After that, they rode in companionable silence.
Murphy studied the two. He knew how different things would have been had Mia and Ted not gotten back together. During Ted’s crisis, it was Mike picking up the pieces. Mike wanted Mia but knew that he didn’t want to be the cause of her heartbreak. He, like Murphy, would wait out the marriage. They had more in common than Murphy liked to think.
Cid turned around and reported, “Mia’s in the front seat, and she’s smiling. She must be feeling better.”
“That girl’s one tough cookie,” Glenda said.
“She’s amazing,” Ted said before returning his focus to the composition book. He was working on an equation that seemed to go on and on.
“What are you doing, Ted?” Cid asked, looking over his shoulder.
“Trying to prove a pocket dimension. Mia’s not lying; it’s possible. She said that an inventor in Tesla’s time turned a house into a machine that would open up a pocket dimension.”
“I find it strange that you just can’t take her word for it,” Glenda commented.
“Mrs. Dupree, he’s not suspicious. He’s just trying to prove the existence of it through science.”
“Still, young man, if you’re going to stand a chance at nabbing that girl, you’re going to have to suspend disbelief now and again.”
Ted nodded. “That’s very good advice,” he said to appease Glenda.
Glenda beamed, thinking she got through to the thirteen-year-old. She was impressed with how attentive he had been with Mia last night. She thought that they had a great future ahead of them. She saw a lot of herself in Mia and knew because of this, the young couple may hit some bumps in the road. If she could impart some wisdom that Ted would take to heart, it may save them heartbreak.
“Five miles to the best piece of pie in Kansas,” Cid read off the sign.
“We’ll stop there. Signal to Mike.”
“Cid’s pointing at the pie sign. I think we’ll be stopping there,” Mike said.
“I’m buying,” Mia said, pulling a wad of cash out of her pocket.
“Oh my god, where did you get that?”
“It pays to have fallen friends in high places.”
“I’ve got fallen in high places,” Mike sang.
Mia listened as the teen riffed on Garth Brooks’s song. His rich voice and ability to change the lyrics at will impressed Mia. It had she and Murphy laughing.
“What can you do to ‘Crazy’?” Murphy asked.
“Ah, Patsy Cline, is there no better singer?” Mike asked.
Mia turned and looked at the teen. “I’m surprised.”
“Mia, look in that box on the floor. That’s where Ma keeps her cassette tapes. You’ll find a Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits in there… Did you know that Willie Nelson wrote and sang it first? His name was Hugh Nelson at the time.”
“Here it is,” Mia said and put it in the car’s player.
“Crazy, I’m crazy for feeling so lonely…”
After the song had finished, Mike said, “Sorry, old man, I can’t destroy that song.”
Murphy smiled.
“Tell me, why is that your favorite song?” he asked the ghost.
“Because it’s about how I feel about Mia,” Murphy confessed.
Mia was floored.
“Well then I applaud you. I had you down for another boring farmer. We have them here in spades, but you, sir, have some soul.”
“Mike, I’m all soul,” Murphy said and tipped his hat and disappeared.
Chapter Seventeen
Glenda looked around the table. The boy’s meals were barely touched. Mia, on the other hand, was already stealing French fries off the plates of all of them.
“Lord, girl, you do have an appetite.”
Mia just brushed it off and took another fry. “I’m feeding the demon,” she teased.
Ted sensed there was some truth to the statement but didn’t press her. The Mia he was seeing today was all wound-up and anxious. He leaned over and said, “Remember, you have all of us to depend on. Share the load, Mighty Mouse, share the load.”
It seemed to strike a chord with her, and she sat back and closed her eyes. “I’m very lucky, very lucky indeed.”
“Whatcha doing?” Ted asked, mimicking her midwestern accent.
Mia’s eyes popped open. “You gave me a fright. You sounded just like a friend of mine. To answer your question, I recently was reminded to concentrate on my memories, that time and time again they would come to my aid. I wanted to remember this moment here with you, so I was placing it in my mind house.”
“Ah, that’s a fib. I heard her snoring,” Cid teased.
Mia laughed.
“How much do you remember?” Glenda asked.
“My memories of my life are intact, but if you’re looking to get ahead of stock trends, I’d say stick with the tech companies. I don’t know details like that because it didn’t interest me at the time. Plus, we didn’t have a television, and my parents didn’t take a newspaper. They had their heads stuck in the past. I can tell you about most ancient civilizations if that helps.”
“Hell of a life. How long before you left home?” Mike asked.
“I burned down my house when I was fourteen.”
That brought a round of silence.
“Why?” Cid was brave enough to ask.
Mia told them the story of Misty Mother and why she felt she had to burn down the house. “The bastard cut her in pieces and had her bones hidden all over the house. I know a lot more now about freeing ghosts.”
“So, do all ghosts eventually go crazy?” Glenda asked, worried about the farmer with the axe.
“Not all, but a good portion of them. You see, the present is changing so fast that the creatures who try to live as they did when they died can’t keep up.”
“Do you think Murphy is going to go crazy?” Glenda asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I suspect not. He’s a strong
