by Jodi Thomas
Colby tried to act casual, but in truth he was itching to pull out his pad and write everything down. Only he didn’t have a pad. He felt as naked as he had in Piper’s bed this morning, but he didn’t plan on admitting that to the preacher.
“If I talk to her, she may end up feeling even worse, and you may have to help her out with some counseling. If it’s the same guy I know, he’s bad news. Keeps more than one girl on the line at a time.”
When Sam wandered off to refill his coffee, Colby leaned back against the wall and began to put the pieces together. It seemed Boone did have a woman—and it wasn’t Piper. And if he did, she might know what went down in the hours before the BMW went into the water and the big-city lawyer disappeared. Maybe Boone had given some clue away and she didn’t even realize she was holding it.
It didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Why would a man who seemed to crave attention just disappear? Colby had read enough about him to figure out that he was probably living one life in the light and another in the shadow. He played the part of golden son of one of the oldest families in Texas, yet he drove over a hundred miles to drink and gamble and consort with waitresses.
He was getting a very bad feeling about this.
For once, PJ showed up at his side without him having to go looking for her. It took Colby a few seconds to switch from serious investigator to love-sick cowboy.
“Are you following me?”
He continued watching the crowd and didn’t look at her.
“Yes,” he whispered. “You look great, by the way.” Still, without facing her, he asked, “Where are you going after this?”
She hesitated, and then gave a small shrug. The fact was, Colby could probably ask anyone in the room where she was going, and he’d get the same answer. She went to Widows Park every Sunday. Piper was very predictable and everyone knew it. Which was why her secret hideout at the café had surprised him. The people in town thought they knew all about her. She worked late. She always showed up on time. She took care of all the widows. She loved her town, the city hall her grandfather had built.
PJ poked him as if she was waking him up. “I’ll be at Widows Park until about three; then I plan to walk down to the fair.”
“Good. Stay with the ladies until I get back. I’ve something to check out first; then I’ll go with you to the fair. Hopefully we’ll have good news before dark. Oh, PJ, don’t talk to the press. Not a word unless I’m at your side.”
* * *
After leaving the church gathering, Colby rode straight to Fisherman’s Lodge and found Digger sitting on his porch. As always the place looked deserted. “Morning, Digger. You counting cars going by?”
To his surprise, the old man said, “Sure am. Ten years ago we didn’t have half as many on Sundays. Before long they’ll build one of those interstates and we’ll start having traffic twenty-four/seven.”
“You’re right.” Colby couldn’t imagine being so bored that he’d have to start counting cars. “I got a strange question.”
Digger leaned back in his rocking chair. “I ain’t asking any questions of you, son. But I might answer a few. If I was doing the asking, I might ask why you didn’t come home last night, or why your jeans still have the price tag on them? Probably be an interesting story, but I ain’t asking. Course, I’ll have to charge you for the night even if you were in someone else’s bed.”
“Fine. I’ll pay and thanks for not asking. I was out on the river with a lady. I followed her home and she didn’t kick me out. That is all the details you’re going to get. Now, to my question.”
Digger leaned forward as if Colby was about to test his skills.
Colby decided to be direct. “You wouldn’t happen to know where a woman named Marcie tends bar. I need to ask her a few questions.”
“You ain’t planning to pester her, are you, son?”
“I’m doing this for the mayor. Piper needs her help.”
Digger was silent for a few rocks of the chair, then he said, “She’s over in Someday Valley. Ain’t nothing but a jumble of trailer parks and bars in that spot in the road they call a town. Her folks used to own a place called Bandit’s Bar. First bar you pass heading into town. Don’t know if they passed it to her and her brother. Marcie comes from bar room royalty. They say her granddad ran whiskey during Prohibition.”
Colby stood. “Thanks.” He now had a direction to head.
“Course she ain’t there today. It’s Sunday.”
Colby deflated. He should have guessed that it wasn’t going to be that easy. “Any idea where she lives?”
“Nope, you might want to wander through the trailer park yelling her name. If she ain’t shacking up with some guy, she might stick her head out and answer. Might not. Somebody sleeping might just shoot your head off for yelling. Most of the folks living out there are nightwalkers. Probably vampires. You know, like The Walking Dead.”
“Digger, those were zombies.” Colby couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. “Well, thanks for trying to help me.”
The old man shrugged. “Sorry I don’t know, son, but I do know where she’ll be tonight.”
“I thought you said the bar was closed.”
“It is, but she’s one of the backup singers with the band playing for the dance on the square tonight. She ain’t great, but those long legs dancing onstage make me, with only one good leg, think I should twirl her around the floor a few times.”
Colby grinned. Finally, the answer he needed. “Thanks, Digger.”
“You might want to talk to the sheriff. He’s back, you know.”
Colby raised an eyebrow. “I know, but how did you know? The reception is still going on.”
Digger laughed. “I always listen to the sermon on the local radio channel. It was so short this morning they had to play a half hour of Elvis hymns to round it out. Tell that new preacher I really liked his message. Amen is my favorite part. That and Miss Stella’s singing.” When Digger saw Colby’s frown, he added, “It’s an acquired taste for the ears.”
Colby fought the urge to back away from the old guy. He had a chilling fear that he was starting to understand the people of Honey Creek.
Before long he’d be counting cars.
Chapter 20
Early afternoon
Pecos
Pecos stood on the lawn outside the high school auditorium living his nightmare. Families were all around him, hugging, laughing, taking pictures as if making it through high school was a grand achievement.
One family had even brought a ten-foot banner painted with three-foot letters: “Happy Gradation.” No one seemed to notice the missing u.
The wind blew his huge paper gown around his thin body, adding the finishing touch to his bad dream. His parents hadn’t come. All around, families were celebrating while he stood there like a flagpole. Out of place like always. How had he become that guy that everyone knew and no one was friends with?
He thought about leaving, but that would just draw more attention to himself. Plus, he’d promised Kerrie that he’d walk across the stage. Too bad, because even sitting home with his dad watching golf was better than this.
He heard his name being called. “Pecos!”
He turned around and saw Kerrie running toward him. Her diploma in one hand and her hat in the other. Her long blond hair waving behind her like a superhero’s cape.
Before he could react, she ran into him, almost toppling him as she hugged him. Her hat hit one side of his head and her diploma edged into his shoulder, but he barely noticed. She was hugging him right there in front of everyone.
He kissed the top of her head. “The speech was great. You’re really going places, Kerrie.”
“No, it wasn’t that good.” She laughed. “I forgot to say the last line.”
For once he didn’t think about who would see or if he was doing the right thing. He just kept hugging her because this one hug had to make up for all those he didn’t get.
Maybe she hadn’t
been making fun of him last night when she’d asked him to be her boyfriend. She liked him enough to give him a hug, and that had to be a sign that they were really at least friends.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said, smiling up at him.
Before he could answer, she was pulling on his hand, and then they were running toward his old pickup. She jumped in and slid over close to him. “Let’s do something wild. I want to be free and still a kid for one more day.”
“Name it, babe.”
His smile was so wide he could feel the stretch on his cheeks. He was finished with school and he had a girl beside him whom he could call babe. Life was grand. This felt more like a movie than real life, and all he could do was hope it would never end.
“I know, let’s go to our rock and dive off in the river.”
“We can’t do that. We don’t have our bathing suits.”
“We don’t need them. No one will see us.”
Pecos’s mood plummeted. Even he didn’t like to see his body, so he definitely didn’t want Kerrie seeing it. He was so thin she’d be able to count his ribs. He had one spot of chest hair and legs that looked like hairy pipe cleaners. “I don’t know about that.”
Then it dawned on him that he wouldn’t be the only one taking off his clothes. He’d seen girls in bikinis lots of times, but he’d never seen what was beneath. Not a real girl anyway, only pictures. He’d seen his mom in her underwear once and he’d thought about cramming his toothbrush in his ear and scrubbing the memory out.
But Kerrie nude? That picture would be worth bronzing and letting it roll around in his brain for the rest of his life.
Kerrie put her hand on the back of his neck and whispered, “Come on, Pecos. It’ll be fun. It’ll be something we’ll always remember.”
Five minutes later they were on their rock surrounded by trees so thick no one could see them. Kerrie turned her back and stripped off her clothes, then jumped in. Pecos just watched. He’d seen her back. All of her back.
He’d barely started undressing before she shrieked his name. Panicked, he threw off his clothes and jumped in. The current was strong and he might have to save her. What if she couldn’t swim? What if he couldn’t swim strong enough? He’d dived in Honey Creek, but never the river.
There was no going back. He jumped. When he closed his eyes, all he saw was the back of her running toward the water.
A moment later they were swimming. For the first time in his life he felt totally free. The day was hot and sunny and he was with the smartest, most beautiful girl in school. Life didn’t get any better. If he died right now, he’d take this one memory with him into the next life. It was too precious to leave behind.
She laughed and splashed him. “You’re so tan.”
“I was born tan.” He laughed. “I got the blood of everybody who ever walked across Texas in me.”
She wrapped her arm around his neck and let her body brush his. “I think you’re beautiful, inside and out, Pecos.”
If she’d have stayed any longer against him they might have had sex. He had no idea how long it took, but he knew he was ready if she’d just stay close.
He would have been willing to give anything a try, but she swam away before he could figure out what to say or do?
When she swam underwater, he called out, “Watch out for the catfish that’s as big as a man. I’ve heard lots of fishermen see him, but no one ever catches him.”
She came up spitting water. “That’s just a legend.”
“What if it’s not?”
“Then he’ll eat you first and I’ll live to tell the story.” They both laughed.
When they were both exhausted, they climbed out of the water and dried each other with a blanket from the back of the truck. Pecos tried to act like this wasn’t the first time he’d seen a naked girl, but he couldn’t seem to form words. Her breasts seemed bigger now that they were free and Kerrie wasn’t thin. She even had a bit of a tummy he hadn’t noticed with her clothes on. It seemed she was rounded in all the right places.
When she put on her underwear, a lacey bra and panties to match, he still couldn’t take his eyes off her. He’d seen his mother’s underwear on the line and those had been nothing like this.
He put on his shorts and they lay in the sun like lazy turtles. This was the best few hours he’d probably have for the rest of his life. If she’d thought he was too thin, she didn’t comment.
Kerrie closed her eyes as she held his hand. He thought she might be asleep until she suddenly sat up.
Pulling her knees to her chin, she started to cry so softly he barely heard her.
He had no idea why she was crying—this girl who had the perfect life. He should have asked what or why, but he held back. Guys like him didn’t get to just walk into her world. She’d given him a memory; he was grateful for that.
She was someone he’d watched ever since they started school all those years ago. He’d loved the bows in her hair, a new one every day. Now and then she’d smile at him like she knew he was staring at her. When she was older, Pecos remembered watching her do her cheerleader thing more than he watched the games.
Now he remembered how she’d cried that night he’d picked her up from the end of the school dance. Maybe it was just a habit of hers and he’d never noticed it before.
Finally, she stood and began to dress. They both knew the wild time was finished.
Maybe if he’d thought they had a chance of making this real, he might have been mad or hurt, but all he felt was hollow. The movie was over, it was time to leave the theater and step back into the real world. He’d go home and thank his parents for the new work gloves and the fifty dollars in a card. School was over and except for these few hours his new life didn’t seem in any hurry to begin.
“You should get dressed,” she whispered so low he barely heard. “I’m sorry I cried.”
“You all right now?”
“Yeah.” She stood. “You ever get the idea that things are changing and nothing is ever going to be the same.”
“I’m hoping that’s the way it will be.”
When Pecos dropped Kerrie at her car, she asked him to come to an early dinner at her house. “When it cools off, we can walk down to the square. My grandfather is selling his honey at the fair, and I try to always help him for a few hours.”
“I’ll go home and clean up.” He could think of nothing he’d rather do than spend more time with her. He realized he had always loved her. She never laughed when he wore his tie and she always smiled at him.
When she got out of his truck, she kissed him on the cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Pecos waited until he was out of sight to touch the spot. By his count, she’d kissed him three times.
When he walked into his parents’ house ten minutes later, neither of them greeted him. They didn’t ask about the graduation or where he’d been. Mom was on the phone to her sister, and Dad was stacking up empty beer cans by his chair. Typical Sunday.
Pecos showered and packed. What he took didn’t fill the suitcase. He wasn’t sure where he’d sleep tonight, but it wouldn’t be here. He left the new work gloves his dad handed him yesterday on his bed. When Pecos had first seen the gloves, he’d asked, “This for graduation?” and his dad had said, “Yeah, kid, come Monday your life is going to be work. No more goofing off or going to school. Things will be changing.”
For once his old man was right. Pecos was about to change. He figured he had no way to go but up.
When he walked out of the house, no one even looked in his direction. He didn’t look back. This wasn’t somewhere he wanted to be. Not ever again.
Chapter 21
Sunday afternoon
Sam
Sam stayed in the parlor a long time after everyone left the church. He helped with the cleanup and visited with the sweet ladies called the kitchen crew.
Even the people who didn’t like the sheriff seemed happy for him. LeRoy had told everyone who’d li
sten that he’d been attracted to Miss Flo every time he saw her. She retired and moved to Clifton Bend to take care of her mother, but she’d substituted off and on in several schools over the valley.
LeRoy bragged that she wouldn’t go out with him until he cleaned up his act, and that had taken him more years than it should have. He claimed he kept driving the thirty miles to her place to ask for editing help with his legal papers. She’d always serve him coffee and pie. He said she must have finally figured out that he was too dumb to live alone and so she agreed to marry him.
In Sam’s eyes, Flo simply looked like a little old lady, but everyone could see that from the sheriff’s view she was perfect. He admitted that his deputies had to know where to find him if an emergency came along, so they knew about Flo. Only they didn’t consider a car floating down the river that important; after all, there was no body and the flights LeRoy booked weren’t refundable.
The sheriff admitted he planned to retire soon, and he and Miss Flo were going to see the world. They might go as far as California.
As Sam walked through the church, he decided the whole service this morning was grand. Most folks mentioned that the sheriff was a hard man to get along with, but he was Play-Doh in the little grade school teacher’s hands.
When Sam entered the side door of the church, he heard people talking. Stella and Paul were both sitting on the organ bench in the loft. While he watched unseen by them, they rose and headed down the stairs discussing where to eat lunch.
Sam stepped back out of sight.
When they closed the front door and disappeared, Sam walked down the middle aisle. Now he had a whole week to work up a sermon. Maybe he’d do a better job. Then he remembered, he’d already decided to go back to his life fighting fires. Maybe he’d teach the young pups coming up through the ranks.
For his next and last sermon, then, maybe he’d just stick with what worked. “Amen” had gone over very well today.