As a result of their long trek to Sturgis the day before, the next leg of their journey, this time to Yellowstone National Park, was much shorter, being under seven hours rather than over ten. They arrived early and were lucky to get a room for the night in the lodge when there’d been a last minute cancellation. They ate dinner there, watched Old Faithful spout, then decided to call it a night.
Rory and Cary shared the large bed, and Trace had a rollaway cot. Morris was relegated to the floor. He didn’t mind; he was on the floor but right next to Rory.
He was, that is, till Trace inveigled him into sharing the cot with him. The inveigling wasn’t difficult: Trace snapped his fingers almost silently and that was enough. Boy and dog slept together, the boy’s arm over the dog, comforting both.
The next day was a full one, traveling through the park and visiting the Mammoth Hot Springs, the Grand Prismatic Spring and Geyser with its shocking display of colors, seeing the majesty of the Hayden Valley with its wildlife—elk and buffalo and deer running free—being amazed by the Thumb Geyser and the Morning Glory Pool. While Rory and Cary had seen some of this before, they were happy to revisit the amazing sights and to see the wonder and awe on Trace’s face.
Trace was insistent they see the bears beside the road begging food from tourists. Rory told him there was much less of this now as the bears had been moved far away, but a few straggled back all the time, and so there’d probably be some for them to see, even though the park rangers discouraged the bears from coming and the tourists from feeling them. Yet bears kept coming, just many fewer of them, and the feeding still continued as it had for over a century. The bears were happy to do their part to keep the tradition alive, and the tourists would be tourists.
There were three cars in front of them when they stopped because there were three bears ahead along the road, and the front car had pulled up fairly close. The driver got out, and two bears ambled toward him. The man suddenly changed his mind and got back in his car, threw a half loaf of bread out the window and drove off.
One of the bears grabbed the bread and took off running with another bear in hot pursuit. Rory told Trace it was obvious the bears had yet to learn to share.
The second car in front of them, behind the car that had sped off, merely slowed down and crept past the lone bear remaining. That left one car still ahead of Rory’s. It stopped and a woman got out, leaving the door open. The bear didn’t move, just looked at her from about 30 yards away.
The woman turned to the car and said something, and a little girl got out. She looked like she’d only been walking for a few months and hadn’t yet reached the grand age of two. She went over to her mother and both of them looked at the bear.
“I don’t like this,” Rory said, shaking his head. “What is that woman thinking? That’s a wild animal with having lunch on his mind.”
The mother was talking to the child, and the child seemed more focused on the bear than the words. The woman then stepped back to her car to get a package of potato chips. While she was leaning inside, the child, left alone, decided she wanted to visit with the nice bear. She started waddling toward it.
Rory spoke to Cary, panic in his voice. “Go grab the mother. Keep her by the car. Don’t let her chase the baby. And don’t let Morris out!”
Cary jumped out, Trace on his heels. The mother stood up from her car with the bag of chips in her hand and saw her daughter scooting toward the bear. She screamed and took a step in that direction, and then Cary was there, grabbing her. It took both boys and all their combined strength to keep her by the car, fighting them and still screaming.
The bear stood up on its hind legs. The girl kept toddling toward it. She laughed when she saw the bear stand.
As soon as the boys were out of the car, Rory hit the gas and zoomed forward. He passed the child, then turned in front of her and stopped, blocking her from the bear and the bear from her.
Then he jumped from the car, yelling “Stay!” at Morris. He was on the side of the car with nothing between him and the bear, the child on the other side, still coming. Rory raised his arms high, making himself look bigger, and shouted at the bear in the deepest, loudest voice he could manage. He shook his hands, then took two steps toward the bear.
The bear looked at him, then dropped to all fours. If it charged, Rory thought, it would be touch and go if he could get back in the car in time, but in any event, he couldn’t get into the car with the little girl still unprotected prey. He hoped to high heaven she’d come out from behind the car close to him so he could grab her and get them both into the car.
The bear took a step toward Rory. Rory took another step toward the bear and shouted again. The child came out from behind the car; she was then on Rory’s side and in the bear’s view. Luckily she had to pass by Rory to go meet Mr. Bear. Rory waited till she was abreast of him, then scooped her up and backpedaled quickly to the car, never losing eye contact with the bear.
As Rory got the girl and himself into the car, the bear reared up again for one more look, then wandered off as Rory backed the car up to where the mother was now crying in Cary’s arms.
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They spent another night at the lodge, then took off early the next morning. Their target destination was Twin Falls, Idaho, a seven-hour drive.
They visited the Shoshone Falls on the Snake River near Twin Falls while it was still daylight. Cary read its description aloud from his phone, telling Rory and Trace that they were in the Snake River Canyon, and that at this time there were several cataracts, which they were able to see.
“Does that say anything about Evel Knievel trying to jump the river?” Rory asked.
Cary looked again, then read aloud, “In September of 1974, daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump across the Snake River on his motorcycle. An earthen ramp was constructed on one side of the river where it was a quarter of a mile wide. Knievel, with rocket propulsion having been added to his motorcycle, shot up the ramp and went airborne. Unfortunately, his parachute pack deployed while he was still in the air, pulling him off the bike and dropping him to the riverbank without his having crossed the river at all. The attempt ended with Knievel only suffering a broken nose and a few scrapes, much more minor injuries than many he’d suffered in his long career.”
“This guy sounds like an idiot to me,” Rory said.
“Or the ultimate adventurer,” returned Cary.
“Or an adrenaline addict. I’m hungry.” Trace seemed unaware of his non sequitur. However, they all agreed with him and decided they’d had enough falls viewing for the day.
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The next leg of the trip was to Las Vegas, which was another drive of over seven hours. “We’ll stay the night, then drive to L.A. tomorrow,” a tired Rory told his passengers. “I’m getting eager to get back home.”
“I’m not.” For once, Cary didn’t sound upbeat.
“Me neither,” Trace echoed. “Wherever I’m going to live, I won’t know anyone. I don’t make friends easily. I’m kinda scared.”
“At least you’ll be with other kids, nice ones, and you’ll make friends eventually. As soon as we’re home, my father will have all sorts of auditions lined up for me, and I’ll be working again, except it’ll probably be with adults I don’t know and with no kids around at all. I’m not thrilled with all this driving, but at least I’m with two people I like and don’t have to work. Actually, this trip has been so great. Best time of my life.”
“You know,” Rory answered, “we need to do something about you being forced to do what you don’t want to do. For both of you. I don’t see why you should have to go to auditions you don’t want to attend, and if you want to go to school instead, why can’t it be with Trace? You’re the same age and should be in the same classes together. Doing that would solve both your problems. However, I think it would mean Trace should be living with you, not with me.”
“Or, even better, we could both be living with you. That would be best.” Cary sounded very definite about that.
Rory was silent, thinking, then said, “I’ll have to kick that around some. I do like the idea. I’m very fond of you both. Give me some time.”
They stayed the night at the Luxor Casino, Morris for no charge. They had dinner at the Luxor buffet which featured a 30-foot salad bar, pizzas made to order, a carving station for beef, pork, lamb and turkey, and, what brought smiles to the boys, a dessert station with fresh baked pastries, a number of puddings and custards, cakes and ice creams. The boys made two trips. “I could get used to this,” Trace said with a grin as he finished an éclair and started in on a strawberry shortcake.
Stuffed and happy, the three of them caught the circus acts at Circus Circus before tumbling into bed.
It was a four-hour drive to L.A. the next day.
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Trace was astonished to see Rory’s house, perched as it was on stilts and looking precarious as it leaned out over a deep, steep-sided canyon. “There are lots of these all over the L.A. area,” Rory said. “Lots of need for housing here, and they build where they can.” Then he asked Trace if he’d walk Morris around the neighborhood. He wanted to speak to Cary privately, and this gave him the chance.
He got the response he expected from Cary, and then called the boy’s father. Del didn’t really wish to meet with him, but Rory was persuasive and a meeting was set with the man for later that day at The Local Peasant, a restaurant with al fresco seating in Sherman Oaks.
Cary’s dad was waiting for them when they arrived. They took a table outside. Del Reynolds, Cary’s dad, ordered a double martini on the rocks. Rory had iced tea, Cary a Coke and a plate of deep-fried breaded calamari for the table.
Rory started the conversation. “Del, we’re here to work out a deal. First off, do you have work lined up for Cary?”
“Sure do. Several projects. He’ll be busy for quite a while. He’ll earn a lot of money for his college fund.”
“Well, you need to know: Cary doesn’t want to continue working. No more acting jobs. He wants to go to school, be like other kids his age. Be normal. He has no interest in continuing acting.”
Del grimaced, then said, “Well, that’s bad news, but the thing is, I’m his father, I know what’s best for him, I’m responsible for him, and he only has a shot at this for a very limited time now, and we have to use that time profitably.”
“Even if he doesn’t want to?”
“I’m afraid so. He’ll be wanting to go to college, and we need to build his college fund. Some of these places are now charging seventy or eighty thou a year.”
“Which the parents pay for.”
“When that’s feasible. Mostly, the kids take out loans. You don’t want Cary stuck with a high-interest student loan, do you, when he can easily make enough money to pay for tuition costs by working while he can?”
“Seems to me it’s your responsibility to pay for his education, and you’ve certainly made a fortune off him already. Look at your house, your car, your and your wife’s clothing, your country-club membership, your lifestyle.”
“An agent needs those things. They’re business expenses. And they don’t leave me with enough extra to pay for Cary’s college. But I don’t need to pay for that. He can afford to pay his own way with the deals I have lined up for him.”
“But he doesn’t want to continue auditioning or taking the offers they bring in. He wants to be a kid while he still is one.”
“That’s too bad.” He turned to his son. “Cary, glad you’re back. Time for you to come home with me now. I’ll go over the auditions I have lined up.”
Cary looked at him and didn’t speak.
Rory gave the silence a little time to settle in. He wanted Del to realize he didn’t have the control over Cary he was accustomed to having. Cary not speaking when he was expected to at least put that notion into Del’s head.
“I’m sure you’re aware you can’t force Cary to work. You can force him to go to school if he objects to that because by law he has to attend, so the state will back up your efforts there. But no law says he has to go to work when he doesn’t want to.
“You’re making great money, having him work. But enough’s enough. Cary can simply stop. If you sign a contract with a studio for him to work, no judge is going to enforce it if Cary tells him the contract was entered into without his knowledge or consent. And that’s exactly what Cary will do.”
He stopped and watched Del drain his martini. Then Rory spoke again, now with a much softer and more sociable voice.
“Del, I’m not here to break your chops. I’m here to find a workable solution for all of us. Cary has certain things he wants. You do, too. I’m only in the mix because Cary wants me to be. But I have an idea you might like, and I’ll float it out there for your inspection.
“It’s this: Cary will agree to work on projects he approves of under certain conditions. He agrees to allow you to represent him on those projects, meaning you’ll get paid your cut.
“He wants to know how much money has been siphoned from what should have been his. We can do that through a lawsuit and lawyers, or I can hire someone and figure it out without involving the authorities. When we know the amount, Cary says he’ll be very generous in working out how the money is to be repaid. He doesn’t want to hurt you. He’s much nicer than I am and not nearly as vindictive. But he’ll take what’s rightfully his a little at a time. He won’t be forcing you to sell anything, for instance. But from now on, he’ll be approving all expenses, and they will be withheld until he’s approved them. Again, you can expect him to be generous.
“I know you have other clients now and aren’t only making money off Cary’s efforts. I read the trades; I know young people have been beating your door down because Cary’s been so successful. With him making less due to working less, and with you not taking illicit cuts into what is rightfully his, your income will suffer, but with all your new clients, you should be fine.
“As he could be asking so much more from you, and could involve the authorities, I think you’ll be happy to agree to this. However, there’s one more thing he asks, and it’s non-negotiable. He no longer wants to live at his present home. Your house. He’s tired of the way you’ve treated him, not paying any attention to him, only using him to produce an opulent lifestyle for yourself. He wants out. He knows that if he goes back there, you’ll be grinding at him tirelessly to amend this agreement, and he doesn’t want to have to deal with that. So, this is part of the deal. He’ll no longer be under your thumb. I’ll help him find a place to stay where he’ll be happy and his needs are met. This is part of our agreement.
“Del, I’d suggest you don’t even think about it, that you agree here and now. The other options for you are much worse.
“Oh, and you’ll have to break the news to your wife that Cary is moving out. He will be in touch with her and will visit her now and again.”
Del ordered another martini, then tried to negotiate better terms. He pleaded with Cary. Cary never said a word to him, and that message finally got through. Del drank his drink.
“We need to know your decision now. We’re ready to go ahead with our alternate plans otherwise. What’ll it be, Del?”
Del accepted the deal. Cary went home with Rory. Rory had told Del that Cary would call his mother the following day to arrange a time to pick up his things, so Del needed to tell her when he next saw her that Cary was moving out. If he hadn’t done that, if he’d left it that Cary would be breaking the news to her, then it was obvious Del wasn’t about to live up to the deal they’d made, and so that deal was off and he’d have to live with the consequences.
Cary was in a much better mood leaving the meeting than was Del.
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Driving home, Cary asked if he really was going to live with Rory, and he made it very clear he was one-hundred percent behind that idea. “I’ll miss my mom some, but not that much. I’m old enough to be separated from her, and if this means I’m rid of dealing with my dad, I’m willing to pay that price.”
“We’ll see. We’ll talk about it with Trace, too. My house really isn’t well-suited for the four of us.”
“Four?”
“Don’t forget Morris. Hey, you’ve got to understand: I’ve been living by myself since leaving the Army. Suddenly, I’m burdened with two teens? Burdened is too soft a word! Overly burdened, maybe. I’m a writer; I’ll come up with something better. Wretchedly encumbered? No, it should be alliterative. Appallingly afflicted? I’ll think of something. But, the expression aside, this is a big adjustment for me. Major. We’ll talk.”
He grinned at Cary, but Cary knew him and knew he’d never say anything unkind to him and actually mean it. Cary was much more comfortable with Rory than he ever was with his own father.
When they got home, Trace and Morris were inside waiting for them. Rory apologized for being away so long, telling Trace the meeting with Del had taken much more time that he’d thought it would.
Rory told them he’d see about dinner. Then he called Harper.
“You free tonight?”
“I’m always free,” she said, laughing. “There’s an unflattering word for those who charge. But if you mean do I have anything on, no, no engagements. Glad you’re back. We should eat and I can learn how it all went. Max’s?”
“I was thinking Louis’. And there’ll be five of us. I’ll make a reservation. Six-thirty okay? Too early?”
“I’ll see you there. But five?”
“You’ll see.”