Page 31 of More Than Anything

The three men headed out the door, Byron turned on the industrial vacuum, and Greg looked up at Avery. “Can I talk to you for just a minute?” he whispered loudly over the sound of the vac.

“Sure.” Avery helped him gather up two armloads of scrap and they carried them out the back door.

When they’d thrown them in the dumpster, Greg smiled at Avery. “Listen, I don’t go on very many dates. But I asked Danette out. So should I make a reservation somewhere in Texarkana? Buy flowers or something? I really don’t know how to do this. I grew up here. Our idea of dating was taking our girlfriend out and getting busy in the bed of our pickup truck, know what I mean?”

Avery smiled. “Yeah. I know exactly what you mean. And yeah, make a reservation and buy her some flowers. I think she’d like that.”

“Okay. Because, I mean, she’s good in the sack and all, don’t get me wrong. But she’s a nice person too, and I think I really want to get to know her, you know?” Greg said, his expression sheepish but his eyes bright.

“I know what you mean. And she’s an interesting person, Greg, she really is. I think if you’ll get to know her, you’ll find that out. Smart, too?very smart.”

Greg nodded. “Thanks for the advice. I hear you’re quite the ladies’ man,” Greg threw out.

Avery cut his eyes toward Greg. “Who told you that?”

“Oh, LydiaKinsey’s told everybody in town that. Says she’s heard you’re some kind of animal.”

“Is that right?” Now Avery was just getting royally pissed. In all the time he’d been in town, he’d only fucked one woman and kissed two, and one of those wasn’t because he wanted to. And no, that hadn’t been Danette. She had a lot of nerve to tell that kind of shit on him, and he wanted it to stop. “I appreciate you telling me that,” Avery said.

“No problem. You’re a nice guy. She don’t have no right to talk about you like that,” Greg said. “Well, guess I’d better get busy before the boss busts my chops.”

“Yup. Thanks, and I hope you guys have fun tomorrow night.”

Greg smiled as he headed back into the house. “Thanks!”

Avery stood there for a couple of minutes, thinking. So he was the local manwhore, huh? Well, maybe he and LydiaKinsey should have a little talk.

* * *

The bar wasbusy just like every other Friday night Avery had been in there. Danette was gone on her date, so he knew she wouldn’t be showing up. He decided maybe he’d go hang out, maybe play some pool with Roger and some of the other guys.

He’d been there for less than thirty minutes when he looked up and saw trouble come stalking in. All he could hope was that she didn’t spot him. Watching her from the corner, he saw her go up and talk to the bartender, then stand and wait while the man disappeared into the back. To his dismay, she turned and surveyed the crowd, and when her eyes landed on him, she glared, her face puckering up. A man followed the bartender out from the back and interrupted her stare fest, and Avery wondered what the papers were that she was showing the man. He didn’t know how the place could possibly be tied to him in any way, but Lydia was having paperwork filled out, so maybe she’d found another way to torment him. Maybe trying to find a way to keep him from coming there? He wouldn’t put anything past her. Roger came back to sit down from a trip to the restroom, and in a few minutes Frankie joined them. They were still sitting there, shooting the breeze, when Avery looked up and saw her coming his way. “Oh, shit.” he mumbled.

“That the woman who’s been giving you trouble?” Roger asked. Avery nodded.

“Holy shit. That’s LydiaKinsey,” Frankie whispered. “She’s the hottest piece of ass in town.”

“Don’t talk about a lady like that,” Roger admonished. The words had just fallen away when Lydia strode up.

“MissKinsey,” Avery said, maintaining a neutral facial expression and giving her barely a nod.

“Mr.Holcomb. Boys,” she said, glancing at Roger and Frankie, “you might want to leave now. This will only get worse in a couple of minutes.”

“Hell, it’s Friday night,” Roger quipped. “We need to liven this place up a little!”

“Yeah!” Frankie laughed. “Let ’er rip, tater chip!”

“Do you want something, MissKinsey?” Avery asked her, his face still blank.

“Yes. I want my farm back. And I won’t take no for an answer,” she announced.

“Then you’re going to leave here very disappointed, and there’s nothing I can do about that,” Avery said, his voice calm and measured.

“When will you finally get it? I’m never going to give up?never. That farm belongs to me, and I want it back.”

Avery sighed. “When willyoufinally get it? I’m never giving that farm up. It’s my home now. I’ve worked hard on it, and I don’t have any intention of walking away from it. Not compromising on that, not now, not ever. So if you really want to pursue this, know that it’ll do you zero good, spend a lot of your money needlessly, and just frustrate the hell out of both of us for all eternity. That’s my land, and those are my cattle. This is now my place to belong. And you, my dear, can do nothing about it.”

“Oh, yeah?” she spat, staring at him. “You can bet I’ll think of something. But you’re as good as gone.”

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