Page 81 of Possibly Texas

“All-around handyman, my man,” he said.

Considering Levi Lee, his young face, his golden curls, and naïve ways, I had to wonder how much experience he could have as a handyman. He didn’t look much older than me—maybe early twenties?

“Around here?” I asked.

He shrugged and smiled. “Lots of places.”

“You’re not from Possibly?”

“Is anyone from Possibly?” Levi Lee leaned in and winked at me.

“Uh…”

He looked as though he was about to say something else, maybe explain his cryptic smiles and statement, but the words never left his mouth. An exuberant shout from behind me interrupted us.

“Jordan!” Auggie’s voice assaulted my ears.

Levi Lee was already working on another “magic trick” before I had turned all the way around to greet my approaching friend. Auggie jogged up to us, his white diamond practically glittering in the sunlight, swinging a metal bottle from each hand. He wasn’t even out of breath when he skidded to a stop in front of me outside of Starbuck’s. Of course, nowhere in Possibly was far to run, so that probably explained everything.

“Hey,” I said.

Auggie held one of the metal bottles out to me. “Water. I filled them up at Samuel’s.”

“Oh.”

“I was going to get a cone for each of us, but he was super busy. He let me fill up the bottles, though.”

“Uh…”

“We’re going to be walking in the sun,” Auggie said. “Water is good.”

I chuckled. “Oh. Okay.”

“I’ve been out and about on the town,” he continued excitedly. “Getting water, checking the post office for a new letter to Shirlene, and—”

“Was there a new letter?” I asked with equal enthusiasm.

“No,” Auggie frowned, “but I’m sure it won’t be long. Whoever is sending them is too in looooooooove to stop.”

Auggie’s assessment of the situation made me laugh.

“Auggie!” Levi Lee exclaimed. “Check it out, man. Inept magician!”

I turned to look at Levi Lee as Auggie assessed him. He was standing there in his top and tails, displaying his arms widely and proudly with a smile.

“Sweet!” Auggie crowed from behind me. “You’re going to make a mess of magic tricks?”

Levi Lee beamed.

“Exactly!”

“That’ll be awesome,” Auggie said. “We’re going to go ghost hunting—well, the first step—but I’ll come by and see your act soon.”

Levi Lee smiled and nodded, as if everything Auggie had just said wasn’t totally batshit crazy, as if it was the most normal thing he’d heard all day.

“Great! That’ll give me time to practice.”

Auggie and Levi Lee exchanged a quick, but enthusiastic, fist bump, and then Auggie was racing away, leaving me to chase after him. Him racing away from Starbuck’s confused me since the two of us were supposed to meet there to start our backwards walk around downtown. As he raced between the pirate ship and The Pueblo towards Liberty Lane, I had to wonder if he had changed his mind. When he continued across the tram tracks and then across Liberty Lane, waving at Jasper, Earl Dean, and Officer Hanning on the way, I mimicked his actions and continued my chase. When we ran alongside AMOR and popped out across the street from Bend of the Road Graveyard, things started to fall into place.