His father wouldn’t have a future at all if he didn’t take him off the meds. They would have to find another way.
“Your dad wants to get off the meds?” Roxie asked, glancing over at the Ferris wheel.
Dolly seemed to grow tired of all the human talking. She laid right down on the grass after a long yawn.
“I’m not sure want would be the word I would use.” Want didn’t seem to be a word he could use very often lately. At least not a want that got met. “But Lila’s made it clear that the damage will only get worse.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Zep said.
Major tried to shake off the anxiety that came every time he thought about his father getting off the meds. He didn’t want to think about it tonight. There would be time enough to deal with that horror later. He kept putting off the time when they had to actually stop giving him the drugs. He wanted his father to get to know Brynn. Or rather, he wanted Brynn to know who his father was when a disease wasn’t fogging up his soul and mind. “We’ll find some other way. So, Roxie, are you going to be on set at all?”
Roxie brightened. “Yeah, I’m getting paid to hang around in case they have any questions.”
“It’s called consulting,” Zep offered. “I’m thinking about releasing a couple of our long-term residents on the set to see if I can consult on how to deal with critters. I might send Otis walking right through the crew. He won’t do anything. He’s too lazy, but the sight of him can scare a person.”
“Don’t you dare.” Roxie turned on her husband.
“I wouldn’t if I were you. Brynn’s mom would probably wrestle Otis and try to turn him into shoes and a handbag if she thought he might harm her precious baby,” Major murmured. If there was one thing he’d learned about Diane, it was that she protected Brynn at all costs. At least she protected Brynn’s career. “Any news on Brian and his band of merry raccoons?”
By the time Zep had gotten out to the B and B that day, Brian had disappeared, leaving behind an odd mix of things he’d stolen. In the hollowed-out log they’d found two beer bottles, one of Harry’s wrenches, a squeaky toy that had to belong to Shep, and most surprisingly, a set of upper dentures that proved John McGovern wasn’t merely trying to get out of wearing his teeth. He just wished the man would have at least boiled them before putting them back in. Instead, he’d wiped them off on his shirt and declared he was going in search of a steak.
Lila had been warned she might have a patient soon.
“Well, we’ve had a couple more reports of trash cans getting knocked over and the contents picked through,” Zep said with a sigh. “I expect to see the suckers here sometime tonight.”
“Please tell me you’re not talking about the raccoons again.” Brynn walked up, a smile on her face.
Dolly hopped up to greet her. Her tail wagged, and she looked around as though trying to figure out where her doggy friend was.
“We’re not hopeful the threat has passed.” Major reached out and brought her in close. “Where’s my dad?”
She turned her face up, looking into his eyes. “He’s taking my mom on the Ferris wheel now. He seems to like it a lot. When we got to the top, he pointed out all these places around town and told me stories about them. I know I probably shouldn’t have left them alone, but they seem to be getting along nicely. She’s going to hang out with him for a while. Don’t worry. She’s very responsible when it comes to things like this. I know she can seem flighty . . .”
He trusted Diane to watch out for his dad. “Despite your mother’s eccentricities, I don’t doubt she’ll take care of my dad for a second. So are you hungry?”
“I’m starving, and everything smells wonderful,” Brynn admitted. “Also, what exactly is a boudin ball?”
“What they are is delicious, and the fact that you’ve been here for weeks and haven’t tried them is a crime.” Somehow it was easier to forget all his troubles the minute he saw her face.
“Do you think he’ll forget again?” Zep was looking at the Ferris wheel, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Or will he keep some of the memories?”
“Are you talking about Nelson? Why would he forget? He’s planning on staying on the medication,” Brynn said. “I was talking to him about it tonight. He was saying how excited he was because the meds have a cumulative effect. He’s feeling better every day. He hasn’t had a single episode all day.”
“And every day the meds damage his internal organs more,” Major reminded her. “Now, let’s grab some food and talk about something more pleasant.”