Chapter 1

Leaning against the window, he put his hand on the cool glass and stared beyond it, trying to catch a glimpse of something in the dark. The steady drone of the engine was like a monotone lullaby, the rhythmical motions of the bus an invitation to sleep, but he was unaffected. He knew there was no chance he'd rest. Not with the nearly tangible tension flowing from one of the people he regarded as a brother.

Yes, they were brothers, in every way but blood. And when one of them was angry, the other four couldn't help but feel the echoes. Right now, the focal point of hostility came from the middle of the bus, where the tiny kitchen could be found.

The sound of a cabinet being slammed shut, again, made him frown. He pulled his long legs up on the couch and wrapped his arms around them, still staring into the window. For a moment he was dismayed to find he had no idea exactly where they were; after three months spent on the road, all the highways and cities and venues had begun to blur. The concerts were great, and the fans, spectacular… but the traveling was something akin to hell. It was way better than flying, in his opinion, but the bus had its share of drawbacks, one of the biggest being there was no real place to escape. He was in the farthest section at the very back of the tourbus, huddled on the couch where the group normally enjoyed playing video games or watching movies together. But this time, he was alone. Three of the five had taken refuge in their bunks, curtains drawn shut in a lame attempt to avoid the angry challenge in green eyes.

He sighed. It had been pretty much the same for a solid week. The worst part was no one had been able to reach past the wall their bandmate had erected, despite their best efforts. Questions had been shrugged off, reasoning and cajoling had fallen on deaf ears, even bribery had been flatly refused. Anger had made things worse: when AJ had finally lost his cool and confronted the older member, he had been treated to a curt silence that lasted for almost two days. Close quarters and the tedium of the road hadn't helped. Then, after encountering repeated rejections and refusals to talk, Howie had withdrawn his efforts to help, not understanding what was wrong. He'd become even more quiet than usual, and his warm smile had all but disappeared. Brian… even Brian had given up. His last effort at drawing out a conversation had ended in total disappointment. He, like AJ and Howie, had been mystified.

However, the lone figure huddled in the corner did have a good idea what was bothering his older brother. He'd thought long and hard on the subject, watching him closely as the days went by. Finally, certain things began to make sense… but Kevin was unapproachable. Nick knew that until Kev brought it out into the open, things would get worse before they got better. He watched as the others tried, and failed, at drawing the oldest Boy out of his self-imposed isolation. Then it was his turn, but his one and only attempt to talk to Kevin had netted him nothing but a cold, disdainful glare. He hadn't tried again.

He half-heartedly turned from the window's dismal view and picked up a discarded magazine he'd gotten part way through earlier. Without enthusiasm, he flipped through the glossy pages and wondered who had bought the magazine in the first place. Then, something caught his eye.

He sat up straighter and leaned towards better light. After a minute, he checked his watch… not for the time, but for the date. With the days blending so easily, he couldn't be sure.

A small grin began to curve his lips. With growing interest, he scanned the article, eagerly absorbing the information there. He paused, a momentary frown on his face as he tried to remember what part of the country they were in. Then, he had it. Tomorrow they would be in Ohio… Columbus, that was it. He rifled through the book rack mounted on the wall, found the dog-eared atlas, and quickly flipped through the pages. When he saw the map, he traced a line, and his grin blossomed into a full-blown smile. For the first time in days, there was a sparkle in azure blue eyes. If he could pull things together, there just might be something he could do to help his big brother.

Nick had a plan.

**********

The bus slowed to a halt at a truck stop just across the Ohio line. At eight in the morning, there was a steady bustle of activity, but no one gave the new arrival much attention. After speaking to the driver, Kevin informed the still-sleepy group they would have an hour before hitting the road again. He grabbed his jacket and promptly left the bus, heading towards the main building.

"Sheesh, Kevin," AJ muttered, "sure, we'd like to join you for breakfast. Thanks for asking."

"Leave him be," Brian said tiredly, rubbing at his eyes. "I think he needs time alone right now."

"What he needs," came Howie's flat voice, "is to get whatever it is off his chest. This is getting old."

Nick stretched. "Who's up for breakfast? I've had all the cold cereal I can handle this week. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Brian said as he searched for a sweatshirt. "Your nickname should have been Hoover instead of Kaos."

At Nick's silence, AJ said, "He's referring to a Hoover vacuum, blondie."

"I know what he was referring to, Aje. I didn't think it rated a comment," Nick answered as he rolled his eyes.

"Sure, sure," AJ said, clearly not believing it.

Howie grinned. "If Nick's a blondie," he asked, "does that make you a 'reddie'?" He indicated AJ's haircolor du jour, a rather vibrant red.

AJ puffed out his chest and said, "Bay-bee, I'm always ready!"

A pillow, a baseball hat, and someone's dirty sock pelted him in an instant.

"You're all jealous," he protested, pretending to be offended. A moment later, he regarded the sock. "Hey, is this mine?"

"Dare you to smell it," Brian teased.

"Uh… no," AJ said, declining the challenge. He tossed the sock over his shoulder and began searching for his left shoe.

The four stumbled out of the bus a few minutes later, blinking in the bright morning sun. Nick paused, scanning the skies: not a cloud in sight. He smiled. The weather would be key to his plan, and so far things looked good. With a bounce in his stride, he and his friends made their way to the restaurant.

Despite the old cliches, most truck stops were clean, well-lit, and had relatively good food. While none of them would earn a five-star rating, the meals were more than edible, and there was a bonus to dining in such a place. They had never been recognized at a truck stop. There, they weren't the Backstreet Boys, they were simply fellow travelers. While they loved their fans, there were times when it was a relief to be anonymous.

The noisy clatter of dishes and conversation provided a comforting backdrop as the four were shown to a table. The waitress came by seconds later, her smile a welcome addition. She wrote down their beverage requests and zipped away, giving a wink as she left.

"Hey, she winked at me," Brian said, grinning. The young woman was attractive, to be sure; her shorter skirt afforded the guys a wonderful view of her shapely legs.

"You?" AJ countered. "You're blind. She was winking at me. Who would wink at an old married dude like you?"

"Now who's jealous?" Brian said, chucking a rolled-up straw paper across the table.

"You're both mistaken," Nick said, studying the menu.

"What, do you think she was giving you the eye?" AJ asked. "Dream on."

"Millions of girls can't be wrong," Nick grinned. "But no, I wasn't talking about me. She was giving Howie that wink, no doubt about it."

Howie blinked, his brown eyes full of light. "Really?"

"The Latin Lover gets 'em every time," Brian joined in, patting his friend on the back. "Way to go, Sweet D."

Although a slight blush rose on Howie's face, his smile got wider.

AJ groaned. "She's angling for a tip, is all," he muttered. "Oldest trick in the book."

"Yep," Brian said. "Jealous."

While the three continued their conversation, Nick closed his menu and scanned the rest of the area, looking for Kevin. After a moment he found him sitting on a stool at the counter, staring at a newspaper. It looked as if he had already finished breakfast. He sighed, thinking how much more fun it would be to have the oldest member sitting with them, laughing and joking again. The waitress returned with the coffee and juice, interrupting his thoughts.

She took each person's order, not aware that she was under scrutiny. When she came to Howie, her smile hitched up a degree; Nick had been right. The moment she was out of hearing range, AJ leaned back and crossed his arms.

"I'm telling ya, she's just working it for the money. She's got you pegged as a sucker, D."

"Well, I don't care," Howie said smugly. "You can bet she'll get a good tip from me." He poured creamer into his coffee and ignored AJ's snort.

"Hey, guys, I'm gonna to make a phone call, okay? I'll be back in a minute." Nick slid his chair back.

"Who you calling this early, Frack?" Brian asked.

"Just… someone. It's personal," Nick answered, not wanting to reveal his plan to anyone just yet.

"Nicky's-got-a-girl-friend!" sang Brian, his blue eyes teasing his best friend.

"Er… hardly," Nick said. Good lord, definitely not this girl! he added mentally. Before anyone could make another comment, he left the group and walked to the bank of payphones. He chose one near the end, where he could get some relative privacy. He dialed the calling card code he had committed to memory, got the okay, and punched up the number. Tapping his foot impatiently, he waited for the phone to be picked up. Finally, a familiar voice said 'hello'.

"Hi, it's Nick," he said, keeping his voice down.

"Nick! What's wrong, has something happened-"

"No, no, everything's okay… or, it will be if you can help me here."

"Okay, I'm listening," came the reply.

Nick took a deep breath and began talking.

*********

Kevin stood, folding the paper into half, then thirds, before placing it on the counter. He put a few bills on top of his check, drained the last of his coffee, and turned to leave the restaurant. He hesitated when a unique laugh reached his ears… a quick glance in the direction of the sound revealed AJ, Howie and Brian sitting at a table by the far wall, having what looked like a great time. For a second, he felt a pang of longing to be in their company. He actually took a step in their direction before stopping himself. From the way he'd been acting, he knew he wouldn't be welcome. He couldn't blame them.

The core problem was simple, yet… it wasn't. He sighed. None of them would understand, with the possible exception of Brian. But even his cousin might not be able to relate. If he was totally honest, even he didn't understand everything; how could anyone else? With a sad shake of his head, Kevin turned toward the doors and walked, alone, to the parking lot.

Leaning against the bus, he pulled out his cell and hit the auto-dial. It was early, but he knew that wouldn't really matter. He needed to speak to her so badly it hurt. She always understood; even when he'd called her in the middle of the night, she had never complained. Her voice always was warm and welcoming, something he needed desperately now. He heard a click, and took a breath to speak… but frowned when a busy signal, not Kristen's soft hello, sounded in his ear.

He paced a few times along the length of the bus, and hit the redial button.

Busy…

Kevin felt his frustration returning. Glancing at his watch, he saw he had twenty minutes left, which should be plenty of time for whoever was tying up the line to clear. Clenching his jaw, he went inside the bus and closed the door behind him.

The tiny space that surrounded him was cluttered with miscellaneous junk, and he scowled at the disarray. Hats, pillows, food wrappers, playing cards, even a dirty sock littered the aisle. Normally he would have taken it in stride, knowing his bandmates would pick up after themselves once the bus got rolling again, but it bothered him immensely now. With a muttered, soft curse, he began straightening up. At least it gave him something to do.

Five minutes passed before he tried the phone again: still, no luck. He tossed it on the table and ran a hand through his hair. He shut his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to shake off the surge of frustration that arose. The rest of the guys would be back soon, and he would lose his chance at privacy until they arrived at their destination. Wondering exactly when that would be, he found the travel planner, map, and schedule of the day, spreading them out on the table to study. A quick calculation told him that in a little over two hours, they would make their destination half a day earlier than planned. Realizing it would be too early to check into the hotel, he decided that they should go directly to the venue to rehearse a bit. Even though the concert wasn't until the following night, lately the group's timing had been off and he knew they could do better. Of course, that wouldn't sit well wit the others; it was rare that they had extra time on a tour. He could almost hear the complaining and whining.

He used the cell to contact the tour coordinator and let him know about the plans. He got the okay and was just saying goodbye when he heard voices approaching the bus. Kevin allowed himself a single curse before the door opened and his privacy was spoiled. So much for life on the road.

It was obvious the four had enjoyed breakfast from their smiles and laughter. They quickly keyed down a notch when they entered the bus and saw who was waiting for them. Brian offered him a hello, as did Howie, but his unenthusiastic response killed any further greetings. Before they could settle in, he informed them of the new plans. As expected, the protests were instant and voluminous.

"You've got to be kidding!" AJ exclaimed, looking over the top of his sunglasses. "You want us to have a two hour practice, a day in advance, before even seeing the hotel?"

"We need to sharpen up the choreography," Kevin answered with a frown.

"Kev, I think that a few hours spent relaxing and enjoying a break will do more for us than more rehearsal," Brian said. "No one expects us to be in town until tomorrow, so we won't have to fight the crowds and stuff. This is a real chance to have some fun."

"That last performance was off," Kevin stated flatly.

"Wonder why," AJ muttered as he gave the elder Boy a hard glare.

Howie stepped in, knowing what was brewing. They couldn't afford another fight, things were too tense as it was. "Maybe a compromise?" he suggested. "How about an hour practice, then go our separate ways until dinner? We can have the staff take our stuff to the hotel, so everything will be ready when we get there."

Kevin looked ready to protest, but Nick interrupted.

"Howie's right. That way we get a chance to work on some moves, stretch our legs, and get in some down time before regrouping. Maybe after dinner we can think of something interesting to do."

Seeing the looks on their faces, Kevin knew it was the best he would get. With a short nod, he begrudgingly agreed.

Howie's shoulders relaxed and Brian let out a long-held breath. The bus driver sounded the signal that they were ready to leave, and the group separated. AJ climbed into his bunk, grumbling about needing his rest; Howie grabbed a book and commandeered a chair, and Nick and Brian headed towards the back to watch some television together. Kevin stayed where he was, staring at the map and thinking how very far away from home he was.

**********

Nick checked the sky again when they disembarked the bus. Happily, it was still clear and bright; unless a freak storm moved in within the next few hours, things would be perfectly set for tonight. He looked around at the venue; he was pretty sure he hadn't ever been in Columbus before. Or… had he? What he'd seen of it so far didn't ring any bells, but that didn't mean much. He'd been to so many places he'd stopped keeping track years ago.

The concert arena was large, and the next night's show would be a blast… already the sets were being erected and readied by the crew, who had arrived in advance. He heard a few greetings called, and answered with a wave; neither the crew nor the band had time to chit-chat, or so Kevin had declared.

Nick glanced at the tall figure walking beside him as they followed a guide to a secluded practice room. He caught an unguarded look on the older man's face, one that he'd seen in his own mirror many times: a blend of weariness and uncertainty. On Kevin, it looked strange. He'd always been the leader, the one that was so sure of everything, the giver of advice and support. But bit by bit, things had changed, especially over the last month. It had taken Nick a while to notice, but once he'd become aware of it, he'd been compelled to try something to make things better.

He had fought the urge to tell Brian and the others about his plan. He was afraid if they knew, they would only interfere, and that was the last thing he needed. As it was, the important part of the plan was on shaky ground, and totally depended upon his ability to get his friend in a certain place at a certain time. Not so easily done… but he had to try.

**********

"Okay, from the second sequence forward. Let's go." Kevin hit the button and a familiar rhythm echoed around the room. He counted time, and they began moving.

Things were going well until Nick turned the wrong way and collided with Brian, sending both tumbling to the floor. Although he tried to catch himself, all Nick ended up doing was landing on top of his best friend. He pushed himself up a bit, looking worriedly down at Brian, who was calmly staring at the ceiling.

"Dammit, I'm sorry, Frick… you okay?" he asked apprehensively.

Brian blinked a couple of times and looked at Nick's anxious statement. Slowly a grin teased the edge of his lips.

"Yeah, I'm fine… but how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not that kind of guy?"

Realizing the awkward position he was in, Nick quickly scrambled upright. On cue, AJ began making kissy noises while Howie chuckled.

"What the hell was that?" came a very un-amused voice.

"Sorry," Nick said, not looking at Kevin. He offered a hand up to Brian and dusted himself off.

"Is that what you're going to tell 20,000 fans tomorrow night when you-"

"Chill, Kev," Brian interrupted. "It was just a mistake. No harm done."

"I had my mind on other things," Nick explained with a frown. "I won't mess up during the concert."

Kevin glared hotly. "If you're not going to take any of this seriously, then there's no point to continuing on, is there?"

"I didn't see the point in practicing to begin with," AJ declared.

"We agreed that we'd practice for an hour, Kevin," Howie interjected in his smooth voice. "It's been forty-five minutes, and this is the first thing that's had a… glitch."

"A glitch?" Kevin exclaimed, his eyebrows arching high. "I'd hardly call crashing into-"

A shrill noise cut through the room: someone's cell phone.

"That's mine," declared Brian, sprinting over to where it sat on his bag.

"Great, just what we need," the oldest Boy muttered angrily.

"Lighten up, Kev," Brian said before he hit the 'talk' button. "Hello? Oh, hi honey… no, you weren't interrupting, we're just taking a break from practice. What? Yeah, the show isn't until tomorrow… sure, I can talk for a bit." He turned to the rest of the group, grinning from ear to ear, and said unnecessarily, "It's Leigh!"

"Gee, Bri, really?" AJ said sarcastically. Then a wicked grin appeared. He raised his voice and continued, "I thought it was your girlfriend, you know, the one that's been following the tour…"

"Shut up, Aje," Brian said, rolling his eyes. His attention snapped back to the conversation in his ear. "What? Oh, no, he's just kidding… wait, let me get where I can have some privacy…" With that, he moved to the corner of the room and sat in a chair, speaking lowly enough that the others couldn't hear his words.

Nick watched how Brian's face lit up at something his wife said, and smiled. He turned away, feeling like he was intruding, but stopped short when he caught Kevin's statement. Mixed with the anger was a look he identified as resentment, or… jealousy. It shocked the younger man, because he'd never seen it appear on Kevin's face in all the time they'd been together. It seemed so fundamentally wrong, it scared him. He didn't think, he simply stepped closer and spoke.

"Kevin, we need to talk." His tone was direct and matter-of-fact. It surprised him, but not as much as it did Kevin.

"Another half-hearted apology won't make a difference," the dark-haired man said curtly.

"I'm not going to apologize," Nick said, battling to keep his temper in check. "I want to talk, not argue."

"That'd be a first," came the reply.

Nick clamped his jaw shut against his instinctive reply. Knowing that he had to keep his cool, he began again.

"Look, whatever is going on with you, I want to help. Pushing me away won't-"

"Forget it. You wouldn't understand," Kevin said tightly.

"Maybe if you'd talk about it once in a while-"

"It wouldn't matter," he insisted. "This… this is way beyond you, Nick. It'd be a waste of breath." He turned away, ignoring the dumbfounded looks on both Howie and AJ. "Don't believe for a second that you know what I'm going through, because you don't."

Nick felt like he'd been slapped. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't force the words for several heartbeats. Finally he found his voice.

"That's unfair, Kevin," he protested lowly. "You're not even giving me a chance. I thought that's what we're all about, helping one another."

"Before you can help someone you have to be able to at least relate to their problems," Kevin grated. "Unfortunately it doesn't involve video games or practical jokes." He spun on his heel and grabbed his jacket. "I'm outta here." Without another word he crossed the room.

Before he could open the door, Howie spoke.

"Kev, we're supposed to have dinner at seven in the hotel restaurant tonight. We'll wait and go down together, okay?"

Although Kevin hesitated, he didn't reply. Five seconds later the door closed shut, leaving the question hanging in the air.

Brian, who had witnessed the last exchange between his best friend and his cousin, turned back to his conversation and murmured a quick goodbye to his wife, along with a promise to call later. He tossed the cell on his bag and moved towards a slightly pale Nick, who was simply staring at the door.

"Frack," he said hesitantly, "are you okay?"

Nick held his silence for a moment, then spoke quietly. "You should be worried about Train, not me."

"I can't believe Kevin said that to you," Howie interjected in a sympathetic voice. "That was cold."

"I don't know what he's got up his a-" AJ began.

"AJ," Nick said, "let it go. Kevin…" He swallowed hard. "He's right… I did screw up."

"But that's no reason to cop an attitude like that," AJ said. "Bro, he told you it'd be a waste of breath talking to you!"

"I heard." His azure eyes betrayed the pain his voice tried to cover up. "Look, obviously practice is over, and we have almost six hours of free time before dinner. I don't want to waste it standing here."

"Nick's right," Brian agreed. "Let's bail. Anyone interested in lunch?"

"Count me in," Howie said.

A moment later AJ nodded, followed by a shrug from the tall blond. Together, the foursome gathered their things and left the room.

**********

Nick pushed a french fry around his plate with his fork, lost in thought. He wasn't sure that his plan… his stupid plan… was even a consideration any longer. At first he'd thought it was a great idea, but the blowup at the practice room had given him a large dose of doubt. Now, the more he thought about it, the more foolish he felt; he toyed with the idea of calling and canceling the entire thing. And it might be a moot point anyway… he seriously doubted he could ever get Kevin to cooperate, not now.

Unfortunately it doesn't involve video games or practical jokes. The words echoed in his mind, causing a new surge of pain. Is that what Kevin thought? That he wasn't capable of understanding anything but surface, adolescent subjects? That his whole world was nothing but fun and games? Sure, he still enjoyed goofing around, but he wasn’t a kid any longer. Hadn't been for a long time, at least in his own mind. And that's what hurt the most.

A hand on his arm snapped him out of his musings and he looked up, startled to see three sets of eyes staring at him in concern.

"Frack?" Brian asked softly. "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh… sorry," he said. "Didn't mean to tune out there."

"Well?" AJ said when no further explanations came.

He shifted a bit in his chair and put down his fork. Then, he surprised them all with a question.

"Do you guys still think of me as a kid?"

The tone in his voice told them this was a very serious topic, and no jokes or smart comments came forth.

"You're 20, man," AJ finally said, leaning forward and looking at Nick with puzzled eyes. "At 13, you were a kid… but not now."

Brian frowned. "You'll always be our younger brother, but a kid? No."

"Kevin thinks of me that way," Nick declared. "To him, I'm still that immature brat that first joined the group."

"Kev's got a lot on his mind," Howie said. "I think he said what he did because he wanted to push you away."

"There's more to it than that," Nick said, staring down at his hands. "I know I'm a screw-up sometimes-"

"Hey…" Brian interrupted.

"It's true, Frick, and you know it. I goof around a lot, and don't get serious too often… and that's what Kevin sees." He paused. "Maybe he's right."

Howie shook his head at once. "No. Nick, don't think that. No one at this table believes it."

The frank doubt on Nick's face prompted Howie to continue.

"There are some things about you that have never changed: your love of fun, your sense of humor, your uncanny ability to lighten situations up by just being you. I hope those things never go away. But that's not immaturity, that's just who you are. An immature person would have gotten into a shouting match with Kevin, or worse. An immature person would have been sulking or pouting or plotting some kind of payback. But at the practice session, you kept your cool-"

"As hard as that must have been," AJ interjected.

"Right. And you tried to reason with Kevin. You were the sensible one, Nick. You've been quiet since we've come to the restaurant, but I don't perceive it as pouting." Howie offered a slight smile. "As for plotting…"

"I have been plotting, kinda," Nick admitted with a sigh. "I… think I understand what's been going on, but I can't be sure because he never talks about it. I had an idea about what might help Kev, but now I… I don't know. After today…"

Brian looked at his best friend. "If you have an idea what to do, it's more than any of us have come up with."

"It's probably stupid," Nick said, his voice soft and full of doubt.

"You can tell us," coaxed Brian.

"Yeah," AJ added. "We promise to let you know if it's stupid so you don't embarrass yourself."

For the first time that afternoon, Nick allowed himself a small smile. He could always count on AJ to be honest… maybe not tactful, but honest. He shook his head.

"I'd rather keep it to myself," he said, looking down at his hands. "That way, if it doesn't work, the only one disappointed will be me."

"What if it does work?" Howie asked.

"Well, I guess if it works, then Kev might actually have some fun… you know, a good time for once. I figured if that happened, then maybe he'd be able to open up to one of you guys about the problem." He bit his bottom lip. "He needs to talk to someone he can trust, someone who can relate."

An uncomfortable silence swept over the trio.

"Nick," Howie began, "he said that stuff because-"

"Yeah, I know," Nick said, cutting off the sentence. "Bottom line is, if I can even get him to go for the plan, it'll be a miracle. Anything beyond that is asking way too much. I just want you guys to be aware that Kev might need to talk."

Brian sat back, a thoughtful statement on his face. "You have been thinking about this a lot, Frack."

Howie nodded. "Your idea might do a lot of good if he goes along with… whatever it is."

"Yeah… if you can get Train to go along with it," emphasized AJ. "If we knew what you had in mind, we could try to push him in the right direction."

"You can't push him," Nick declared. "That never works. You know how stubborn he can be."

Muttered agreement from around the table.

"Can you at least give us some clue what the plan is?" asked Brian.

"I need to see about arrangements first. This whole shaky thing could fall apart in a second if I can't make a couple of things happen. All I can say is if it goes okay, I need him to be at the hotel at 10 tonight."

"What if Kev wants to go clubbing? Wouldn't that ruin the plans?" Brian asked.

"He won't want to," Howie spoke up. "Kevin's turned us down the last seven times. I doubt he'll suddenly change his mind and want to go with us. You saw his mood… the last thing he'll be thinking about is socializing."

"There's still a good chance this whole thing could go bust," Nick said darkly. "It's more likely that he'll go from the restaurant straight to his room."

Howie wanted to reassure his brother, but knew Nick was right. Instead, he offered a smile of encouragement across the table, hoping it would be enough.

"Speaking of hotel rooms," Brian said a moment later as he stretched, "maybe it's time to check in, finally. We can get suggestions as to what fun things there are to do in this town for a few hours before dinner."

"Sounds great," Howie agreed.

They settled the bill and left the small restaurant quietly, each lost in thought.

**********