“Stand at your doorway and I’ll ask the pilot to overfly the town,” he said to the woman.
The moment they climbed into Grandpa’s truck, the kid pulled his cell phone out of his jeans pocket and started texting like crazy. Bronx got the idea half the town would be standing in the street by the time Trenton arrived. If Andorra was flying it he hoped like hell she’d be able to put on a good show for the people. Or perhaps he’d better suggest to Trenton he do the flying? Yeah, that might be smarter. It was pretty much a free advertisement for Hot Springs Transportation, after all.
As Mike had promised, it only took a few minutes to reach their new property. Once they arrived Bronx said, “Nevis, can you talk to Jen’s Cleaning, please?”
“Sure. Do you want the warehouse swept and the windows there washed as well?”
“Actually that’s a good idea. Thanks.”
“York, can you please find out about security fences. There might be a company here in town we can use. I need to talk to Trenton.”
He waited until York nodded, then moved aside from the group of them all standing in the parking lot at the warehouse, and called Trenton again.
“Don’t be impatient. We’re only five minutes away.”
“That’s fine. I just wanted to tell you that about half the town wants to see the helicopter. Can you overfly the town please, maybe put on a bit of a display? It’s all good advertising for the company.”
“What? Now you think I’m a one-man stunt pilot show?”
“Thanks, Trenton. I appreciate it.”
“Sure you do.”
When he walked back to the group, Nevis said, “Jen’s coming herself with her best team the day after tomorrow.”
“And the fence people will drop by tomorrow afternoon to quote for the work,” added York.
Bronx grinned at them both. Everything was coming together really well. His new life was about to begin. Originally he’d thought to do most of the simple physical labor himself, but it made much more sense to use the local businesspeople. It gave him a chance to talk to them, to get to know them, and to make friends. Also, it meant far more people would be aware the new transportation company had set up a branch in town, because of word of mouth from all those companies he’d contacted. Every member of Jen’s cleaning crew would tell their friends they’d worked on the trailer, he was sure of that.
“Can you both get packed this evening so we can move in tomorrow morning?” he asked York and Nevis.
“I’ve only got a couple of suitcases at the hot springs. All my things are in storage because I ended the lease on my apartment when I stopped work,” said Nevis.
“I’ll go get your belongings as soon as I pick up the truck from the Flinders Branch. It’ll be our first job. Then I’ll collect all my own things,” he promised.
“You can help me carry all my stuff up the stairs to the helicopter,” said York.
“Oh gods, those stairs!” groaned Bronx.
Everyone laughed but he ignored them. He was too busy calling the elevator company.
* * * *
York guessed Bronx had asked Trenton to do some fancy flying to entertain the people of Pine Corner, so he was looking up at the sky when the helicopter first came into sight. It wouldn’t have mattered if he hadn’t been watching because the boy from the motel gave a great shout and pointed to it anyway. Trenton flew high over the town, then dropped lower circling around, and finally came down along the main street so low he had to lift up again to pass by the church. He circled back once again and hovered really close to the ground outside the elementary school, before rising again and landing at the warehouse.
Of course York couldn’t see him all the time, but he knew every move Trenton made as the boy was talking to his friends on speaker phone on his cell, and even the old man had a cell phone and was talking to “Mom” back at the hotel, who was giving him all the details.
Nevis whispered in his ear, “I don’t think there’ll be anyone within a hundred miles of Pine Corner who doesn’t know we’re establishing a branch here now.”
“Yes. You can’t buy publicity like this. Everyone will be talking about us. We need to get our truck really fast and start work now.”
“It’s a girl! The pilot’s a girl!” shrieked the teenager into his cell phone, racing toward the helicopter and taking photos of Andorra in the pilot’s seat.
Bronx grabbed the boy’s arm and held on tightly. “Don’t get too close to the propellers.”
The kid nodded but never stopped videoing the pilots stepping out of the helicopter and the machine itself.