Page 28 of Slide
Chapter Seven
Friday Afternoon
“You need anything else, Travis?”
Travis surveyed the small farm stand, then glanced back to the older woman behind the cash register. He didn’t patronize the place much, even though it was on the corner opposite his garage. Since the raspberry jam episode at Bella’s, though, he couldn’t seem to get his mind off wanting more. In different flavors. “Yeah.” He grabbed a bottle of locally harvested honey. “This too.”
Local wildflower honey on a local wild girl.
“Oh that’s a wonderful choice. You should try some drizzled over pepper-crusted goat cheese.”
Goat cheese? That didn’t sound appetizing at all. “Thanks, Mrs. Norman. I’ll have to remember that.” Not. He didn’t even know where to get goat cheese.
Travis was at the edge of the property when he heard his name. He turned to find Mr. Norman headed his way.
“How’s my Jeep?” the older man asked, holding his hand out. Travis met it with his own and they shook. He’d known the Normans since he was a kid, grew up with their son.
Travis’ family had bought all their vegetables from the Normans same as every other family in the county.
“I’ll have her finished by the end of the day. You should be able to come by in the morning. She’ll run like a dream.”
“I’ll do that. Wife wants to get on the road early Sunday morning.”
Travis nodded. “Where’s your first stop?”
“Graceland.”
“Not too far.”
“Nope.” Mr. Norman rocked back on his heels. “Wife’s never been. Lived in Tennessee all her life and never been. Always liked Elvis though.”
“I’ve never been either. Heard it’s pretty touristy.”
“Yeah. Not looking forward to it myself. We’ll head South after. New Orleans, San Antonio.”
“That’ll be nice.” Hotter than fuck, too, but Travis kept that to himself. “You headed out West?”
“All the way to the coast. That’s why I needed you to make sure the ol’ girl is in tiptop shape.”
“She will be, sir. I’m going back to finish up right now.”
“Good, good. Haven’t seen you over here in a while.”
Travis held up the two items he’d bought. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I uh, needed jam for sandwiches. Grew up on this raspberry jam.”
“Wife makes it.”
“The best I’ve ever had. My favorite.”
“Say, I saw Arabella’s car over at your garage.”
So, there it was. A confrontation about Bella from someone other than Miles. Travis braced himself. Mr. Norman’s statement hadn’t held any hint of threat or warning, but Travis kept his guard up all the same. “Yeah,” he answered. “She’s had some transmission issues.”
“Nasty business,” Mr. Norman commented.
“It is, but hasn’t taken away from my work on yours,” Travis rushed to reassure the man.
“Oh I’m not worried about that. You’re good at your job, Travis. Wife likes her, you know. Bella,” he added as though Travis needed clarification. “That mess her brother created was nasty business.”
