Page 2 of Five Mountain Daddies

I blink at him and realize I haven’t answered yet. “Uh, yeah, I mean, a little bit.” I laugh a littleawkwardly.

“I wasn’t sure I’d come. But Brad’s such a nice guy, and he’s the only dentist around, so… gotta make an appearance.” He walks over to me, head cocked. “I’mJames.”

“London,” Isay.

He nods and doesn’t comment on my name, which I like. “Good to meet you, London. How do you know theseguys?”

I hesitate a second and then grin. “I’m theirdaughter.”

His eyes go wide. “You’re….?Shit.”

I laugh at his sudden embarrassment. “Don’t worry,” I say. “I think this party is boring as hell too. And my Dad really is a niceguy.”

James grins, a little chagrined. “I guess I should be careful who I talk shit to,” hesays.

I shrug a little. “That was about the mildest shit-talking I’ve everheard.”

“Oh yeah? Heard some bad stuff,huh?”

“Sure,” I say. “Been known to dabblemyself.”

“Let’s hear it, then.” He comes over and sits down next to me, not bothering to ask if he can join. “Talk some shit tome.”

I bite my lip, smiling, and shake my head. “I barely knowyou.”

“Even better. Go ahead, talk some shit.” He nods to the fat bald man that made fun of my name. “Start with thatguy.”

“Oh, you mean turtle face?” I ask. “He looks like he only came for the food, and he’ll leave as soon as he’s eaten itall.”

James cracks up at that. “Okay, what about her?” he asks, nodding toward a woman I’ve never seenbefore.

“That’s the town’s only stripper,” I say. The woman in question is wearing a nice, buttoned-up cardigan and has a tight blonde ponytail. “She dresses like a church lady to distract from her pole dancingskills.”

He grins, shaking his head. “And what about that dork?” He nods toward a thin man wearingglasses.

I look at him with a straight face. “That’s my uncle,” Isay.

His expression falls. “Oh shit, Ididn’t—”

I start laughing, not able to hold it together. It takes him half a second to start laughing along withme.

“I gotta be careful with you,” he says. “Damn. You had megoing.”

“It’s too easy. Is everyone in this town sotrusting?”

“Pretty much,” he says. “We’re a simple folk. A bunch of stupidrubes.”

“Can’t deny that,” I say, grinning athim.

He leans back, hands against the bench. “How come I’ve never seen you around before? It’s not like this town is big enough for the both ofus.”

I smile at that. “I’ve been at college,” I say. “And before that, I was, you know, a teenager. In highschool.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You’re younger than Ithought.”

“You’re probably older than I think youare.”

He laughs again. “Probably.”

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