Page 41 of Weatherman

“Oh.”

My genius cousin,Clem thought with a mental eye roll. “I don’t give a shit if some jackass wants to snort powdered shit up his nose so he can fuck his wife on Saturday night. We’re makin’ money, and that’s all that matters. But we ain’t gonna make any more money if you keep fuckin’ around with the Dragon Runners.”

Walt gave his cousin an acidic look and fingered his split lip again. “Who the fuck put you in charge?”

“You got the connections up north?”

“No.”

“Then shut the fuck up. Page said he’d text as soon as he gets a cougar trapped. I don’t want nothin’ goin’ wrong with this shit, so keep your damn mouth closed until we get our money. You understand me, motherfucker? Keep away from the fucking Dragon Runners.”

CHAPTER 19

Halloween was a surprise.It seemed that the entire town closed up and headed over to the campground owned by the Dragon Runners MC for a big all-day barbecue festival. They had vendors, crafters, games, piles of food, kids in costumes, candy, and rides on the road nicknamed the Tail.

Short for the Tail of the Dragon, anyone who hung around bikers learned about this legendary piece of asphalt, and how they dreamed of its eleven-mile stretch. It also had the reputation of eating unskilled or arrogant riders, and many had lost their lives to its appetite.

Today was also my first official date with Pastor Robert—at least, I thought so. He’d called me yesterday to confirm us going to the festival together. Truthfully, I’d forgotten about his invitation, but I didn’t like the idea of ditching him. He’d been nothing but kind and polite to me, so in the end, I decided to go out with him. I told him I would meet him here instead of transferring the car seat and stroller. He was okay with that, and we set a time.

He was in fitted jeans and a patterned dress shirt. His neat hair, glasses, and general appearance made me think of a youngbusiness professional or banker or something like that, not necessarily a preacher. He looked really nice.

Pearl had a blast and was full of happy giggles for everyone. She stared mesmerized at the spinning lights and stuffed herself with treats. She walked a little but preferred to be pushed around. The stroller had a back that laid down flat, so when she was sleepy, I could put her down for a nap.

The rides held no interest for me, but I tried some of the games. Ring toss, water guns, Plinko disk drop, even a booth with ax throwing. I didn’t win anything, but the vendors handed out old slap bracelets and ugly keychains as consolation prizes.

Robert won a stuffed lion and presented it to me with a gleaming smile. He wasn’t pushy and didn’t try to hold my hand or anything like that, but he did stay attentive to me and Pearl. Occasionally, he would push the stroller as we wandered through the crowds and talked to each other.

“It must be tough being a widowed mother at your age.”

I hesitated but didn’t have the need to correct him. “I manage.”

“You’re very admirable and brave. Many women wouldn’t have picked up and moved so far away from home. What does your family think about it?”

“I didn’t have a lot of family. Just one or two very close friends.”

“Your mother?”

Again I hesitated. How was I supposed to tell him that she gave birth to me but wasn’t really a mother “She’s… gone.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You’ve had a very tough life. It’s amazing that you’ve come this far and been so successful. Many women would have crumpled under that much weight.”

I saw what made him a good pastor. His attitude for listening and paying attention was phenomenal. He didn’t spout fire and brimstone, doom and gloom, or anything I’d always associatedwith church people like the ones I’d seen in movies. I couldn’t really see myself with a preacher or someone like that, but he exuded such kindness, it did have me wondering what it would be like. It also had me feeling guilty, as I’d kissed Weatherman, and his touch still occupied my thoughts.

It bothered me that he hadn’t called or texted, but most men I’d dealt with in the past seldom kept their word. When he said we’d talk later or not, I guess he meant the “not” part more.

My past struggles left scars, deep ones, and so far, I hadn’t been around anyone who I thought could understand them and where they left me. Some of the ladies at the salon regularly spouted off Bible verses and talked about forgiveness and love for all. Was that a real thing or just words?

The campground bathroom facilities weren’t enough to accommodate the need of the crowd, so a row of porta-johns had been set up on the far end near the tree line. Pearl was napping, and I was about to burst. Robert also confessed his need with a grin, and we decided to take turns. The porta-johns were not my first choice, but the long lines at the regular restroom building had me turning the stroller in that direction anyway.

I went first and braved the plastic booth. It had me thinking about toilet training for Pearl. I was glad she was still in diapers for now, as bringing a potty-training toddler in here would not be one of my top ten wanted experiences. I washed my hands as much as I could, thankful that I’d learned the joys of keeping pocket-sized hand sanitizer with me at all times. I emerged to see Robert holding the stroller and staring between the booths with a curled lip of disgust.

One glimpse told me all I needed to know.

Through the sliver of space, I saw Kimmie on her knees sucking off one man while another smoked a blunt, watching and waiting for his turn. The faint sweet and earthy smell of pot wafted to my nostrils, and I tensed. Both men had on dirty shirtsthat declared them to be carnies in charge of the traveling rides. Kimmie finished the first man and took the twenty-dollar bill he handed to her before starting on the other.

“We should go. I think you said you wanted to look at the soap tent, right?”

Robert’s voice had a forced sound to it, as if he smelled a pile of shit and had to pretend it was roses. It bothered me, both the sight of Kimmie on her knees and the contempt I was sure Robert had for her. The same contempt he might have for any woman on her knees for money.

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