RV There Yet? (30 page)

“If I hadn't seen it, I never would have believed it,” I say, smiling.

Steve seems pleased with our reactions. “Thanks. It's just stuff, though. I try not to get too attached.”

I stare at him. How can he say that? This is fabulous. “I'm actually surprised you don't have a houseboat,” I say, teasing.

“I do.” He almost looks embarrassed.

Gulp here. Millie nudges me, though I'm not sure why.

“But I can't travel everywhere by boat. I needed something to take me places inland.”

“A land yacht,” Millie says, nodding.

We look at her.

“Remember, that's what they call the nicer places like this one, a land yacht.”

“I don't know that I would call it a land yacht, but that's nice,” Steve says.

“How do you have time to travel when you own a boating business?” I ask.

“I've had it for thirty years. Built up a modest business, and my son helps me run it.”

“Your son?” For some reason it surprises me that he has children.

“Yeah. My wife and I have one son. Aaron is twenty-five, and we're close. I was thrilled he wanted to help me with the business. I'm grooming him to take it over one day.”

“Well, obviously you've done well for yourself,” I say, looking around.

“You know, it is nice, and I'm thankful for it, but honestly I used to own a clunker motor home, and I can tell you, one is just as good as another as long as it's home. You know, traveling and sharing the beautiful sights of the United States with the people you care about.” His gaze holds my heart perfectly still.

Someone coughs, breaking the spell of whatever that was. We all visit awhile in Steve's home and finally call it a night. Energized by the evening, Millie, Lydia, and I head back to our home away from home.

“Well, this is it, DeDe,” Millie says. “Your last fling with youth. Tomorrow you'll be old like the rest of us.”

“You just had to remind me, didn't you?” I step on a pebble and resist the urge to grind it to powder.

“That's what friends are for,” Millie says, her eyebrows shifting up and down for emphasis.

Lydia locks her arm through mine. “Fifty is good, DeDe. You'll see.”

“Tomorrow I qualify for issues of the AARP magazine, Lydia. What's good about that?”

She thinks a moment. “Well, you don't qualify for the senior-citizen discount yet.”

Okay, she's got a point. I'm good.

By the time we step inside Lydia's RV, I'm feeling a little better. And let me just say here that I'm not buying that whole one-motor- home-is-as-good-as-another thing.

22

The next morning the smell of chocolate tickles my nose, causing
my eyes to flutter open. Who can sleep with chocolate lurking about? Millie and Lydia walk in, wearing smiles and singing “Happy Birthday to You.” Lydia is carrying a chocolate cake complete with burning candles. And can I just add that if we're not careful, we could start a forest fire. I scoot myself up in bed and attempt to straighten my hair.

They sing “Happy Birthday,” inserting “Happy fiftieth birthday, dear DeDe.” Millie sings the “fiftieth” part very loudly, and I've never seen such a huge smile on her face. She's enjoying this birthday more than I am, doggone her.

“Chocolate cake for breakfast?” Okay, I'll take the good with the bad.

“It's your fiftieth birthday. You deserve it,” Lydia says, leaning the cake toward me.

“No Pilates today?” I ask, hopeful.

“None.”

“True friends. Though you could have gone all day without reminding me that I'm fifty.”

Millie snaps a picture. So much for that true friends business.

“Oh, Millie, not now. I'm a mess.”

“Trust me, you look great. And so much better than you will ten years from now.”

“Oh, that helps. You really should go into counseling.”

Millie's nose hikes. “Because it's your birthday, I've resolved not to argue with you today.”

“Now, Millie, I ask you, what kind of birthday is that?” I wink at her, and she grins.

“Boring?” Millie says candidly.

“Exactly.”

“Hurry up. You'd better make a wish before the candles melt.” Lydia still acts as if we're kids.

“Or burn up your RV—is that what you're thinking?” I ask.

“That does come to mind,” Millie says.

“What in the world can I wish for? I have everything I want. I'm surrounded by my best friends at our summer youth camp in a beautiful setting.” I have to say Steve's motor home has changed my outlook on the RV life. And just for the record, this change in my outlook has nothing whatsoever to do with his biceps.

“Quick. Call 911. She's delirious,” Millie says.

“Ha-ha.” Closing my eyes, I make a wish that I'll have many more birthdays to celebrate with my good friends.

Sucking in a deep breath, I blow it out for all I'm worth, extinguishing the flame of every candle and practically stripping the sheets off the bed.

Millie and Lydia clap.

“Thanks, you guys.”

Lydia smiles. “You know, DeDe, now that you're fifty, you should try something you've never done before.” She thinks for a moment. “Like driving an RV or something.”

“And why would I want to do that?”

“No kidding. You think she could handle this thing? Remember, DeDe almost flunked out of driver's ed,” Millie so graciously reminds us.

“How was I to know that old woman was going to step off the curb?” I say in my defense. “Besides, I didn't hit her. That should count for something.”

We laugh, but I have to admit I'm a little miffed that Millie brought that up. Besides, I could drive a motor home if I wanted to. I just don't want to.

Millie sits down on my bed. “Do you know you slept right through ‘When the Saints Go Marching In' this morning?”

How is that possible? Millie's playing could blast the snow off Longs Peak. “Wow. I must have been tired.”

“Listen, DeDe, I know we like to banter and all, but, well, I just want you to know, I'm so thankful—”

Boy, this is serious. Millie must think fifty is synonymous with death. She rarely expresses herself this way. We used to call her Spock. After I glance to make sure her ears aren't pointy, I put my hand on hers. “I know. I feel the same way.”

She brightens. “Thanks.” She stands, and I start to get up.

“No, no. You have to stay in bed. We're serving you cake and coffee in bed.”

My eyebrow lifts. “Who am I to argue?” I settle back in and smile, plumping the covers around me. “Just be warned, I could get used to this.”

“Well, don't. It won't last. Cinderella's coach will turn into an RV at midnight tonight,” Millie says.

I groan. “Thanks for the reality check.”

“I'll go cut your cake,” Lydia calls over her shoulder. “I'm sorry to say we're almost out of milk, so you'll only get half a glass until we get to the store.”

Every birthday has its glitches.

Lydia and Millie spoil me through breakfast—and let me just say you haven't lived until you've had chocolate cake and icing for breakfast—and we're soon reporting for duty.

Everyone wishes me happy birthday as I make my way to the dorm. Steve and I have finished the first bedroom, and now we've moved on to the next one. We're already at the painting stage in the second bedroom.

When I step inside, my eyes immediately are drawn to the far wall and to the outline of a bright red butterfly with the words “DeDe's New Beginnings” beneath it.

I stare at it, then turn to Steve. “Did you do this?”

“I'm not much of an artist, but the butterfly represents a new beginning. Remember one of our camp verses, 2 Corinthians 5:17: ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new'? It seems to fit our birthdays these days.”

“I—”

“This is a new season of your life. You're not getting older, remember; you're getting better.” He winks.

Warmth shoots through me.

He walks over to the wall and points to the wings. “I've given you the wings to fly, DeDe Veihl.” He turns to me and lifts a wide grin. “So fly.”

Without warning, tears spring to my eyes.

He walks over to me, puts his hand on my shoulder, and looks me in the eyes. “I'm sorry, Dee. Did I upset you?”

“No, no. That's just really sweet.” He's standing so close to me, I feel a little unsettled. The scent of soap and pine fills the space between us. My shoulder warms to his gentle touch. A tear slips down my cheek, and I look back at him. “Thank you.”

His finger reaches up and tenderly lifts the tear from my face. “The best is yet to come, DeDe.” Something in the way he says that makes me think he just might be right.

“Well, I'd better hurry up,” I say, pulling my gaze from him.

He nods.

An hour goes by, and I reluctantly paint over the butterfly, but the memory of it burns in my heart. Things seem to be changing for me. My friends gave me love and chocolate cake. Steve has given me hope.

When we break for lunch, I head back to the RV to grab some pain reliever. No doubt that cake for breakfast gave me the headache. Oh well, it was worth it. As I approach the motor home, I see a bird on our bird feeder. But the weird thing is, the bird seems to be chirping toward our bedroom window. I stop in my tracks to listen. When his birdsong stops, I hear another tune, but it's coming from inside the motor home. It's Cobbler!

Stepping inside, I tiptoe back to the bedroom and listen as Cobbler continues to “talk” to her new friend. When I poke my head around the corner, the mountain bird sees me and flies away. Cobbler flutters around in her cage, clearly agitated that I've broken up the little rendezvous.

“Well, well, I'm thinking Barney has some serious competition.” Once I take some pain reliever, I start to head back out when my cell phone rings. For a moment, I expect it to be Rob wishing me happy birthday. It's Shelley instead, and I'm surprised to find that I don't feel the slightest bit of disappointment.

“Hi, Shelley.”

“Happy birthday.”

“Thanks.”

“I was hoping I'd catch you. I've been trying to call you, but evidently you're out of range.”

“Yeah, it's on again, off again up here in the mountains. Depends on where I'm standing at the time. So what's up?”

“Well, you remember that property we had our hearts set on awhile back that the owners decided not to sell?”

“Yeah.”

“They've changed their minds.”

“You're kidding.”

“No. They called me a little while ago.”

Is this where that whole spread-your-wings thing comes in?

“Are you still there?”

“I'm here.”

“Well, what do you think? Are you interested?”

“I love the property location, but now that we have competition, I'm wondering if we'll have the business to pay for it.”

“I think the fact we'll be on a busier street will help us, DeDe.”

I share with her what I talked about with Steve and the ideas for a dessert bar and a monthly giveaway. The longer we talk, the more excited we get.

“Tell you what, let me talk it over with Steve, and I'll call you back tonight.”

“Talk it over with Steve? Steve, the guy you just told me you reconnected with after all these years? This sounds serious.”

“No, no, it's nothing like that. He's just really smart when it comes to business. I'm telling you, Shelley, you should see his motor home.”

“Motor home? You've seen a motor home you actually like?”

“I know! Can you believe it?”

“No. What's going on with you, girl? I think this trip is changing you.”

The verse Steve quoted about being a new creation comes to mind.

“Maybe it is.”

“Well, I'd better go. Things are getting busy here, Dee. I'll look forward to your call tonight. We'd better get on it if we decide we're interested. That property won't last long.”

“Okay. Thanks, Shelley. Talk to you soon.”

“Have a great birthday, girl!”

We hang up, and I can't help feeling this day is more than just a milestone in my life. It's a turning point.