Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Especially each other.
She was introverted and cared about everyone. I had a loud mouth and kept my heart safely guarded. I was steak on the grill, and she was fancy mushroom burgers with weird sauces. I was old-school rock and Patsy Cline. She was country pop all the way. All day. Every day.
But what we had in common was so much more. Neither of us expected others to take care of us or to fix our lives. We were both fiercely independent.
I can’t believe she’s gone.
Off in the distance, sirens shrieked while my eyes flooded with juicy tears. “Why’d he have to kill her? What’d she ever do to anyone?”
“I’m just glad you’re alive, Masie. I can’t…I can’t even think about what I’d tell your mamma if he’d gotten you, too.”
I knew he didn’t mean that Deedee’s life was worth less than mine, but he understood, like I did, that Mamma never got over Daddy’s death. If something ever happened to my sister, Maybell, or me, she’d never come back from that. The last thing he wanted was to deliver the kind of news that would put Mamma in the ground.
The sirens were suddenly right outside, and within seconds, Sheriff Idiot was rushing in, his beige shirt untucked, his hair shooting every which direction. He looked worse than I felt.
“Don’t you worry, Masie,” he stammered. “We’ll catch the SOB. With the partial plate, he can’t hide for long.”
Catch him? But wasn’t he… I frowned, my eyes gravitating to the floor by my side. “Wait. Where is…” I pointed to the spot where Tall Guy had died. “Where’s the body?”
“Deedee’s outside,” Jimmie said softly.
“No, the tall guy who attacked us. I watched him die right here.”
Jimmie and the sheriff exchanged glances.
“Where’d he go?” I asked.
“Darlin’, I think you’re in shock,” said my uncle. “The man probably thought you were dead and took off in his truck.”
“But,” I blinked, “that’s impossible. I saw him die with my own eyes.” Or had I? Because clearly there was no body. Not a drop of blood either. I was completely clean, too. “Maybe, I dunno, maybe I dreamed it.” After all, I had lost consciousness.
On the other hand, if I merely imagined the man killing Tall Guy, then how was I still alive? Someone had stopped that futhermucker from murdering me.
I rubbed the front of my neck, massaging the very real ache.
The paramedics rushed in, and Uncle Jimmie waved them over.
“We’ll sort this all out later,” he said.
“You just worry about you right now, ’kay?” said Sheriff Idiot.
How could I think about myself? Deedee was dead. I wasn’t. Her parents would never be the same. Neither would I or Jimmie or this town. The Flaming Rooster was the heart of this community—at least for the people who grew up here—and they saw us as family. We celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and half the dang town had met their spouses right here in this bar. Friends, community, and whiskey. Okay, and horny drunk cowboys, though the women had their fair share of rowdiness, too.
The Flaming Rooster would forever be marred by this tragic loss. So would I.
After a thorough examination and three X-rays, the ER doctor determined I had strained neck muscles and deep bruising, but no broken bones. I was lucky, he’d said.
“Still, no physical activity for the rest of the month,” he warned. “No lifting, and absolutely no more psychotic stranglers, young woman.” He smiled.
I got that he was trying to cheer me up, but this wasn’t a busted arm like when I fell off my bike at ten. Deedee was dead, and I blamed myself. I hadn’t taken the threat seriously and sent Joe home early instead of taking precautions. I’d leaned on the fact that I lived in Leiper’s Fork. “It’s safe here. Nothing bad ever happens.” These are the things I’d believed before last night.
“I’m giving you a prescription to help you rest, Masie.” The doctor put his hand on my shoulder. “You need anything else, you just give me a call.”
I bobbed my head, wanting to get home and crawl into bed, where I could cry as much as I needed. I wasn’t a fan of showing my emotions to anyone. Not even now.
“Thank you,” I said stiffly.
His voice unexpectedly shifted gears, lowering to a whisper. “Deedee wasn’t a good girl like you, Masie, but her death is still a shame.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. Yeah, I tried to be good. I wanted to live a life I felt proud of, but it wasn’t like Deedee was some sort of evil she-demon. She’d been a kind soul who loved with an open heart.
“I don’t get your point,” I said. “And why are you whispering?”
“Maybe you were spared for a reason, Masie. That’s all.” He looked over his shoulder toward the door and abruptly stepped back. “You’ll be just fine,” he said in a normal voice.