what you have are the thoughts and dreams of what Pops and I talked about over the last nine years. I would still get a letter every week, and I’d cherish those insights he had and send replies back to him. I gave Betty all the letters he had sent to me, so that Eric and Taylor could read his thoughts and have that as well.

  “I know you don’t like me all that much because I hurt Taylor and Eric in the past. But those were things that happened so long ago. I was young and naïve and needed a good ass kicking. I got it. I came back here so I could help and then leave. But I don’t feel I can unless I have done something to find out what is happening and why the bar is in jeopardy of closing down when Pops did everything right.”

  She nodded.

  “I think if you read those, it will give you the best insight on how things happened with Pops and me and how he came to help me. He talks lot about Eric. Maybe if I can’t talk some sense into Taylor or Eric, then maybe someone who has been here the whole time might be able to. I wasn’t handed my life on a
silver platter. I worked hard to get where I am. If I can’t help people who mean something to me, the only family I have, what good is everything I have?”

  Kris looked down at the little box. A minute passed. She looked up at me with those dark eyes, and I felt fear for the first time in a long time. She didn’t smile at me or give me any hint about what she was thinking. She held the box a little tighter.

  “My concern will always be Eric and Taylor. What happened all those years ago destroyed them. Taylor left for college soon afterward but came home every weekend to help at the bar and to be there for Eric. They let you back in, and they find that not only has Pops been helping you all along, but you own part of what they worked so hard for.”

  “I just gave Pops money to help him. I didn’t know he was going to make me part owner until Henry called me right before I came here.”

  Kris shook her head at me and stepped forward. “Be quiet for one second, Dalton.”

  I shut up.

  “I will read these.” She shook the box and paper whispered inside of it. “However, you have been respectful, mostly, of Taylor. And I know there is something between the two of you. It started in the kitchen all that time ago on her eighteenth birthday. With Eric, you have all that testosterone between you, but one of you will need to give to get things back. If things are going all sideways, I plan on finding out why. But you work on putting my friend back on an even keel, and I’ll help you. Because if I think for one moment that all this… shit… is what made Pops sick, whoever is doing it is going to have to deal with me.”

  With that, she spun on heel, grabbed her helmet, put her headphones on, and left.