Cades Cove 01 - Cades Cove: A Novel of Terror by Aiden James Read Free Book Online

he stepped into the kitchen. “The girls won’t be able to keep their hands off you, and your buddies will wish they had it so good, huh?”
    Tyler smiled shyly, blushing from their assessment of his new biker coat. He pulled out a package of chocolate Pop Tarts from the pantry and poured himself a glass of milk from the fridge.
    “ Well, we’ll see you tonight,” she said, prodding Jillian back outside. “‘Love you both!”
    Tyler and his dad echoed her sentiment, and soon the sound of the minivan faded into the distance.
    “ We should be on our way, too, ‘Studly’.” David patted his son on the shoulder. Tyler blushed again. “I’ll take Sadie outside to do her business, which should give you enough time to finish your breakfast. You sure that’s enough to tie you over until lunch?”
    “ Yeah, Dad, it is,” said Tyler, working on his second Pop Tart. “I’ll meet you out front by the car.”
    Sadie ran into the kitchen from the living room when David called her. The dog jumped up into his arms and he carried her outside.
    Once she was finished he brought her back inside. She collected her treat and immediately climbed up on her favorite spot on the sofa, curling up and facing the TV. She cocked her head as if to remind him that he needed to set the station to the Cartoon Network, which he did.
    After that he gathered his briefcase and coat. Before he left the house, he glanced around the living room and peered into the dining room. The dog seemed happy. No unseen voyeur this morning…. Last night seemed more and more unreal in the light of day, which made him think it had everything to do with lack of sleep coupled with an overactive imagination. David set the security system and stepped outside, locking the front door behind him.
    “ Are you ready to rock n’ roll, son?” he asked, once he reached the black BMW Z4. Whoever took Tyler to school got to drive it for the day. “Today, with that jacket this ride definitely matches your look.”
    “ Maybe…but please don’t call me ‘Studly’ in front of my friends,” he pleaded, as they both climbed into the sports car.
    “ No problem…Johnny Bravo,” teased David. Tyler shot him an irritated look. “Okay, I’ll quit.”
    For the next several minutes the two rode in silence while Tyler scanned the sports car’s stereo until he found his favorite station, an alternative rock venue that brought a smile to David’s face. While most men his age preferred oldies 90’s music, the rocker in him still liked the latest sounds.
    “ So, you and Mom had a great time, I take it,” said Tyler.
    “ Yeah, we did,” said David. “The next time we visit Tennessee I’d like to take you kids with us.”
    “ What’s so special about Tennessee, other than the fact you were born there?” he asked, snickering. “Without the Titans, Grizzlies, and the Predators, what else is there? It’s not like there’s a Universal Studios, and there isn’t a beach either.”
    “ True,” agreed David, seeing more and more of his own cynicism in his son. “I admit there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot to do in Chattanooga when I was a kid, and things haven’t changed too much since then. But, Gatlinburg—now that’s a place with plenty to do, son.”
    “ Hmmm...the pictures on the web that Auntie Jan showed us were nice, but mostly of mountains that would only count as foothills here in Colorado.”
    Despite Tyler’s smile smug, David could tell he was intrigued enough to not completely pan the idea of a family vacation trip to the Great Smokies.
    “ There are ghosts, too,” said David, immediately wondering where in the hell that thought came from, and even more why he voiced such an absurd notion. It didn’t take long to regret it.
    “ Really?” Tyler perked up. The fact they just arrived at Goddard Middle School was the only thing that saved David from a deeper explanation. “Tell me about the ghosts in Tenn-essee, Dad.”
    “ It’ll have to wait