Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“Oh, right. I should tell Sassy that you will consider it?”
He nods. “I will not be able to commit until I get details, but it doesn’t sound too complicated. And Amon will be enthusiastic about this prospect, so I really will just hand it over to him.”
“This is the second time you’ve said that. What’s the deal with Amon and dogs?”
Collin smiles for real now. “I’ll show you when you come over to pick my junk. We can have our little bowling meeting.”
“OK.” There is a moment here when I waver in my determination to stop this before it starts. But it’s the only way this can end, so I rip the Band-Aid off, flick him a little wave, get out of the Jeep, and go inside.
Idon’t stay the night at the cabin I rented, I just drive home.
I’m an idiot. Why the hell would I think that Lowyn McBride would just jump in bed with me? She was never that kind of girl, so of course she’s not that kind of woman, either.
We did have sex as teenagers. Once. Just once. The presentation was five stars. We went camping up in the hills above Disciple. There’s a little waterfall up there that empties into a small pool and in the early summer, when the temperature is rising and the air is getting thick with wet heat, the water is still very cool to swim in.
The Revival has lots of tents. Hundreds of them, maybe. They are not the modern pop-up kind, but the old-timey canvas that comes with wooden poles and requires rope, stakes, and patience.
But if there is one thing every kid in Disciple knows how to do it’s put up a fuckin’ old-timey tent. So we took it up there, and we brought lanterns and candles to put inside, and we took our sleeping bags and spent the night up on the hill.
And if Lowyn really did save all my stuff in that room, then the memories of this night are in there too because we took lots of pictures of that date.
It was the first time for both of us, so naturally I was way too excited and she never got past anticipation.
I smile at this. Kids, man. We don’t know shit when we’re kids.
But I did know one thing—she was special and she deserved that beautiful night, even if my performance and skill weren’t quite up to par.
“So. Are ya feeling dejected?”
I look over at Amon, who is sitting in the passenger seat of my Jeep because we are now driving back to Johnson City, Tennessee, so we can meet with former one-time country-music star Sassy Lorraine. I’m not sure if Lorraine is her real name and Sassy is just a descriptor, but it doesn’t matter. She told me to call her Sassy.
I told Amon the whole story when I approached him about her kidnapping job this morning. Then I got a call from Sassy asking if we would come meet her in person. So here we are.
“I’m not feeling dejected. I just should’ve known better. I treated Lowyn like she is just any other woman and she’s not. She’s different. She’s always been different.”
“Ya wanna know where I think you went wrong?”
“Why not. Tell me.”
Amon points at me. “You should’ve offered to go pickin’ with her.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because pickin’ is something she loves. And she was already out on the road. All travelling alone and shit.” He leans back in his seat. “Nope. I would not let my woman go out on the road alone like that.”
“She’s not my woman.”
“When you’re away, she’s not your woman. But when you’re back, Collin, she is your woman. Even if it just means she’s your responsibility.”
I stare at him for as long as I can before I have to turn my attention back to the road. “Who are you and what have you done with my man-whore best friend?”
He chuckles a little. “We’re home now, Collin.” Then he sighs. “It’s all so fuckin’ different than every other place on earth. After what we’ve been through, I feel protective of these hills and these people. It hasn’t even changed, ya know?”
“Yeah. I’ve noticed.”
“It’s all so fuckin’…” He puts his hands out in front of him like he’s trying to capture the proper descriptor between his palms. “So fuckin’… good.”
All that drama for the word ‘good.’ But he’s not wrong. I’m sure we’ve got our share of liars, and cheaters, and thieves around here, but I’m also fairly positive that we’ve got less than most.
“I even called up Jim Bob.”
“What?” I almost slam on the brakes. “Why the hell would you do that?” Jim Bob Baptist has been the mayor of Disciple for more years than I’ve been alive. He runs everything to do with the Revival. We do have a city council, and they vote on shit, but it’s pretty much a dictatorship around here with Jim Bob at the top.