Trish crossed her arms. “Let me take the Suburban, and I’ll drive him home.”
Susanne and Patrick exchanged a look. Can we trust her? Susanne shrugged.
Patrick said, “I guess we could ask Jeff and Ronnie for a lift.”
Susanne added, “And there’s leftover fried chicken in the refrigerator.”
She didn’t mention the refrigerator lightly. She had given George another chance. How could she not after he’d saved the kids? He’d shown up early Monday morning and finished the job. Then he’d refused to accept payment for the work, but Patrick had slipped five twenties into the glove compartment of his truck. They’d owe that young man and Henry for the rest of their lives.
And Ben. They owed Ben. But we don’t owe him our daughter.
“Thanks,” Perry said.
Trish held out her hand.
“Straight home.” Patrick tried to keep his voice light as he dropped the keys in her palm.
She closed her fingers in a fist, then nodded and wheeled away from him, Perry in her wake. The space they left felt hollow inside Patrick’s chest.
Patrick and Susanne exited the courthouse onto the Main Street sidewalk. The mid-day sunlight shone brilliant and rich, like autumn instead of summer. He reached for Susanne’s hand and held it across his chest to his heart. Patricia wasn’t completely wrong with her wild west comment. Wyoming shouldn’t bear the blame, but it was undisputed that they hadn’t faced mayhem like this in Texas. This last year—in some ways it had been the best of times. Their beautiful surroundings, new friends, and dream house. In others, it had been the worst. But everyone’s bad luck had to run out sometime. He felt sure theirs had run its course.
They strolled toward the restaurant hand in hand. It was a short walk. Through the front window, he saw Ronnie lift little Will’s hand and wave it at them.
“Oh, thank God. We found you.” Vangie’s Tennessee drawl was unmistakable.
Patrick and Susanne turned toward their friend. Her face was drawn. She was clutching baby Hank to her with a death grip. He wriggled and looked disgruntled. Henry was a hundred feet away, back toward the courthouse, jogging to catch up.
“Vangie? Are you okay?” Susanne asked.
Patrick girded himself. Vangie was definitely not all right.
Henry arrived, slightly out of breath. “Vangie. Honey.”
“I think you’re making a mistake,” Vangie said.
“About what?” Susanne asked.
But Patrick knew. He stiffened.
Vangie twisted back and forth, rocking Hank. “Ben. He’s a good boy. He just needs people to give him a chance.”
“I . . .” Susanne looked at Patrick, her eyes panicked. She had always hated confrontation.
Patrick stepped in. “He’s a nice kid. He was great up on the mountain.” He knew he sounded wishy-washy. He felt wishy-washy.
“Then why are you forbidding Trish from having anything to do with him?” Tears leaked from Vangie’s eyes. She didn’t bother to wipe them away.
“Their history . . . and she’s so young . . . he’s two years older.” He felt strangled, like he had a golf ball jammed in his throat.
Vangie sputtered, her eyes angry and her lips unable to find words.
Henry said, “Now that we have Hank and Ben, we understand why parents have to be protective. But we’ve also learned that parents want the best for their kids. Ben has become like a son to us. He’s proven himself to us. And he’s talked to us. Told us things. What that boy has been through . . .” Tears came to his eyes, matching his wife’s. Henry Sibley—tough cowboy, flinty rancher, the epitome of Wyoming manhood—crying. “And, well, he’s broken up right now. This is a big setback for him. So, we wanted to look you in the eyes and tell you that we’re vouching for him.”
Patrick held up a hand. “This is nothing against you guys. This is about Trish making good choices.”
“She’s a smart girl.”
“Thank you.”
Vangie said, “She made some good choices with respect to Brandon Lewis, from what Susanne told me. Not letting him pressure her into a mistake. Staying away from him when he came back around after their break-up. We trust Hank in her care.”
“About that.” Susanne’s voice shook. “With Ben out at the ranch, we don’t think it’s—”
Patrick took her hand again. “Give us a minute. This is a lot to think about, and we should talk as parents for a moment.”
Susanne glared at him. Vangie shrugged. Henry nodded. Hank started squalling.
Patrick led his wife a few steps away toward Clear Creek. He gazed into her flashing eyes. He didn’t blame her for being angry. He’d interrupted her. But something important had occurred to him. “If your parents had forbid you to see me when you were sixteen, what would you have done?”
Susanne crossed her arms. It reminded him of their daughter. “This isn’t about me.”
“But, still.”
She sighed. “I would have done it anyway. And I probably would have been more reckless.”
“They didn’t think much of me, back then.” Patrick smiled.
“You weren’t a kidnapper!”
“Let’s assume for a moment that Ben was a victim of his father and uncle, too. Can you imagine that’s possible?”
Lines appeared between her brows. “It’s possible, but—”
“What if we allow them to see each other, but only when supervised until we get to know him ourselves? Henry and Vangie could help us keep them between the lines.”
Suddenly, she smiled at him. “Patrick Flint, what has gotten into you? Have you forgotten she’s your baby girl?”
A pang of sadness hit him. “She was. She’s growing up fast.”
Susanne slid her arms around his waist. “She still is, and she always will be.”
Patrick felt a vibration in his lower lip. He bit down on it.
“It would be on a trial basis only, right?”
He lay his head against her hair as Main Street seemed to spin around them like a carousel, with the two of them riding double on a purple elephant, reaching for the brass ring that was just beyond their fingertips. Being a parent wasn’t for wimps. This, all of this, was hard stuff. John’s death and Perry’s grief. Loosening the reins on their daughter to let her continue a relationship with a boy with a rocky past.
He said, “That’s what I’m thinking. They might earn their way into more trust, but they might also blow it.”
Susanne drew in a deep breath and pushed back from him. She nodded slowly. “I guess that would work.”
“Let’s go talk to the Sibleys, then.”
“Wait.” She caught his hand. “Everything’s going to be okay, isn’t it, Patrick?”
He willed his voice to convey confidence, even though their life in Wyoming had taught him that nothing was ever certain. “Of course it will be.”
And it would. Because he believed in them. Together, they could do anything. She smiled at him, and they turned to face their friends.
***
Next up: There’s more Patrick Flint and family coming in Stag Party. Get yours at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VD4G5H2. When a man who isn’t who he claims to be befriends Patrick Flint and his son during a wilderness excursion with movers and shakers from across the globe, it puts the father-son duo dead in the bullseye of a murder target. To stop a gang of ruthless killers, the Flints must unriddle the mystery man’s identity before the killers put a stop to them all.
Or you can adventure on in the What Doesn’t Kill You mystery world:
Want to stay in Wyoming? Rock on with Maggie in Live Wire on Amazon (free in Kindle Unlimited) at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5RYGHZ.
Prefer the beginning of it all? Start with Katie in Saving Grace on Amazon (free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers), here: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Grace-Doesnt-Romantic-Mystery-ebook/dp/B009FZPMFO.
Or get the complete WDKY series here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QQVNSPN.
And don’t forget to snag the free What Doesn't Kill You ebook starter library—including a Patrick Flint short story—by joining Pamela’s mailing list at https://www.subscribepage.com/PFHSuperstars.
For my aunts and uncles—Margaret, Bill, Paul, Susie, Patrice, James, Frank, and Janice—who have gone along with these books without complaint, even when their alter egos aren’t always shown in their truest and best light. I keep reminding them their literary jobs are to push Patrick’s and Susanne’s buttons, which they do brilliantly!
And don’t worry, Frank and Janice, your turn will come soon.
As always, for my true love and parenting partner, Eric. Our offspring seem to follow a three-fifths rule. Only three of the five can be happy at once. If at any time one moves from bad to good, it throws our familial world out of balance and requires another to slide toward the abyss. As Patrick would say, parenting ain’t for sissies!
Acknowledgments
When I got the call from my father that he had metastatic prostate cancer spread into his bones in nine locations, I was with a houseful of retreat guests in Wyoming while my parents (who normally summer in Wyoming) were in Texas. The guests were so kind and comforting to me, as was Eric, but there was only one place I wanted to be, and that was home. Not home where I grew up, because I lived in twelve places by the time I was twelve, and many thereafter. No, home is truly where the heart is. And that meant home for Eric and me would be with my parents.
I was in the middle of writing two novels at the time: Blue Streak, the first Laura mystery in the What Doesn’t Kill You series, and Polarity, a series spin-off contemporary romance based on my love story with Eric. I put them both down. I needed to write, but not those books. They could wait. I needed to write through my emotions—because that’s what writers do—with books spelling out the ending we were seeking for my dad’s story. Allegorically and biographically, while fictionally.
So that is what I did, and Dr. Patrick Flint (aka Dr. Peter Fagan—my pops—in real life) and family were hatched, using actual stories from our lives in late 1970s Buffalo, Wyoming as the depth and backdrop to a new series of mysteries, starting with Switchback and moving on to Snake Oil, Sawbones, Scapegoat, and Snaggle Tooth, with more to come. I hope the real life versions of Patrick, Susanne, and Perry will forgive me for taking liberties in creating their fictional alter egos. I took care to make Trish the most annoying character since she's based on me, to soften the blow for the others. I am so hopeful that my loyal readers will enjoy them, too, even though in some ways the novels are a departure from my usual stories. But in many ways they are the same. Character-driven, edge-of-your-seat mysteries steeped in setting/culture, with a strong nod to the everyday magic around us, and filled with complex, authentic characters (including some AWESOME females).
I had a wonderful time writing these books, and it kept me going when it was tempting to fold in on myself and let stress eat me alive. For more stories behind the actual stories, visit my blog on my website: http://pamelafaganhutchins.com. And let me know if you liked the novels.
Thanks to my dad for advice on all things medical, wilderness, hunting, 1970s, aeronautical, and animal. I hope you had fun using your medical knowledge for murder!
Thanks to my mom for printing the manuscripts (over and over, in their entireties) as she and dad followed along daily on the progress.
Thanks to my husband, Eric, for brainstorming with and encouraging me and beta reading the Patrick Flint stories despite his busy work, travel, and workout schedule. And for moving in to my parents’s barn apartment with me so I could be closer to them during this time.
Thanks to our five offspring. I love you guys more than anything, and each time I write a parent/child (birth, adopted, foster, or step), I channel you. I am so touched by how supportive you have been with Poppy, Gigi, Eric, and me.
To each and every blessed reader, I appreciate you more than I can say. It is the readers who move mountains for me, and for other authors, and I humbly ask for the honor of your honest reviews and recommendations.
Thanks mucho to Bobbye Marrs for the fantastic Patrick Flint covers.
Patrick Flint editing credits go to Rhonda Erb, Whitney Cox, and Karen Goodwin. The proofreaders who enthusiastically devote their time—gratis—to help us rid my books of flaws blow me away. Thank you all!
SkipJack Publishing now includes fantastic books by a cherry-picked bushel basket of mystery/thriller/suspense writers. If you write in this genre, visit http://SkipJackPublishing.com for submission guidelines. To check out our other authors and snag a bargain at the same time, download Murder, They Wrote: Four SkipJack Mysteries.
p.s. My dad is defying his diagnosis and doing fantastic now. It’s my prayer we’ll be collaborating on this series for many years to come.
Books by the Author
Fiction from SkipJack Publishing
The What Doesn't Kill You Series
Act One (WDKY Ensemble Prequel Novella): Exclusive to Subscribers
Saving Grace (Katie #1)
Leaving Annalise (Katie #2)
Finding Harmony (Katie #3)
Heaven to Betsy (Emily #1)
Earth to Emily (Emily #2)
Hell to Pay (Emily #3)
Going for Kona (Michele #1)
Fighting for Anna (Michele #2)
Searching for Dime Box (Michele #3)
Buckle Bunny (Maggie Prequel Novella)
Shock Jock (Maggie Prequel Short Story)
Live Wire (Maggie #1)
Sick Puppy (Maggie #2)
Dead Pile (Maggie #3)
The Essential Guide to the What Doesn’t Kill You Series
The Ava Butler Trilogy: A Sexy Spin-off From What Doesn’t Kill You
Bombshell (Ava #1)
Stunner (Ava #2)
Knockout (Ava #3)
The Patrick Flint Series
Switchback (Patrick Flint #1)
Snake Oil (Patrick Flint #2)
Sawbones (Patrick Flint #3)
Scapegoat (Patrick Flint #4)
Snaggle Tooth (Patrick Flint #5)
Stag Party (Patrick Flint #6)
Spark (Patrick Flint 1.5): Exclusive to subscribers
The What Doesn’t Kill You Box Sets Series (50% off individual title retail)
The Complete Katie Connell Trilogy
The Complete Emily Bernal Trilogy
The Complete Michele Lopez Hanson Trilogy
The Complete Maggie Killian Trilogy
The Complete Ava Butler Trilogy
The Patrick Flint Box Set Series
The Patrick Flint Series Books #1-3
Juvenile Fiction
Poppy Needs a Puppy (Poppy & Petey #1)
Nonfiction from SkipJack Publishing
The Clark Kent Chronicles
Hot Flashes and Half Ironmans
How to Screw Up Your Kids
How to Screw Up Your Marriage
Puppalicious and Beyond
What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes,
and How Can I Be One, Too?
Audio, e-book, and paperback versions of most titles available.
About the Author
Pamela Fagan Hutchins is a USA Today best selling author. She writes award-winning romantic mystery/thriller/suspense from way up in the frozen north of Snowheresville, Wyoming, where she lives in an off-the-grid cabin on the face of the Bighorn Mountains. She is passionate about hiking/snow shoeing/cross country skiing with her hunky husband and pack of rescue dogs (and occasional rescue cat) and riding their gigantic horses.
If you'd like Pamela to speak to your book club, women's club, class, or writers group by streaming video or in person, shoot her an email. She's very likely to say yes.
You can connect with Pamela via her website
(http://pamelafaganhutchins.com)
or email ([email protected]).
Praise for Pamela Fagan Hutchins
2018 USA Today Best Seller
&
nbsp; 2017 Silver Falchion Award, Best Mystery
2016 USA Best Book Award, Cross-Genre Fiction
2015 USA Best Book Award, Cross-Genre Fiction
2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-finalist, Romance
The Patrick Flint Mysteries
“Best book I’ve read in a long time!” — Kiersten Marquet, author of Reluctant Promises
"Switchback transports the reader deep into the mountains of Wyoming for a thriller that has it all--wild animals, criminals, and one family willing to do whatever is necessary to protect its own. Pamela Fagan Hutchins writes with the authority of a woman who knows this world. She weaves the story with both nail-biting suspense and a healthy dose of humor. You won't want to miss Switchback." -- Danielle Girard, Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of White Out.
"Switchback by Pamela Fagan Hutchins has as many twists and turns as a high-country trail. Every parent's nightmare is the loss or injury of a child, and this powerful novel taps into that primal fear." -- Reavis Z. Wortham, two time winner of The Spur and author of Hawke's Prey
"Switchback starts at a gallop and had me holding on with both hands until the riveting finish. This book is highly atmospheric and nearly crackling with suspense. Highly recommend!" -- Libby Kirsch, Emmy awardwinning reporter and author of the Janet Black Mystery Series
“A Bob Ross painting with Alfred Hitchcock hidden among the trees.”
"Edge-of-your seat nail biter."
"Unexpected twists!"
Snaggle Tooth Page 27
