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coffee. He glanced over at the waitress and held it up, signaling a refill.
    “Before you go, let me just say that I know it hit you pretty hard when your dad died.”
    Bryce swallowed. “It did…”
    “Has the logbook helped you work out any of that as well?”
    He nodded as the waitress came up to refill both their cups.
    “Thanks,” Bryce said to her and then looked back at Dan. “That book is steering me onto a different path.”
    Dan was puzzled. “A different path?”
    Bryce nodded. “…One that’s unfamiliar and scary.”
    “Well…”
    “Well, what?”
    “You know what to do when things get scary, don’t you?”
    “What’s that, sir?”
    “… Circle the wagons, son and find your friends.”
    Bryce thought about that for a minute. He reached into his pocket and took out a few bills to pay for the coffee. He put the money on the table and stood up.
    “Can I keep you in reserve, sheriff? In case, I need you again?” Bryce reached out his hand to Dan.
    Dan stood up with Bryce, took his hand and shook it. “You can count on me, son. Good luck.”
    With that, Bryce left the coffee shop, left the hotel and drove home as slowly as he could. He had a lot of thinking to do and it was in really unfamiliar territory. Apparently, he was crossing some kind of threshold into the unknown. That tough guy persona might just have to resurrect itself to see him through. And then he was home…
     
     
    * * *

 
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE

    Beth was getting her wardrobe together for the night’s performance. She and Eva had decided on color tonight, and had opted for the dark blue evening dresses with the flowing chiffon skirts and beaded belts. But Eva had already changed her mind once and here she was again on the phone.
    “Look, Eva. What’s wrong with the blue chiffon? They’re gorgeous dresses.”
    “Yes, I know, but then I thought about the pale yellow with the beaded scoop neck.”
    Beth rolled her eyes. “I have to pack a dress, Eva. Make up your mind.”
    “Give me a few minutes. I’ll call you back.”
    “Fine.”
    So Beth sat back in the elegant chair of her beautiful hotel suite and thought about the music they’d selected for the night’s performance -- The Bach piece, ‘Joy’ was on the program again and Beth was happy about that. She was mentally playing the movement with eyes closed and fingers playing an imaginary piano, when her hotel phone rang. Why wasn’t Eva calling on the cell instead? She went over to the desk and picked it up.
    “Okay, Eva,” she said into the phone, “what’s it to be? Blue or yellow?”
    There was a pause on the other end of the line. Then a confused voice answered.
    “…Eva?” And it wasn’t a woman either.
    “Hello? Who is this?”
    “… Beth? Is that you?”
    She paused and cleared her throat.
    “This is Beth. Who’s calling?”
    “Beth, it’s me, Bryce…”
    “…Um…”
    “…Bryce Barron.”
    “I know who you are.” Her voice didn’t sound welcoming.
    “You said it would be all right if I called you.”
    Pause…
    “… Want me to be honest here?”
    “Very much…”
    “Bryce, I was being polite. I never in the world thought you’d actually call. It’s been a long time…”
    “And I know you’re probably angry with me,” he began.
    “Not any more. You got on with your life and I got on with mine.”
    “…Beth…”
    “Really, Bryce. I haven’t spoken to you in ten years and you call now? Just because we accidentally bumped into one another?”
    She sounded pissed that he had bothered her. He was used to women being angry with him – Sylvia was ticked at him most of the time.
    “…Listen…”
    “Well, please don’t feel that you need to apologize or anything for what happened so long ago. It really is water under the bridge.”
    “…Ah…”
    “… Have you spoken to your mother recently?”
    Bryce was silent for a moment. He deserved every bit of the raking over he was getting, but he still needed to talk to