Enchanted Encounter (Get Your Kiss On Route 66 #3)

  Enchanted Encounter

  Get Your Kiss on Route 66

  Written by Teresa Ives Lilly

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  Copyright 2016

  Written by: Teresa Ives Lilly

  Published by: Forget Me Not Romances, a division of Winged Publications

  Cover Art: Cynthia Hickey

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental

  Chapter 1

  Well they said you was high-classed, Well, that was just a lie

  Ya know they said you was high-classed, Well, that was just a lie

  Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit, And you ain't no friend of mine

  Violet Beauchamp sang along as Elvis Presley’s voice boomed from the radio in her brand new 1956 pink Cadillac. Daddy thought I wanted this car because I idolize Elvis, but the truth is, I just love the color pink. Her thoughts caused a trill of laughter to escape her lips. There wasn’t anything her Daddy wouldn’t buy her and when Elvis bought a pink Cadillac, Violet immediately asked for one. Her father was wealthy enough to have one delivered to her within the month.

  Just perfect to travel to the coast in. Violet mused. And everywhere I go, everyone notices me in it. I’ll be the talk of the town, the envy of everyone. Even Robert Pendegast will have to be impressed with this car.

  Violet pressed the gas pedal down and found herself flying along Route 66. With the top down, she loved the feel of the dry Arizona air on her face. It would be another hour and a half before she reached Flagstaff where she planned to stay overnight before the final leg of her journey to the West Coast. But for now she was enjoying the ride. Driving in the Cadillac made her feel powerful and free.

  I’m heading toward my destiny and perhaps toward a perfect match to the wealthiest young man in California.

  You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, Cryin' all the time

  You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, Cryin' all the time

  Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit, and you ain't no friend of mine

  A road sign ahead indicated the town of Holbrook was in three miles, not a name she’d ever heard before. Not a place she’d want to stop. She passed the sign without another thought.

  Yes, folks. That was Elvis singing his number one song, Hound Dog. Did everyone out there see Elvis singing this song on the Ed Sullivan show?

  Violet reached out and flipped off the radio. Elvis, Elvis, Elvis…was all she ever heard about anymore. Although, she liked his songs, like Why Do Fools Fall in Love and Don’t Be Cruel, she’d had enough of hearing them the last few days on the radio as she drove from Chicago to Arizona on her way to California on Route 66.

  I can’t wait to get to the Coast. Gloria’s Aunts home will be magnificent. Gloria told me they have a pool we can all use, and the house party Daddy got me invited to at the Pendegasts’ will be the highlight of the year. I‘ll probably get my name and picture in all the papers just for being there. Her mind ran through her new wardrobe, delighted to know she would shine brighter than any other debutante at the party.

  Everyone who is everyone will be there. Daddy told me all about Robert L. Pendegast. His father’s the wealthiest man in California. He’s the only one I’m actually interested in meeting. I'm sure I can work my wiles on him. Daddy always tells me it's just as easy to marry a rich man as a poor man, and I have my goal set to marry the richest one I can find. Imagine what Daddy will say when he see’s a Chicago newspaper with my engagement announced in it! “Miss Violet Beauchamp engaged to Robert L. Pendegast.” He’ll be so proud. Although he didn’t come right out and say it, that’s why he bought me this car and allowed me to drive all the way to California. He expects me to win the prize.

  As these fantasies tripped through her mind, Violet looked up at the road ahead and her eyes grew large. “Ooh…” She twisted the steering wheel and stepped on the break, tires squealing as she pulled the Cadillac to a full stop on the side of the road.

  She twisted her head and her eyes scanned the road behind. There were no cars as far as she could see, but one small lump lay in the middle of the road. Violet slipped out of the car and scuttled down the road in her closed toe pumps. She reached the lump and squatted beside it, staring. Finally, she saw a slight movement and a little dog lifted it’s head.

  “Goodness, you’re alive. Thankfully I didn’t kill you.” She slipped off the black lace gloves she was wearing and stuffed them inside her clutch purse, reached over and scooped the dog into her arms. He whined, but didn't bite. “I’m sorry, little one. I’ll take you to a vet.”

  Violet carried the dog back to the car and placed him on the front passenger seat. She pulled off her zebra patterned scarf and wrapped it around the small animal. Slightly shaken, she started the car and pulled back onto the road.

  It looks like I’ll have to find out a bit about Holbrook after all. I hope it’s a big enough town to have a veterinary office. She glanced down at the bundled dog. “I don’t have time for a detour like this, little one, but I can’t just leave you out on the road to die.”

  ~

  Violet drove slowly into the town of Holbrook. Her eyes scanning the road for a veterinary office sign but she didn’t see one anywhere. On the side of the road ahead, she noticed a small stand. She pulled the car over and got out.

  Upon closer inspection, the stand was an obvious tourist trap, just a table filled with so called Hopi Indian artifacts. The man behind the table could have been a real Indian, but it was hard to tell. Violet thought anyone could dress up in native costume and pass for the real thing.

  There were no customers at the table, so the man turned his attention to her. “You need some kind of assistance?” The man asked, peering at Violet, his brows drawn together.

  “Yes, how did you know?”

  “I’m Hopi. We have a special sense about things.”

  Violet felt like laughing, it was obvious by his voice he was only telling a tall tale, It would make a wonderful story to amuse her friends with, but right now she was concerned about the small dog.

  The man must have seen the distressed look on her face, because he put down the bracelet he was about to show her and stepped closer. “Do you need help?”

  “I have an injured dog in the car. I need to get him to a vet. Do you know if there is one in this town?”

  The man shook his head. “I don’t know, I’m new to this area. But if you go up the road to the Wigwam Motel, they can help you.” He pointed in the direction she’d been headed.

  Violet lifted a hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun. In the distance she could just make out what seemed to be a small cluster of Indian wigwams. She turned back, her eyes full of questions. “You’re kidding?”

  “They’ll help you,” he assured her, but must have noted her look of disbelief. He nodded in the direction again and smiled wide. “The Wigwam Motel is a nice place. They will help you.”

  Violet thanked him and started to walk away. A lovely turquoise necklace caught her eye. She lifted it and asked the price. The man mentioned an amount which seemed reasonable, so she slipped open her clutch and pulled out some travelers checks. The man shook his head.

  “We only take cash.”

  She was surprised. No business on Route 66 had refused a travelers check from her since she left Chicago. She carried very little cash. However, the desire for the necklace caused her to reach into he
r clutch and pulled out her last few bills. She handed the Indian the money. He gave her a bag which held the necklace, but before she could leave, he took her hand and placed a smooth, cool object in it. She looked at the small item, then stared at him in amazement.

  “A gift for you.”

  Violet eyed it with a frown. It was a rather dull looking pebble “What is it?”

  “A small fragment of a meteorite which landed in this area in 1912.”

  “Really?” If it were true, she was impressed. “It’s not very pretty.”

  “No, but it’s very powerful. The meteorite rocks are enchanted.” The man gave an odd grin, showing a large gap between his teeth.

  Violet had to keep from laughing. He should go to Hollywood. He’d make a perfect Indian in the movies. “I don’t have time for fairy tales right now, I need to get the dog to a vet. And I need to make it to Flagstaff before the evening. The last place I want to be is out on the lonely Arizona road in the dark.” She chewed her bottom lip, wondering if she could make it to Flagstaff after all, or would she have to find a place in Holbrook to stay.

  “Yes, yes. Go to the Wigwam Motel, but let me tell you about the stone.”

  “I suppose it brings good luck, or riches?” Violet opened her clutch again and dropped the stone inside. She was already rich and she felt her life was already perfect. She didn’t need good luck, because money could buy her everything she wanted.

  “No, it is enchanted. It brings love.”

  Violet covered a giggle with her hand. She could hardly wait to reach the coast and tell her friends all about the hokey Hopi Indian and the secret love enchantment.

  “The next man you meet, once you have touched the stone, will be the man you will marry.” He spoke the words in a sing song voice like a chant.

  “Goodness, in that case, I’d better not go to the Wigwam Motel. I don’t think I’d like to marry a motel owner, or even worse, a motel employee.” She looked down her uplifted nose at the weather beaten man’s face. He smiled again.

  “You go to Wigwam Motel. You will find all you need there.”

  Violet shrugged and turned away. She slid back into the car and started the engine. She pulled the scarf back and looked at the sleeping dog. He didn’t seem injured at all, but she just didn’t feel it would be right to leave him on the side of the road.

  “Well, I can’t wait to meet the man I’m going to marry. Imagine finding a husband at a Wigwam Motel.” The sound of her laughter filled the air as she pressed the gas and made her way toward to teepees ahead.

  ~

  The Wigwam Motel was made up of about fifteen large, concrete and steel teepees set in a semi circle around the main office. The teepees were painted white with a red zigzag above the doorways. There was also a gas station attached to the main office. She tilted her head and read the sign that towered above her, “Have you slept in a wigwam lately?”

  Violet blinked as she pulled into the entrance, then parked by the main office. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. Of course, there had been many unique things along route 66 since leaving Chicago, but real looking Indian wigwams was amazing.

  No one will believe me when I tell them about this. I’ll have to take pictures with my Kodak Brownie camera before I leave. The gang will get a scream out of it when I tell them.

  She opened the car door and slipped out, then glanced around, wondering how many people were staying at the motel. She cringed, but decided she was going to have to stay somewhere for the night, so it might as well be here.

  It’s all part of the experience. I told Daddy I wanted to go new places and try new things. She laughed, imagining the look of horror on her mother’s face when she explained how she had slept in a wigwam in the Arizona desert.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by a small whine. She glanced down at the bundle on the seat.

  I’d better go into the office and ask for help for the little dog.

  Violet made her way to the main office and pulled open the door. A bell attached to the door above her head rang. She looked up at it with surprise, and when she lowered her eyes they met the eyes of the man behind the counter. For a second her heart felt like it had stopped beating. He was young, probably close to her age. He had golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes that seemed to fill with light as he smiled.

  Violet gulped.

  Too bad he’s only a motel employee. If he were rich I would hope the Hopi enchantment was real. I could marry someone as handsome as him. Her eyes moved to the name tag he was wearing. Yes, I could definitely marry someone as handsome as this motel clerk, Lee

  Chapter 2

  Lee looked up as the bell rang and the front motel door opened. When he saw her enter, Lee had to catch his breath. The young woman who walked through the door, although completely out of place, was stunning. He noted her standing, stock still, staring at him. He glanced beyond her, wondering what lucky man she was married to, but all he saw outside the window was a brand new pink Cadillac.

  His eyes scanned her up and down. On second glance, she was too young to be married, and in his opinion, too young to be driving such a big car. He wondered how she could even afford a car like that. Then suddenly he realized. Oh, Lord. Not a rich debutante His shoulder’s sagged. Not my type at all. Just what I don’t need in my life right now.

  Lee hesitated, but after a few seconds remembered where he was, what his job was. “Can I help you, Miss?”

  His voice seemed to jar her, because she shook her head and answered. “Yes. Well no, I mean I’m not sure if you can or not.”

  Lee wanted to burst out in laughter. Not only was she a rich, probably spoiled, debutante, but a dumb one at that. Lee sat on the tall stool behind the counter, now sure this would take a while.

  “Why don’t you start at the beginning, and tell me what the problem is. See if I can help or not.”

  The woman stepped closer to the counter. “The Indian man told me to come here.”

  “The Indian man?”

  “Yes, you know. The one at the souvenir stand down the road a bit.”

  Lee nodded. “Sure, I know it. But it’s owned by a woman. She’s not an Indian and she doesn’t have an Indian working for her. Did she send you here because you need a place to stay?”

  “I didn’t see a woman. It was definitely a man, an Indian. He told me he was Hopi.”

  Lee thought the girl might have a bit of sun stroke. He knew the woman who owned the stand. She would never allow a man to work there, especially not one who claimed to be a Hopi. She enjoyed selling the trinkets to tourists, but she wasn’t the type to pull in a man and pretend he was an Indian.

  “Hmm, well, you never know when you’re entertaining angels…”

  The woman blinked, stupefied at his comment. “You think he was an angel? I find that even more far fetched than his story about being a Hopi Indian. But whoever he was, he sent me here.”

  “Do you want a room, then?”

  “Yes, but that’s not why I’m here.”

  Lee let out a breath of frustration. “Okay, so you do want a room, but that’s not why you’re really here? May I ask what brings you to our lovely wigwam village?”

  “It’s about the dog. I don’t know what to do with it. I don’t know anyone in this area, so I’m not sure if there is a veterinarian anywhere around. The Indian told me to come here.”

  Now Lee was absolutely confused. She was a lovely woman, sent by an Indian, who more than likely did not exist. She wanted a room, but needed a veterinarian for a dog.

  “Is your dog sick?”

  ‘My dog? No. Oh, you mean the dog. I don’t think he’s sick, but I’m not sure if he’s hurt. I can’t tell.”

  “Look, Miss. I want to help you, but I’m just not following along. Can you please start at the beginning of the story and tell me exactly what happened? Maybe then we can make some sense of it all.”

  “Alright, I’m not use to having to explain myself to motel clerks though. I was drivi
ng along Route 66, I’m headed to California and now I’ll be late, which won’t be good, since I won’t be one of the first girls there to meet Robert L. Pendegast. It’s important to make a first impression, especially a really good impression, because then all the other girls will hopefully seem dull in comparison. Don’t you think?”

  Lee’s mouth had dropped open in amazement, but he had no time to say a word as she continued.

  “I planned to stay in Flagstaff tonight, but suddenly, right after that Elvis Presley song on the radio, you know the one about a hound dog?”

  Lee nodded wondering where this story would lead. He was already intrigued just by the name she had mentioned.

  “So, I didn’t want to hear any more about Elvis, so I switched off the radio. I only took my eyes off the road for a moment, but when I looked up, there it was.” She looked at him with wide eyes.

  Lee cleared his throat. “Where what was?”

  “The dog. It was laying in a heap, in the middle of the road. I don’t think I hit it, but since I wasn’t looking, I can’t be sure. Don’t you think I would have felt something, or heard something?”

  “Probably.”

  “I pulled over and looked down the road. I didn’t see any other cars, so I imagine it must have been a hit and run. I, however, am not so cruel as to leave a hurt dog on the road, so I wrapped it in my scarf, put it in my car and headed to the closest town.”

  “Which just happened to be Holbrook?” Lee interjected.

  Her head bobbed up and down. “But first, I stopped at the souvenir stand. The old man, you know the Hopi Indian? He told me to come here after he gave me…”

  Lee’s eyes searched her face, wondering why, after telling him everything else, she would clam up about what the so called Indian had given her.

  Lee straightened. “So, you got the dog in the car now?”

  “Yes. Can you take a look at it? Tell me if I need to find a veterinarian or not?”