The One Less Traveled

She soon had a reputation and more requests than she could handle. When a couple of important and influential people around town hired her and consequently began recommending her, things began to change. The law of supply and demand worked in her favor, and a significant increase in income followed.

Kristin and her mother enjoyed spending an hour of unexpected "vacation" together. Kris returned to her room until she got the call from Lloyd. The crews had been at work, and the roads were passable, so he'd decided to open...and hope.

The diner was empty when she arrived, thankful that her car had started and her suspicious tires hadn't betrayed her.

"Glad you got here okay. I saw on the news there was a bad accident on Route 711 near Ligonier. No one was killed, but one guy was hurt. They said it was a Porsche that slid off the road and hit a tree.

"A Porsche?" Kirsten's stomach flopped. It wasn't likely but still. "Did they say anything else?"

"Oh, yeah. The car had California plates, so it's no one we know."

Kristin's palms were sweating. It could be someone she knew.

Only one customer appeared, so she had far too much time on her hands. She'd given Wynn something to think about. Perhaps he'd done the same for her. She had to get to the hospital to see how he was doing.

"Kristin, why don't you go ahead and leave," Lloyd suggested. "I don't think we're going to get much more business today."

The very words she wanted to hear.

There was no hospital in Ligonier, so she knew they'd have transported Wynn to Latrobe, a small town with a very complete hospital, thanks to the gracious support of one Arnold Palmer.

She made a very conscious effort to drive carefully since she wasn't anxious to be another crash victim. She parked the car and hurried inside, quickly finding the main desk.

The lady on duty smiled at her. "May I help you, ma'am?"

"I'd like to find out about Wynn Trotter and visit him if possible."

The lady didn't reply but nodded to a man seated nearby. He stood and smiled at Kris.

"You're inquiring about Wynn?"

"Yes, and I'd like to see him if I could."

"Sorry, no visitors. He's banged up a little, but he'll be fine again, eventually. Do you know him?"

"He's come into our diner a few times, and I've talked with him there." Kris was no longer feeling hopeful about seeing Wynn.

"Ah. We've had several people stop in and want to see him, so we've just said no visitors to everyone. He'll be going back to California tomorrow."

That was a shock to Kristin. If he went back to California, he probably wouldn't be returning to Pennsylvania, at least for quite a while. She wondered what they'd do about the movie.

"Thank you for the information. If you get a chance, tell him Kristin stopped by and asked about him."

"If I see him. Listen, thanks for stopping by. We know that Wynn has lots of fans, and we really can't have all of them parading through here to take a peek at him. Plus, he's not awake, so he wouldn't actually see you."

"Not awake."

The man glanced quickly at the main desk. "I've said way too much, now. He's in satisfactory condition."

Kristin evaluated his words and his look. "Thank you for the information. I'll leave now, but take good care of Wynn."

"Oh, we will," he said with a chuckle, "for more than one reason."

She waved at the woman behind the counter and exited into the cold and snowy late afternoon. Back in the car, she called Lloyd. It rang for quite a while before he answered.

"Hey, Kris, what's up?"

"That's my question."

"I've handled it so far, but there are four here now, and if more come..."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I think I can handle it."

"I'd rather be busy," Kris answered.

A brief pause from Lloyd. "Sure then, come on in."

What she'd said was true. She was glad Wynn was not at death's door, but with him returning to California tomorrow, she'd probably never see him again. She did have the cell number but had no idea when he'd be well enough to receive messages and respond. Once back in California, she wasn't sure he'd want to respond.

Lloyd was busy when Kristin arrived at the diner, and four more people showed up soon after. Of course, when Woody arrived, she was not at all happy and was not in the mood for his shenanigans.

"Hey, baby, I'm surprised that clunker of yours made it here in the snow."

Kirstin chastised herself for having the quick thought that she wished it was Woody who'd hit the tree instead of Wynn.

"It's always good to me," she replied, "unlike some people I know."

"Girl, it's not like you to be catty like that." Woody had a pouty look on his face, artificial like most things about Woody.

Lloyd's head appeared in the pickup window.

"Woody, if you want something to eat, sit down and order, but stop harassing Kris."

"No way would I harass my girl," he replied, attempting to look innocent.

Lloyd came through the kitchen door, and Woody sat down quickly.

"Just bring me a burger, fries, and a Coke," he stammered as Kristin struggled to restrain a grin.

"The works on the burger?" she asked.

Woody nodded, seemingly afraid to open his mouth.

Lloyd was well over six feet tall and probably two-hundred-thirty pounds. Woody was maybe five-ten and one-hundred-sixty pounds. Woody's reaction seemed very normal, and she could tell that the other customers approved.

*****

The next two weeks moved along at a crawl. Kristin worked, began school, and studied a lot. Doing well was important to her, more so than ever before. Her dream was to do well enough in her preliminary courses that she'd earn a scholarship. In high school, her first two years had been C years, but something changed after that, and her last two years had a single B mixed in with all As. The combination kept her from getting scholarships, thus the work and saving.

Interwoven with the work and other activities were three days of going to Jimmy's house to help foster his computer skills. He surprised her with how quickly he was progressing. He was exploring the internet with enthusiasm and listening to music along with watching YouTube videos.

Kris encouraged him to click on the available "buttons" to explore what happened when he did it. She noticed he often stared at the screen, wondering, but he soon realized that if he didn't do something, nothing happened.

"Jimmy, you're really picking this up quickly," Kris said, looking over his shoulder and patting him on the back.

"Don't have much else to do these days, so I've got time to practice and learn. I may get one of those smartphones one of these days if you can help me with that too."

"I'd love to. You're a great student." Kris sensed something else as she replied to Jimmy. Loneliness. His wife had been gone for several years now, and he lived by himself on the three-acre plot he had left after he'd sold the farm he'd inherited from his parents. The big garden was full of weeds, and the one time she had driven past during the summer, the grass had needed to be mowed. Now, it seemed very neat, and she wondered if he had cleaned things up just for her visits. If so, perhaps she needed to visit more.

"Listen," Jimmy said, a slightly nervous tone to his voice, "I heard at the diner that Woody was bothering you again."

"Again?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I was there at least once when he did it."

"He's annoying, but he doesn't upset me too much. I survive."

"Well, if he does it again, you let me know. I'll take care of it for you."

That certainly got her attention. "What do you mean?"

"A note on the windshield of his car. Maybe another in his mailbox. You know."

"Jimmy, you don't have to do that. I can handle it."

"It's something I can do," he said quietly. "Anyway, I've been checking into this email thing. I've got an email from the Gmail outfit, so if you will, give me your email, I can practice sending you emails and attaching things. Don't know how to do that yet, but I'll figure it out."

They exchanged addresses and then talked for a few minutes. When Kris left, she wondered if her mom might be interested in meeting Jimmy.

Back in her cozy and warm garage apartment, Kris was thinking. It had been two weeks since Wynn's accident, and although she hadn't spent a huge amount of time with him, she was missing seeing and talking with him.

When she first figured out his identity, she remembered her heart racing and her whole body tingling. After a couple of meetings, it was Wynn who seemed to be anxious to spend time and particularly talk with her. It seemed to lead to a much more relaxed atmosphere. Whatever it might be and as ludicrous as it seemed, she missed spending time with Wynn.

She stared at the screen of her phone. It was there -- Wynn's private number. Kristin had diligently scoured the internet searching for information about Wynn and his condition but had only found that he was in California to recover from his injuries. It had been frustrating, and she was staring at a possible solution to her disappointment. She hoped he had healed sufficiently to respond to a text. She'd love to hear his voice but wasn't anywhere near brave enough to call him.

A deep breath. Kris knew that typing the message was the easy part. Tapping the send symbol would test her mettle. She began typing.

Hello, Wynn. So sorry to hear about your accident in our treacherous Pennsylvania snow. I hope you're healing well. I tried to see you at the hospital but had no luck. How are you doing?

There was much more she'd like to say but decided brevity might be more appropriate. She stared at the blue circle with the white arrow inside. What could go wrong? At worst, there'd be no reply. Even knowing that, sending was painfully difficult. She was a server at a small diner near Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and he was a Hollywood movie star. How pompous was it of her to send him a text?

She tapped the blue circle, and two seconds later, "Delivered" appeared on her screen. She waited five, ten, fifteen minutes, and then an hour.

No reply.

She had dinner with her mother.

"What's wrong, hon?"

Kris looked quickly at her mother. "Nothing; why?"

The smile Kris saw was that of a mother saying, "You're my daughter, and I know you fairly well."

"Nothing, really. It's just school, work, and winter."

"Your apartment is warm, isn't it?"

"Oh, it's wonderful, and I love it."

"Is business good at the diner?"

"It always slows a little in the cold weather, but the tips are still good."

"And school?"

"I think I'm getting an A in all three courses."

A period of awkward silence followed.

"Why don't we stop dancing around, and you tell me what's wrong?"

"Mom, if I tell you, you have to promise not to share it with a single person. No one. Not family or friends or anyone else."

"Kris, this sounds serious."

It was serious to her. If people heard the story, they'd think it was impossible and would laugh at her for telling it.

"Promise?"

"Of course, dear, if it's that important to you. I won't tell a soul."

Kristin took a deep breath. "You know that movie guy whose car crashed on Route 711, and he was hurt?"

"I remember that," Mom answered, a puzzled look on her face.

"Well, he came into the diner several times, disguised so we wouldn't recognize him. We talked some when I served him his meals and finally figured out who he was. He was having some issues, and he wanted to talk about them, so we did. It was fun, and he was a nice guy, and he really listened to me, you know. It was just two people talking, not a Hollywood star and a girl in Ligonier. Then he was hurt and went back to California."

"So, do you think...?"

"No, no. I just wonder if he's recovering and so forth." She smiled at her mother. "He gave me his private phone number."

"Private phone?"

"He has two cell phones, one for business and general calling, and the private one that, well, he only uses with special friends and such."

"And you have it."

"And I sent him a text tonight, about two hours ago."

"And there's been no answer, right?"

Kris nodded.

"And that has you upset."

"I suppose. I mean, I keep telling myself he's not going to answer. I mean, who am I? But another part of me keeps hoping."

"As it should. If he gave you the number, it must have meant something to him. Keep hoping."

"I will, Mom, I will. I can't help it."

They talked for another hour about Wynn, school, work, and everything in general. When Kristin returned to her apartment, she felt better but still anxious. She tried to study but was only partially successful.

Her cell phone buzzed.

Her heart nearly stopped beating.

When she picked it up, she saw "Wynn Trotter" on the screen. She couldn't help but smile.

"Hello."

"Is this Kristin?"

"Yes, ma'am, it is."

"This is Madeleine Trotter, Wynn's mother. I have his phone and received your text message."

"I'm not sure what to say, Mrs. Trotter."

"Well, if you have his private number, he must know you and trust you, so that's good enough for me."

"Oh my gosh, thank you. I'm in Pennsylvania, and he ate in our diner a few times, and we talked a little. I've just been worried about him and can't find any information."

"When the text came, I checked with Wynn. He's here at home with me. He likes things to be private. But he shared pretty much that same story with me. If you'd like to talk with him, I'll take the phone to him."

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all. Hold on."

Kris was nearly holding her breath in anticipation. She could hear voices but couldn't understand what they were saying. Some shuffling noises.

"Hello, Kris. How are things in Pennsylvania?"

"First," she said excitedly, "how are things in California?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Please, I've been dying to find out."

"First off, I should have listened to you."

"Listened to me? About what?"

"About driving in the snow. I had a Porsche, and they're great handling cars, so I wasn't worried at all. I was zooming along Route 711, going way faster than I should have, turned the wheel to go around a curve...and the car kept going straight, right into the tree. That's the last I remember until I woke up in the hospital. I'm going to listen more carefully to what you say in the future and do it." He chuckled.

What did that mean,what you say in the future? Kris was puzzled, but her smile was growing broader.

"I know how the accident happened now, but not how you are."

"I'm pretty much a mess, to tell the truth. Broken arm and broken leg. I had a concussion and didn't wake up much until I was on the way back to California. I'm sore everywhere it's possible to be sore. How's that for being a mess?"

"I'm so sorry, Wynn. This has to be awful for you."

"A little. I've never been sick or injured much, so I'm not used to it. Mom is taking good care of me, though.

Kris was trying to put what Wynn had said into People Magazine mode. It didn't seem to fit. Mom is taking good care of me. He didn't fit what you'd expect from someone in his position. And that's probably why she was talking to him at this very moment.

"What about the movie?"

"They paid me off and are replacing me. The doctors are talking months before I'm totally operative again. But I want to find out about you. What's happened since I sneaked away from Pennsylvania?"

"I'm still working, and school has started."

"That's right. School. Nursing, wasn't it?"

"I'm going to St. Vincent and working on my associate degree. Depending on what happens, maybe a bachelor's in nursing."

"Fantastic. That has to be expensive."

"I make the second half of my tuition payment for this semester in two days. It's painful to hand them all that money."

"It'll pay off in the end. And where are you going again."

"Saint Vincent College in Latrobe."

"Super, and can I ask a big favor?"

"Sure, Wynn. What?"

"Tell me if this is going to be too much, okay?"

Kristin knew it would have to be insanely unreasonable for her to refuse.

"I can't imagine it being too much."

"Well, this is a little embarrassing, but wearing this plaster suit and being stuck here, sometimes I get lonely. Mom has places to go, and I watch TV and try to read a little, but with only one arm, even reading is tough. When I was in Pennsylvania, even though we only talked a few times, I really enjoyed it...and I miss it."

"Anytime," Kris replied quickly. "If I can't talk, I'll tell you, and we can try it later." With school, work, and helping Jimmy with his computer, she was plenty busy, but she was sure she could work this in...somehow.

"Facetime then, too? I enjoy seeing your face."

"That's fine, too," she replied, sensing her heart speeding up the slightest bit. This Hollywood guy enjoyed seeing her face. Of course, she enjoyed seeing his face as well. Wynn was a good-looking guy, for sure.

"What time is it there?" Wynn asked suddenly.

"A little after ten, why?"

"Am I keeping you up or away from your studying?"

She chuckled. "I was so anxious to hear from you; if you'd called at two in the morning, it would have been fine."

"Now, you're being silly, but I have to remember there's a three-hour time differential here."

"If you need to call, call, okay?"

"Kris."

"I mean it. I'm a big girl now and used to staying up late and stuff."

"I believe that, but I'll try to be more aware. I'm going to let you go now so you can study and stuff, but I'll get back to you soon. Plus, if you happen to have a spare minute or two that you need to fill, you can sure call me to fill it."

"Thanks, Wynn. I don't have too much trouble filling my minutes, though."

"I'm sure. Now let's hang up, and you get to work."

"Thanks so much for calling back."

"Thank my mother. She obviously approves of you."

"Take care of yourself, Wynn."

"I see the doctor tomorrow. You sleep well, Kris."

The call ended.

His mother approved of her. That should get her thinking.

*****

As much as she hated to do it, her tuition needed to be paid, and she clutched her checkbook as she walked into the Bursar's office. It took so long to save the money and only a few seconds to get rid of it.

"Hi there. Are you here to pay?"

"Sure am, unfortunately."

They both laughed.

"Name?"

Kristin handed the lady her student identity card.

"Humm," the lady murmured, a puzzled look on her face as she stared at the computer screen.

"Is something wrong?" Kris questioned.

"Not really wrong, just a little unexpected."

A few moments pause.

"It says here that your tuition has been paid for the entire year and that we need to refund about ten thousand dollars."

"What?!" Kris nearly screamed, quickly noticing that everyone was looking at her.

"That's what it says. It was paid yesterday with instructions to refund the first half to you."

How could that have happened? Who could have paid her tuition for her? Her mind was racing as the lady handed her the refund check. Almost ten thousand dollars. She needed to hurry straight to her bank as soon as classes ended. But who...

She was remembering the conversation with Wynn from two nights ago. He had asked her specifically about where she was going to school. It had to be him. She thanked the lady and headed outside, plopping down on a bench. She pulled out her cell phone.

"Hi, Kristin. What's up?"

"Wynn, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want a yes or no answer."

"Uh-oh, but okay...I think."

Kris studied the half-smile on his face. She was sure he knew what she was about to ask.

"Did you pay my tuition?"

Still smiling, he answered, "Yes."

"Wynn, my gosh. You can't..."

"I already did."

"I know you did, but it's not right."