Read The Dance Begins for Free Online

truck and started up the sidewalk. “Hey bro,” he called as he neared the porch. “I have a surprise for you. Let’s go for a ride.”
    He figured Trevor had come up with something more for the springhouse. “I’m hanging out with Molly today,” he said. “Nora’s at work.”
    “Molly can come, too.” Trevor stood at the bottom of the porch steps, hands in his pockets. “How are you feeling, Molly?”
    “All right,” she grumbled. She was as bored as Graham was.
    “Shall I take the scooter?” Graham asked.
    “Don’t need it if you can manage about ten yards with the cane,” Trevor said.
    That ruled out the springhouse. He had no idea what Trevor was up to now, but he was ready for anything that would get him away from the checkerboard.
    “All right,” he said, getting slowly to his feet. He looked down at Molly. “Let’s go see what Uncle Trevor’s got up his sleeve,” he said, holding his hand out to her. She knew—she had to know—that he needed to hold her hand for balance more than she needed to hold his, and she walked slowly and carefully down the porch steps next to him.
    Once they were in the truck, Trevor headed toward the loop road. He drove up the Hill from Hell and next to him, Graham felt Molly shudder.
    “I’m never ever riding my bike down this stupid hill again,” she said. “Not ever.”
    Trevor laughed. “That’s a plan,” he said.
    “But I’m still going to ride without my stupid training wheels,” she added, in case they thought she was chickening out altogether.
    They rode past the path that led to the springhouse and the road that led to Amalia’s. They passed his mother’s house with its circular driveway. Where the hell were they going?
    He was surprised when Trevor turned onto the short dirt road that led to the zip-line platform.
    “What are we doing here?” Graham looked through the dashboard at the platform high above them as Trevor turned off the ignition. Something was different and he squinted, trying to figure it out. Was there some sort of machine up there? A big hunk of yellow metal?
    Trevor followed his gaze. “I’ve been working on this over the last couple of weeks,” he said.
    “On what?” Graham asked.
    Trevor smiled. “How would you like to ride the zip line again, bro?” he asked.
    Graham turned to face him. “Quit messing with me,” he said.
    Trevor laughed. “I’m not.” He pointed to the top of the platform. “It’s a hoist,” he said.
    “What’s a hoist?” Molly asked, but Graham barely heard her.
    “You’re kidding,” he said.
    “I kid you not. And today we’re going to give you a ride.”
    “A hoist lifts things,” Graham said to Molly while he stared at his brother. “You did this for me?” So this was why Trevor had gone missing from the springhouse. He’d been working on the platform. Working on a hoist. For him. Every once in a while, he was reminded that Trevor loved him more than he hated him.
    “Don’t get mushy on me.” Trevor peered up at the platform again. “It was fun,” he said. “You know how I love a good engineering project. And it works, don’t worry. Jim let me lift him and if it could hold Jim’s fat ass, it can manage your scrawny bod. He and Claudia are camped out at the other end to help you stop, by the way.” He smiled at Graham. “So,” he said. “You game?”
    He hadn’t been on the zip line in so many years and while he longed to ride it again, the idea of the hoist—being raised more than a hundred feet into the air—freaked him out a bit. He thought of his daughter, brave enough to ride her bike without training wheels despite the consequences, and made a decision to give himself over to the adventure. He returned Trevor’s smile. “Let’s do it,” he said.
    *   *   *
    Trevor got one of the harnesses from the truck bed and in a few minutes Graham was strapped into it with the carabiner attached to the long cable that dangled from the hoist.
    “I’m going up