Page 13 of Small Town Hunter

Which has a membership fee, apparently.

At Burger Palace I order a hamburger, fried chicken and waffles, greens, butter beans, sweet tea and cornbread and a bacon biscuit with lemon gravy on the side. While I wait for the food, I text Jessica. I haven’t heard from her since I left.

I couldn’t care less if my darling wife was hanging by her thumbs off an overpass, but Ruby is another story.

Updates?

I need more money.

How is Ruby?

Had to pay the plumber and now we are starving to death. Where’s the money?

I paid him before I left.I also left her a thousand dollars, and it’s only been one night, but I don’t need to tell her that. She knows.

I mean the electrician. I had to pay the electrician for the water heater,she corrects.

Take Ruby to my sister’s if ur gona do this.

Fuck you.

I call Jessica, no answer.

I knew I shouldn’t have left Ruby alone with her, but since the court stuff didn’t go in my favor it’s been hell getting Jess to let her go. She doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the kid, she just likes playing games and seeing how bad she can wind me up until I snap.

When I got back from the Service I imagined I’d find a good woman around town to make my wife. Someone to laugh with and break bread with, a warm and happy woman who wouldn’t mind my strangeness. Somehow I ended up with a devil who hates her own young. I’d do it all over again if I could, but then Ruby would have nobody to care for her at all, and I could never allow that.

I stay away from women now. Just because Jess and I don’t live as man and wife, that doesn’t mean I can’t get fooled again. I’m not saying all women are like Jess, but most times you can’t trust a damned word out of their mouths.

“Mister? Your food’s up.”

I go to collect the bag.

“You are finer than a frog’s hair, mister.”

“Uh— thank you.”

“Bless you,” she says. “You should make a living off that face I tell you what.” She dumps about six packets of ketchup in my bag. “Do you like older women?”

“I’m married.”

“Happily?”

“We have a daughter.”

She sighs. “It was worth a try.”

“Thank you, Ma’am. Have a nice day.”

I hear her talking:

“Thatass,Irene!”

“Mm.Child.”

Good grief.

I head back to the Challenger, eating right out the bag like an animal. I’m starved.

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