“Missy!” Emily returned the scream, and the two girls ran to each other in that awkward high heel shuffle.

Luke considered Missy to be the leader to the group of women who didn’t belong here. She led around her little group of cohorts like they were reality TV stars. Which really didn’t work in a small town. Her form fitting light pink dress and was absolutely useless when there were cattle to wrangle and deer to hunt.

“Oh, and you brought your brother!” Missy gushed, her voice dripping with that syrupy sweetness and wanton drama. “You look so much better than on those commercials! You simply must come inside and meet everyone.”

Luke had already met everyone. At least indirectly. Missy’s mother, Tina Graf, owned this sprawling property, and he had been called out to fix just about everything. Though Tina, Luke had gotten an earful about Missy. And that was enough for him.

The wide wooden steps didn’t creak as he walked into the house. That was Luke’s doing. Just like the new door latch and deadbolt. Not that many people locked their doors around here. The interior was just as he remembered it, beautiful, polished wood, antique shelves, and Victorian-style lights that Luke had rewired himself.

The main room of the house was what was likely the great hall of the old hunting lodge. People gathered round tables loaded with cheap drinks and snacks on silver trays. To Luke, it looked like someone had tried to organize a Ritz gala on a Wal-Mart budget.

The rest of Missy’s gaggle was there, as well as some of their fanboys. He took one step inside and stopped. Luke had seen enough, done enough. He’d fulfilled Emily’s demand, and now it was definitely time to go.

But as he turned to make his escape, Missy grabbed his arm.

“Hey everyone!” Missy said, her voice rising above the music. She gave Luke’s arm a quick squeeze. “Look, I brought you the Handyman! And get a load of these muscles!”

Luke froze as all the eyes turned to him. This was his nightmares come to life. This was school performances all over again. Finally, his brain kicked in and he gave an awkward smile and wave. He was gathering the willpower to mumble a greeting when someone in the back turned off the boom box.

Then a slightly inebriated bro with a sideways cap started to sing. “Who can fix you drywall, and your squeaky furnace too? Who can clean your gutters, make them shine like new? The Handyman, the Handman can.”

By the second line, the whole room had joined in, chanting the jingle from the commercials that Luke had reluctantly starred in. His face felt like it was on fire, and he would have traded his soul to be able to melt into the floorboards. Then came the laughter.

Luke barely noticed when Emily tugged on his arm, pulling him toward the kitchen. “Hey, let’s get some more snacks,” she said, her voice tense.

Emily pulled on his arm, and he followed her numbly to the kitchen. “Damn her,” Emily muttered, “I told Missy not to make a big deal out of it. Damn it. I’m sorry Luke. I thought it would be different.”

The kitchen was a spacious add on to the older building. Emily sat Luke down into a chair and he just stared dead-eyed out into space. His entire body tense and ridged. Somewhere off in the distance he heard a soft tick-tick ta-tick. And like before, something about it, just sounded off.

Luke started to thaw as his mind homed in on that sound. It was faint, almost lost in the din of the party, but something about it caught his attention. It was like a clock, but the rhythm was off, the tempo just wrong enough to make his skin prickle.

It was nearby. Maybe somewhere on the shelves? Look stood to look. His eyes drifting over the assortments of antiques and glass baubles.

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“Luke? Is that you?” A familiar voice asked from deeper in the kitchen.

“Yes, Mrs. Graf,” Luke replied, turning to see the older woman carrying a bowl of chips to the table. “How have you been? Are the lights still working well?”

“Of course they are my dear,” Tina replied. “But you’re not here for work, are you? Looks like your sister dragged you to Missy’s little party. She really should have known better.”

Tina sent Emily a stern gaze. Emily had the good graces to act innocent.

“That child of mine is really no good. Every day she seems to dream a little bigger and gets more into this obsession of pretending to be someone she’s not. Someday soon reality will come and knock her off her high horse. Her and all her friends. Its best for a good man like you to not get involved.”

“Mrs. Graf,” Emily replied as if Luke wasn’t even standing beside her, “he’s just here to get some real world experience. Our little Luke has never even been on a date. We need to set his bar low, build up his confidence.”

“We do not,” Tina replied haughtily. “My William and I never dated anyone else. And we would still be together if he hadn’t had passed. No, Luke is fine just the way he is. He needs a wholesome woman, not one who will just play with his heart.”

“Um, excuse me?” Luke said.

“Oh, gracious dear,” Tina replied. “Here we were going on as if you weren’t even here. Don’t worry, you’ll meet the right one.”

“Uh, it's not about that,” Luke said awkwardly. “Do you hear a ticking? It sounds like its coming from this shelf?”

“A ticking?” Tina paused for a long moment before her eyes lit up. “Ah, you must mean Victoria’s watch. She was my late sister-in-law.”

Tin reached up and plucked a gilded pocket watch off the shelf and presented it to Luke. “You must have some good ears.”

Emily was giving him that “what is wrong with you” look when Luke took the watch. It was old, that much he could tell. The golden shell decorative etchings worn and patinaed. He flipped it over and there was a crest on the back.

The loud clack of cowboy boots on hardwood floors heralded Tom’s return. He had a thick layer of gravel dust and an odd look across his face. Tom started washing his hands, grabbing plenty of soap. “Em, it looks like you won’t be going anywhere for a while. There's not only a loose bolt, but the entire thing it connected too is a bit dodgy.”

“The engine torque strut.” Luke replied, knowing instantly what Tom was talking about. He also noted that Tom failed to mention he was right. Or even thank him. That was typical. Tom seemed to have an aversion to gratitude. “It should be an easy fix, just need to torque it down a bit.”

Luke flipped the watch over in his hands again, sliding his thumb over the fine etchings across the cover. There was just something about this watch that called to him. Something that disturbed him on a fundamental level. “If it would be okay with you, Mrs. Graf, I’d like to try and fix this watch.”

Tina’s smile deepened, etching familiar lines across her face, the kind carved from a lifetime of spreading warmth. “Oh, Victoria would have loved to see that old thing working again. If you think you can bring it back to life, please, go ahead. And keep track of your hours, so I can pay you properly.”

“No need, ma’am,” Luke replied, already wrapping the watch in a handkerchief, tucking it carefully into his pocket. “I’d be happy just to work on it.”

As his fingers left the watch, a chill crept up Luke’s spine, the air around him thickening. Then, out of nowhere, a scream tore through the party music.