Page 21 of River Ride

After they ate and bought more pie for the road, they sat in the truck and looked at the maps.

“This looks like the most direct route,” said Ray. “I’ll mark it with the highlighter I just bought.”

Bobby chuckled. “Highlight our way to Canada, Ray. Attaboy.”

Main Street Market. Coyote Creek. Montana.

“We only had to work half a day,” said Virge, “and now we get to shop and go home to wait for Annie and the kids. This is turning out to be a great fuckin day.”

“Yeah, it is. We’re getting nowhere on the case, but Dad seems to be more worried about Annie coming than he is about the Carpenters plugging poachers’ hearts full of holes.”

“Dad ain’t that good around women,” said Virge. “Ever notice that?”

“Why do they flock to him then?”

“Biker image,” said Virge. “Big drawing card.”

I shrugged. “Maybe. Don’t know the answer. Let’s get the fuckin shopping done. Hope Penny don’t ask me any hard questions when we check out.”

Virge laughed. “Hope to hell she does. I’ll be waiting for it.”

We each had a cart like Dad said and we bought everything on the list in large quantities. For the next week or so we’d be feeding ten people.

I wanted to line up at a different checkout, but the other girl was on break and Penny was the only cashier working. Virge made me go first and while I loaded all the stuff in my cart ontothe belt, Penny whispered to me, “Why can’t we see each other while your company is staying at your ranch?”

“Umm…maybe we can, but I don’t think so. Dad has a bunch of shit planned for us to do together and I’ll be going to a lot of rodeos, and I can’t skip out on any of it.”

“I’d like to go to a couple of rodeos with you, Harlan. Why can’t you take me?”

“Umm…because there’s ten of us already and I just can’t invite more people.”

Penny rang stuff through wearing a pouty face and she made me feel bad. I leaned in close and said, “How about lunch on a workday? We’ll run across the road to the diner.”

“Okay, that will be fun, but not as much fun as going to a rodeo.”

“Best I can do, Pen. I’ll make it up to you.”

Penny smiled after that, and I could hear Virge chuckling right behind me. I wanted to punch him in the gut but he stayed out of reach.

Butch loaded up his carryout dolly and while he transferred the groceries into the hatch of the squad, he made a lot of jokes about how many people were coming to stay at our ranch.

The hatch was full, and we had to put the stuff from Virgil’s cart in the back seat. “Look at all this shit, Harlan. We have to carry it into the house and put it all away and it’s a hundred fuckin degrees outside.”

“Teach you for buying so much.”

“Shut up.”

“Let’s go back to the station for a minute, grab a Coke from the vending machine, and then we’ll drive to the ranch and put the food away.”

“Okay, if nothing is gonna melt. I don’t want to piss Dad off. He’s stressed enough over Annie coming to the ranch without us destroying five hundred bucks’ worth of fuckin groceries.”

“We’ll be quick,” said Virge. “Lightning fast.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

“Wowzer, look at that, Molly. Two huge horse trailers parking up out front.”

“That must be Annie and the rest of her family, Harlan. Open the front door for her, dear.”

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