Dave Casler
PO Box 98
Ridgway, Colorado 81432
Young Adult Novels by Dave Casler...
I've been told by publisher after publisher that there's no market for Young Adult novels. I think they're wrong! So I'm putting my novels on-line for you. Forget the publisher! Read to your heart's content--it's free! And, I'd like to hear from you, too! Contact Page.
You're reading About Phillip. Be sure to check out About Dan here.
Phillip is a computer nerd who suddenly discovers a liking for track. Everything would be fine except for his father.
About Series Home
About the About Series
Index to All Chapters
Here are all the chapters, disguised as asterisks. Hover your mouse over an asterisk to see the title of the chapter. Click on the asterisk to go straight to that chapter.
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(About Phillip Home) (Last) (Next)
Try Custom, Honey
"Lance, what’s wrong, honey?"
"Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you," he said softly.
Margo rubbed her sleepy eyes to see her husband better. The only light in the room filtered through the blinds from the streetlamp outside. It was chilly enough that the heater rumbled in the bowels of the house. Margo heard the ticking of the hallway grandfather clock; otherwise there was no noise except the distant sound of Wolfgang snoring in the kitchen.
"Honey, it’s midnight," she said sleepily. "Why are you still awake?"
Lance pushed himself into a sitting position. He patted Margo’s hand.
"Every time I close my eyes I see Jimmy Franks’s face."
"Honey, that was two weeks ago. Why does it haunt you so much?"
Lance shook his head to clear the memory. "He has a wife and two kids. He thought he had a safe job." Lance paused, staring across the room at the dim outline of the closet door. " It’s just hard for me to accept, that’s all."
"But, honey, you did everything you could. Doesn’t he get unemployment?"
"It’s not much, dear. I talked with Bill Banks again today." He stopped.
Margo was fully awake. She pushed herself into a sitting position and snuggled next to her husband.
"Not good news, huh?"
"No. We have a month at our present burn rate, then we have to liquidate. And that will be the end of Maceda Home Furnishings," he said through a sigh. He closed his eyes. Was he going to cry? "After twenty-five years."
"Is there no hope? Are there no alternatives, honey?"
Lance took a moment to think. "You know Coach Johnson, right?" Margo nodded in the darkness. "Well, he came in a couple days ago and placed a custom order." He laughed softly but bitterly. "I thought custom stuff was dead. I haven’t advertised custom in five years."
"Well, honey, can you look into that? The big furniture chains won’t do it. Maybe you can get into that. You can do it for all of North Denver, can’t you? Not just Boulder, but a big area. Maybe Phillip can set up a website for you." She rubbed his shoulder soothingly.
Lance laughed softly at the thought of Phillip running his website. He put his hand atop his wife’s. "I don’t know what to do," he said.
"Honey, you’ve been a good provider for many, many years and you will continue to do so. I have faith in you. You’re a good man and a sweet husband."
"I wish Phillip thought so."
"We have three fine boys. Phillip will pull through. He’s just having a rough time right now, that’s all. So did Richard, but look at him. He got through it just fine."
Lance sighed. He buried his face in his hands. "I guess I just need to prepare to close the business."
"Honey, no! Give the custom idea a try. Advertise! All over Denver!"
"It won’t work."
Margo sat up straighter so she could make her point. "Lance! Sometimes you are too stubborn for your own good!" She softened her tone, but only a little. "Now promise me you’ll give it a whirl. Ok?"
Lance looked at her. Even in the dim light he could see her eyes flash. He smiled; he hadn’t seen her eyes like that since the day Richard told her she was a toad. He took her hand and kissed it.
"Ok. For you."
"I know it’ll work, Lance, it really will."
"Hmm…I hope so. You now, I had a customer today who asked if we leased office furniture. Well, anyway, I told him I’d check and let him know. Can’t you just see the sign? ‘Maceda Custom Furniture, Office Leasing and Anything Else That Will Make Money.’" He smiled.
"That might be a bit long, but maybe you ought to change to ‘Maceda Custom Furnishings.’ That way you aren’t limited to just home furnishings."
"I’ll think about it. I wish Wolfgang would stop snoring. He’ll wake the dead."
"He’s getting old, honey. Now lay down and get some rest. You’ve got lots to do tomorrow."
Lance unfolded himself and pulled up the covers. "I wish we hadn’t bought the Taurus."
"Why not?"
"We paid cash. I could use the money now."
"Don’t worry honey. It’s a good investment. We’ll have it for many years."
"I guess you’re right. Good night."