Red Dirt Blues
Page 15
Dean waved his hand, never turning around.
“I’m good,” he replied.
Stonewall’s voice grew deep and threatening. “I weren’t making a suggestion.”
Dean turned around and squinted at the tall man and his odd-looking companion.
“Are you threatening a federal agent?” Dean asked. “I’m still with the bureau, Stonewall. I’m just on vacation right now. I got three months to go before I can retire early. So you best watch what you say. And what you do. The FBI does not take kindly to threats of any kind. Even to former agents. You understand?”
“Oh. And while I’m gone, my good friend Sheriff McKinley is going to be keeping an eye on things. If anything happens, he’s coming straight for you.”
He smiled and waved.
“I’ll be back before you know it. And just so you know there’s no hard feelings, when we open, your first burrito is on me.”
Stonewall and Toby watched Dean walk around the back of the building.
“Free burrito,” Toby said quietly. “That ain’t so bad.”
68
Three months later…
The raucous group of fishermen walked into the open-air Florida bar situated on the far edge of the harbor. It was nothing fancy, nothing like the tourist bars on the other side of the harbor. This was the drinking place for the locals and the harbor workers. It’s also where Randy liked to bring his charter customers after a day of deep sea fishing. They enjoyed the “authentic” experience and the bar got a little extra money.
Today, Randy brought in a group of six. Four businessmen on vacation. Two of them brought their teenage sons. Randy always bought the first round so, after making sure everyone had a drink, he walked to the bar to settle up. As he waited to pay, a woman sat down next to him. She wore large aviator sunglasses and a baseball hat pulled down low.
“Sea life suits you, sailor,” she said.
Randy instantly recognized her voice. He turned to Jade as she removed her glasses and smiled. He barely recognized her. She had short black hair and wore minimal makeup. But there was no mistaking her eyes and he couldn’t help but think she was more beautiful than ever.
“Jen? I mean, Jade? I mean…”
He opened his arms to hug her but held back, not knowing what he should do. Jade laughed and extended her own arms, letting him know it was okay. The hug was sincere but still very awkward.
“What are you doing here?” Randy asked.
“Can’t a lady check in on her ex-boyfriend?” she asked with a wink.
“How did you find me?”
Jade laughed. “Have you forgotten who I am?”
Randy sat down and bought them both a drink. He caught her up on everything. How Mama had sent him on his way, but only with the promise to visit once a month. She laughed hard when he told her he had sold the Lazy Goat to the FBI agent. He asked her what she had been up to and, even though she never stopped smiling, she grew quiet and shrugged.
“I’m getting out of the business,” she said. “I’ve put enough away and that last job paid pretty good.”
“So what are you gonna do now?” Randy asked.
“Do I have to do anything?” she asked. “I’m just going to enjoy life for a bit. See what happens.”
“If you ever wanna go deep-sea fishing, I know a guy.”
Jade smiled. Randy noticed how much more relaxed she seemed.
“I mean, I’m sure you’ve got a lot more exciting and luxurious things to do than that,” he said.
“No,” she replied. “I’d like that. Very much.”
She stood, explaining she needed to get going. There was still some outstanding business she needed to take care of, but she promised to call. They hugged awkwardly again, and she started to leave only to stop and turn back around.
“Valerie,” she said.
“I’m sorry?” Randy asked, confused.
“My real name is Valerie.”
Randy smiled. “Nice to meet you, Valerie.”
“I’ll see you soon,” she said with a smile and a wink.
She squeezed Randy’s hand gently and then quietly walked away.
THE END
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Red Dirt Blues
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Acknowledgments
A big thank you goes out to Shelley Upchurch, who not only offered a ton of invaluable suggestions during the writing of this book but also gave me much-needed support and encouragement when I needed it most.
I also want to thank Julia Zave for keeping my Russian references as legit as possible, Cyndi Stripling for her mad proofreading skills and Caroline Johnson for hitting another cover design out of the park. And a big shout-out goes to a group of super humans who also happen to be fellow authors: Lorraine Evanoff, Yvonne Pelletier, James Hewitson and Barbara Fournier. Your advice and feedback always make me a better writer.
Last but not least, I want to thank my extended family who always have my back, and whose stories—both real and fabricated—inspired many of the adventures in this book.
About the Author
David K. Wilson grew up in East Texas, surrounded by enough colorful characters to fill the pages of hundreds of books. Author of the popular Sam Lawson Mystery series, David is also a seasoned ghostwriter, screenwriter and songwriter. He currently lives in upstate New York, where he still complains about winter every single year.
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Copyright © 2021 by David Wilson
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by Caroline Johnson
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