She was sitting up in bed when he carried the mug of coffee to her. She hadn’t drawn the sheet up to cover her beautiful nakedness.
God, she is hot! he thought.
“Let’s see, what did I do to deserve this? I cooked the better half of dinner, I tried to do the dishes, and I took out the trash,” she offered.
“OK, for that you might get a demitasse at best,” he responded.
She reached over and took the mug from his hands. She set it down and pulled him into the bed next to her. They kissed for a long time.
“Oh, is that the sugar?” she asked. “Are you a little sore this morning, my dear?”“What? Me sore? I don’t think so. It’s more like worn out. Delightfully so, if I may add. It’s been a long time since my friend was called into such a degree of service,” he joked.
“Do pass along my regards to your fine friend. He performed well beyond my expectations. After all, a person of your advanced years normally could not be counted on to perform in such admirable fashion.”
“Oh, so that’s what you’re calling it—admirable fashion. Heck, I thought he stepped right up to the plate and hit it out of the park!” Quinn replied.
She slowly slid her hand down into his flannel shorts and smiled.
“OK, that’s what I like to see. Slugger has moved back into the on-deck circle.”
They both laughed as they kissed and looked into each other’s eyes.
“So what are the conditions in the dugout today? Must be a little sore after that doubleheader yesterday?” he asked.
“Ever so thoughtful of you to ask. Quite right, my dearest, years of inactivity proved not to be an ally when she was called into duty yesterday. Quite honestly, she’s worn out.”
“I knew I should have been gentler. All joking aside, I daresay that a video of yesterday’s lawn games would prove to a best seller on what sixty-year-olds haven’t forgotten. Hell, I bet most thirty-something’s would take notes and ninety-nine percent of the guys would happily have swapped places with me in a heartbeat!”
“Undoubtedly a million hits on YouTube or on the AARP website!” she exclaimed.
Just as they stopped laughing, Quinn’s BlackBerry emitted a funny whistle.
“Who’s calling you now, Mister Important Chick Magnet?”
“That is favorite daughter, Natalie. She is the consummate text-message queen. No calls, no e-mails, but the text messages roll out of her iPhone like a machine gun. Let’s see what she has to say.”
Quinn read Natalie’s message and smiled. “Looks like number one son and number one daughter have been talking. I told Anthony a little bit about you the other day as I drove back here from the District. Now Natalie is curious about my newfound friend and is about to give me the third degree.”
“Well, I hope their first introduction to me didn’t come through Google Earth yesterday afternoon.”
“I sure do hope that those FBI spy satellite cameras that used to protect and track you weren’t on yesterday.”
“Trust me—half of those old codgers in the Bureau would have had seizures if they had witnessed us in action on the green yesterday.”
“No, I think one or both of the kids might have called me immediately if they had been witness to our aerobic workout under the bright, blue sky. Heck, I’m just thankful that Nigel wasn’t any earlier. The man has a weak heart as well!” Quinn said.
“You just kill me. So is your daughter coming to visit?”
“Not sure. She suggests I buy her and her daughter, Meredith, dinner at Chateau Morrisette on Saturday night. She loves to eat at that vineyard. I’ll tell her it’s a go if you’re comfortable with meeting her so soon.”
Think you can handle that?” she thought. “Of course, I want to meet them. I don’t really care if you like me, but it’s very important to have the two most important females in your life think I’m nice.”
Good luck! They’ve set the bar high for yours truly, he thought.
“Besides, I need to see what kind of work you did as a parent,” she added.
“Cool. I think you might pass muster. Natalie thinks my grieving period has long passed and I should be making someone miserable again.”
“I think I like her already,” Louisa said.
They ate brunch and headed out to spend the afternoon hiking up Buffalo Mountain. Louisa planned to kick his butt at whatever they did.
Soon after they got on the Parkway and headed north, they passed the first stone church.
“Wow, what a beautiful church. What denomination is it?” Louisa asked.
“It’s actually a Catholic church now. Used to be Protestant.”
“Are you Catholic, Quinn?” Now that caught him by surprise.
“Well, I am and always have been, but I’ve recently lost the desire to attend any given church. I spend time with God when I run or ride. We get along just fine that way. Are you a fish-eater, devout or otherwise?”
“Devout, my dearest. I go to Mass every Sunday. I enjoy a great parish in Arlington. Is that the only Catholic church in these parts?” she asked.
“No, actually there’s another small one in Mount Airy. It’s a little further away but not much. My neighbor, Nigel, and his wife, Kathy, go there. They like the priest there.”
“So you wouldn’t mind being my escort this Sunday, would you? I would really like to see the inside of that stone church.”
I just knew she would ask that, he thought.
Quinn was silent as he drove. “Let me think about that one, Louisa.”
“Works for me. We have a day or two to work on your decision.”
The road up Buffalo Mountain wasn’t that long, but recent summer rains had left some pretty big ruts and divots in the dirt road. Quinn slipped the Ram into four-wheel drive, sailed through the road hazards, and got them to the small parking lot in no time.
“Good thing we had the Ram instead of that girlie Volvo that’s in my driveway,” he teased.
“Just remember those words, big man, comes the day I have to pull this big-butt truck out a ditch.” Heck, I won’t even laugh at you, she thought.
Quinn laughed as they changed into their hiking shoes for their trek up the four-thousand-foot-high mountain. Quinn had the advantage since he had climbed it several times with Ellen. He led the way, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
“Just let me know if you need any help carrying that pack, big fella,” Louisa threw out.
Quinn didn’t respond as he set a good pace on the lower switchbacks. He soon felt Louisa right behind him, though, step for step. She slipped by him on a wide turn and took the lead. He smiled as he slipped in right behind her. He didn’t mind being in that position, as her hiking shorts were short and he liked watching those long, athletic legs eat trail.
When they were halfway to the top, he put a move on her and passed in a tight section of trail. He patted her on the ass as he went by. He hoped that wasn’t a mistake. “See you at the top, Ms. Volvo,” he called over his shoulder.
So the big man is showing his stuff a little early, she thought. Let me hang on his butt for a while before I make my move. She had completed all of the tough FBI physical training courses at Quantico. She actually held several of the female personal records on the toughest courses. But that was then. Right now, she had to concentrate on the large body in front of her, gaining speed at each turn.
That pissed her off. She looked up and saw that the next switchback came out directly above her. This is a no-brainer, she thought. She cut off the trail, advancing to the next part. She almost lost her footing as she reached the edge but dug in and caught the lip of the ledge. She lunged up and turned up and left onto the center of the trail. She was now a full trail turn ahead of Quinn.
He was huffing and puffing with his head down as he turned on to the next switchback. At least Louisa was behind him—or he thought she was. Then he saw her, gobbling up trail in front of him.
“Cheater!” he yelled at her. How the hell did she
get there? he wondered.
They were getting closer to the top, and she was kicking his ass. He looked down at the trail and decided that the final moment had come. He took in as much air as his lungs could hold and picked up the pace. He was getting closer to her as they leaned into the next turn. But she still had twenty feet on him. She was running at full bore. She was haulin’ ass!
She knew he had to be running at balls-to-the-wall pace. She had already jumped the trail. That move had to piss him off. There was only one strategy left: Run as fast as she could till she got to the top. Anything else would be weak and probably give him the advantage. That was not acceptable.
They were two turns away from the top. He wouldn’t catch her… unless. He let out the biggest yelp he could harness on the final turn. He immediately went down on the trail and cried out. He lay there and wailed. He never looked up.
She heard his primal scream. She saw him go down. Without a moment’s hesitation, she stopped dead in her tracks and backtracked down the trail to where he lay. She was about to call out to him when he got up, bolted to her left, and headed up the path.
“You shithead! Your ass is mine!” she yelled. You son of a bitch, she thought as she recovered and caught up to him. They looked like wild beasts, clawing their way up the trail. It was a blessing that no one else was around. They would have undoubtedly pushed anyone else off the trail if they needed to. Nothing else mattered. They looked up and saw the summit. They were now running side by side, nothing but flying asses and elbows. They passed the tree line into the wide-open space near the top. She reached up and tugged at his backpack, which was flying side to side. He slowed and lost his balance, just enough for her to fly by him with a final burst of speed. She prayed that it would be enough.
Quinn soon realized that his shit was weak. He had no more chance of getting to the summit first than having sex with her before they got there. He slowed a bit more and arrived at the summit just behind her. He thought she was still running too fast and might fly off the top onto the rocks. He reached out to catch her arm as she lost control of her lead foot. He braked with all his might and managed to stop their momentum before she went over the top.
They balanced themselves at the top and tilted from side to side as they looked around and at each other. They gently backed down onto the grassy part of the knoll and sat against the rock outcropping. They said nothing while they caught their breath. Then Quinn reached into his backpack and pulled out a large thermos.
“Is that your Geritol?” she asked, a smile on her reddened face. She reached over and took hold of his right hand.
“OK, you beat me fair and square. I’ll never suggest that you cheated by cutting across the trail. Oh, no. And the fact that you didn’t run the entire way doesn’t bother me in the least.”
“Listen, cutie pie, I don’t recall any specific rules set at the bottom of this here mountain. You surely didn’t play by the king’s rules, as you cheated near the top,” she blurted out.
“What? Me cheat? I don’t think so. I was simply reacting to your transgressions. I had no choice. Mea culpa!”
“So what’s in the thermos?”
“Well, I really didn’t think I’d need to toast the fleetest of foot at the top of the Buffalo. I have wine in the thermos for us to celebrate with. But, to be honest, I thought we might have just hiked and enjoyed sips of wine every now and then on the way up.”
“Hey, Mister Noncompetitive thanks for bringing the juice. Could we now take the top off that darned thermos and put our lips to that fruit of the vine?”
They sat at the base of the summit rock outcropping, warmed by the late-morning sun. They held hands as they sipped wine from the thermos.
Life is good, he thought.
Louisa smiled as she lay down in the grass and put her head in Quinn’s lap.
“Quinn, I’ve got a question: How long can I stay here with you?”
He looked at her and smiled. “Well, miss, I may be wrong, but I don’t think there are any other reservations on the Chateau’s schedule.”
She turned to the side and poked him in his ribs. “Hey, I’m serious. If you want me to leave after a while, I would understand.”
“It’s been a very long time since I’ve had this much fun with a woman. And I’m feeling a great deal of emotional and physical connection to you.”
“I know! What a surprise! I really like what’s going on here. We’re so easy and comfortable together, and I like that”, she added.
“So I guess what I’m saying is that I can keep you supplied with toothpaste for as long as you want.”
The moment he stopped talking, her lips met his in a passionate kiss. While she was doing that, she unbuttoned his hiking shirt. He kissed down her neck as her hands worked on his hiking shorts.
He stood up to make the process easier as she wiggled out of her shorts and T-shirt. They were soon leaning against the flat rock ledge, wearing only their hiking boots. The summer breeze floated across the mountaintop and caressed them as they danced the dance of new love on the pinnacle of their desire.
Their moment of release came suddenly as they sunk to the grass and giggled like teenage lovers exploring each other for the first time. After they dressed and started back down the mountain, she stopped in mid-trail and looked at Quinn. “So I guess what you were saying up there is that I can stay a little longer.”
“Yep, you sure can, just as long as you don’t cheat on our hikes, runs, or rides.”
“One other question: Do you suppose any other sixty-year-olds are doing what we just enjoyed up there?”
“Girl, I do believe that we just caused a seismic tremor that would be the envy of any forty-year olds!”
She squeezed his hand harder as they headed back down the mountain.
No, she thought, I’m not going anywhere.
* * *
The children had now been missing for several days. Levi Blackburn was frustrated and just plain pissed off. His gut feeling was that they were somewhere in Carroll County. He didn’t think that someone passing through on Highway 52 would stake out the old motel and snatch the kids. No way. There was a local connection. He just knew it.
The sheriff and Craig didn’t necessarily agree with him, but he didn’t care. Leroy Jefferson agreed with his notion when he shared it with him. He was a smart professional with good common sense. He just hoped he was right. He had to be.
His cell phone rang as he headed to his newfangled Keurig for a fresh cup of coffee. These twelve-hour days were killing him.
“Levi,” he said as he picked up his cup.
“Levi, its Freddy Jones from the Surry County sheriff ’s department.” Levi had worked with Jones on a couple of cases in the past, as Surry County bumps up to Carroll County at the North Carolina state line.
“Now Freddy, no need to tell ole Levi where you’re supposed to work. Heck, we all know you’ve just been collectin’ a check for years now. Hey, how they hangin’, brother? You doin’ all right?”
“Well, my smarty-ass friend, how come you ain’t found those two missing kids yet?” Jones asked.
“Brother, this is a mess. The shit is getting thicker every day. The almighty flea market and gun show is only weeks away. The county fathers will have our asses if this mess ain’t cleaned up. Hell, I might even have to look for work in Surry County!”
Every flea market aficionado in the Southeast and beyond eagerly awaited the flea market and gun show, which consumed the town of Hillsville and surrounding areas for the entire Labor Day weekend. Antique dealers, gun dealers, and traders of all kinds made this one of the largest gatherings of its kind in the United States. This year’s show was expected to draw more than five hundred thousand visitors. It was one massive, money-making machine for the county. No one wanted anything to scare folks and their money away from Hillsville on Labor Day weekend. The abduction of two children would do just that.
“Well, guess what, Levi. One of my snitches told me yest
erday that one of our sexual deviants down here is friends with one of yours up there. Turns out Wilton Tubbs, who lives near Flat Rock, is buddies with Tyler T. Toms.”
“Well, now, ain’t that some shit?” Levi suggested.
“That’s not all. My snitch claims that Wilton went up to Carroll County to see Toms the night the fog rolled in. Now we ain’t got no way of tracking ole Wilton since he isn’t a convicted sexual predator, but we all know he’s a perverted son of a bitch. We just haven’t caught him with any young’uns! At least not yet! Now ain’t that somethin’ to chew on?” Jones asked.
“Anything else?” Levi asked.
“Yep, sure ’nough is. Turns out ole Wilton ain’t come back to Flat Rock since the abduction!” Jones added.
“Holy shit, Freddy! How good is your snitch?” Levi asked with more excitement in his voice.
“Real good, Levi—it’s his Momma!” Jones replied.
* * *
For the past five nights he had read to the children before he put them to bed. He let them watch certain DVDs that he had chosen. They seemed to be getting accustomed to their new surroundings. He wanted them to be happy. They were now his children.
Pete stood in the middle of the room and read Little Red Riding Hood out loud. Katie was sitting on her bed. She seemed to be a little more concerned about being naked all the time. Pete at least seemed to be getting used to it.
He was sitting in a recliner he had set up in the dark corner of the room. He began to become aroused as he watched Pete.
“Touch yourself as you read, Pete,” he commanded in a steady voice.
Pete did as he was told with his right hand as he continued to read.
He waited a bit before he got up from the recliner and moved toward Katie. He was almost fully aroused.
“Touch me right there, Katie, and hold tight,” he told her.
Katie flinched and didn’t move her hand. He grabbed her little hand and moved it closer. Pete stopped reading. Katie pulled her hand back.
“Pete, continue reading right now!” he shouted.
Katie started to cry when he raised his voice. He held her hand as he moved it toward his groin.
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