Alexis Morgan - Immortal Cowboy

“Not yet.” And realized she hadn’t eaten already because she’d been subconsciously hoping Phil would make that offer.

“Great! We’ll have cheese sandwiches and root beer floats, just like old times.”

A shaft of sharp grief shot through her chest. Just like old times except that Uncle Ray wouldn’t be there. But his memory would be, and that would suffice.

Phil was still talking. “Don’t let me forget that I’ve got a package I’ve been holding for you. If you hadn’t come in today, I would’ve brought it to you on Sunday when the store’s closed.”

Really? Her local post office had said it could take a week or more for her mail to catch up with her. She wasn’t expecting any more book deliveries, either. She knew better than to rush Phil. He did things in his own way and at his own speed.

At least he made quick work of her groceries. He added the last can of soup to the bag and then hit the total button on his old-fashioned cash register. “That’ll be fifty-five dollars and forty-seven cents.”

She handed him the cash and then took the bag with her perishables and stuck them in the cooler at the back of the store. Another habit she’d learned from Ray. With that done, she followed Phil into his apartment.

* * *

Two hours flew by as he caught her up on all the changes in the area since her last visit. A few old-timers had passed on; some new folks had moved in. All the usual gossip, only the names changed. She didn’t mind hearing about people she didn’t know, not if it made Phil happy to talk about them.

Finally, she finished the last of her float, enjoying the combined flavors of vanilla ice cream and root beer. She’d have to live on lettuce for a few days to make up for the calories, but the guilty pleasure of the sweet treat was worth the penance.

“Thank you for lunch, Phil. That really hit the spot. Nobody makes a root beer float like you do.”

His smile was tinged with sadness. “It wasn’t anything special, Rayanne. Nothing fancy like what you probably have all the time down there in the city.”

She reached across the table to put her hand on his, noticing for the first time how knobby his knuckles had gotten. Her friend wasn’t getting any younger. Who would run the store when he was gone? She didn’t want to think about it.

“Fancy doesn’t make it special, Phil. Having lunch with you and Uncle Ray right here at this same table are some of the best memories I have.”

He blushed a bit but looked decidedly happier. “I’ll get that package for you. Ray brought it down to me about the time the doctors told him his heart was plumb worn out. He asked me to keep it until you moved into the cabin.”

Interesting.

“So he was sure I’d come?”

Phil stared up at the ceiling for a second before answering. “I was sure. He hoped.”

Okay. Before she could ask Phil to explain, he was up and heading for his bedroom. She could hear him rummaging around and muttering under his breath. Finally, he returned with a shoebox sealed shut with duct tape. Whatever was inside, Uncle Ray had wanted to make sure it was safe from prying eyes.

Phil handed it to her. “No idea what’s in there, but I figure it had to be important because he made a special trip down to bring it to me.”

Wow, a special trip. Ray had been a man of habit. He only came down to Phil’s on the first and fifteenth of every month to pick up his mail and supplies. Only the worst of weather kept him from his appointed rounds.

“I wonder why he didn’t just leave it in the cabin for me to find.”

“He didn’t say.” Phil shook his head. “Who knows, maybe he just wanted to make sure it didn’t fall into the wrong hands. You know how he was about protecting his privacy.”

The box felt heavier somehow, as if knowing Ray had driven all the way down to entrust it to Phil’s care gave it more weight. She was tempted to rip the tape off now instead of waiting until she got back to the cabin, but that didn’t feel right.

No, she’d wait until after dinner and curl up in Ray’s favorite chair to open it. For now, she needed to get moving. She had work to do up on the mountain.

She set the box down long enough to give Phil another hug. “Thanks for lunch, Phil, and for keeping Ray’s package safe for me. I’ll let you know what’s in it next time I come in.”

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