know where she was when she wasn’t with him.
“You’ve changed,“ Eddy observed as he ambled around the side of the old house beside Colby.
“We all do, Eddy.“
“Think you’re as tough as you used to be?“
Colby grinned. “I wasn’t all that tough twenty years ago, Eddy. I was just a lot younger. Didn’t know what I wanted out of life. Now I do.“
“Does knowing what you want make a difference?“
Colby glanced at him. Eddy wasn’t usually given to philosophical questions. “It makes a hell of a difference.“
“How? You think you’re tougher now because you know what you want?“
“Put it this way, Eddy. When a man finally gets his priorities straight, he knows what’s worth fighting for and what isn’t. He can conserve his energy for the important stuff.“
Eddy walked in silence for a long moment. As they approached the Mazda parked in the front drive, he resettled his camouflage cap on his thin blond hair. “I got me some new priorities these days.“
“Glad to hear it.“ Colby opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.
Eddy braced his arm on the car roof. “I got a line on something real good this time, Colby. Real good.“
Colby looked up as he switched on the ignition. “That’s great, Eddy.“
Eddy leaned closer, excitement simmering in his voice. “It’s something hot, Colby. I mean really hot. It could be the big one. The break I’ve been waiting for.“
“Good luck.“ Colby meant it but he knew Eddy Spooner would be looking for his big break until the day he died.
Eddy’s big breaks always had a way of falling to pieces before he could get his hands on them.
“You’ll see,“ Eddy said with soft intensity. “You and everyone else in this hick town.“ He stepped back from the car. “I’ll keep an eye out for the black ‘vette.“
“Thanks, Eddy. See you later.“ Colby slipped the Mazda into gear and picked his way through the ruts and potholes of Eddy’s front drive. He realized he was eager to be away from the moonlit cemetery. It wasn’t just old cars that were buried here. A lot of impotent dreams had also been buried in Eddy Spooner’s yard.
Colby drove down the lonely country road and thought about fate and luck and priorities.
It was a while before he noticed the altered feel of the road, but when he finally did he groaned and reluctantly pulled over to the side. Why did flat tires always happen at night five miles from the nearest gas station?
Colby turned off the engine and reached for the flashlight he had instructed Brandon to always keep in the glove compartment. Then he climbed out of the car and morosely surveyed the shrinking rear tire.
“Damn.“
He was going to be late getting home to Diana. He hoped she wouldn’t be unduly alarmed. She had been a little nervous following last night’s idiocy out on River Road. But at least she had Specter with her. Whatever else you could say about the stupid dog, he was highly protective of Diana.
Colby hauled out the tools he would need to change the tire.
He was removing the last of the lug nuts when Margaret Fulbrook’s heavy old Cadillac pulled off the road and cruised to a halt behind him. Its headlights illuminated the Mazda in a harsh glare. Harry Gedge opened the door and got ponderously out of the driver’s seat. He was alone.
Colby stayed crouched near the tire, but he kept the wrench in his hand as he watched Harry come toward him. It had been twenty years, but he knew Harry could carry a mean grudge.
“Well, well, well,“ Harry drawled as he stopped a few feet away. “Got yourself a little project there, I see.“
“It’ll keep me busy for a while.“ Colby went back to work on the lug nuts, but he watched Harry out of the corner of his eye.
“I’ll leave the Caddy parked where it is while you change the tire,“ Harry volunteered. “The headlights will make it a little easier to see what you’re doin’.“
“Thanks,“ Colby muttered, dropping the last of the
“You’ve changed,“ Eddy observed as he ambled around the side of the old house beside Colby.
“We all do, Eddy.“
“Think you’re as tough as you used to be?“
Colby grinned. “I wasn’t all that tough twenty years ago, Eddy. I was just a lot younger. Didn’t know what I wanted out of life. Now I do.“
“Does knowing what you want make a difference?“
Colby glanced at him. Eddy wasn’t usually given to philosophical questions. “It makes a hell of a difference.“
“How? You think you’re tougher now because you know what you want?“
“Put it this way, Eddy. When a man finally gets his priorities straight, he knows what’s worth fighting for and what isn’t. He can conserve his energy for the important stuff.“
Eddy walked in silence for a long moment. As they approached the Mazda parked in the front drive, he resettled his camouflage cap on his thin blond hair. “I got me some new priorities these days.“
“Glad to hear it.“ Colby opened the car door and slid behind the wheel.
Eddy braced his arm on the car roof. “I got a line on something real good this time, Colby. Real good.“
Colby looked up as he switched on the ignition. “That’s great, Eddy.“
Eddy leaned closer, excitement simmering in his voice. “It’s something hot, Colby. I mean really hot. It could be the big one. The break I’ve been waiting for.“
“Good luck.“ Colby meant it but he knew Eddy Spooner would be looking for his big break until the day he died.
Eddy’s big breaks always had a way of falling to pieces before he could get his hands on them.
“You’ll see,“ Eddy said with soft intensity. “You and everyone else in this hick town.“ He stepped back from the car. “I’ll keep an eye out for the black ‘vette.“
“Thanks, Eddy. See you later.“ Colby slipped the Mazda into gear and picked his way through the ruts and potholes of Eddy’s front drive. He realized he was eager to be away from the moonlit cemetery. It wasn’t just old cars that were buried here. A lot of impotent dreams had also been buried in Eddy Spooner’s yard.
Colby drove down the lonely country road and thought about fate and luck and priorities.
It was a while before he noticed the altered feel of the road, but when he finally did he groaned and reluctantly pulled over to the side. Why did flat tires always happen at night five miles from the nearest gas station?
Colby turned off the engine and reached for the flashlight he had instructed Brandon to always keep in the glove compartment. Then he climbed out of the car and morosely surveyed the shrinking rear tire.
“Damn.“
He was going to be late getting home to Diana. He hoped she wouldn’t be unduly alarmed. She had been a little nervous following last night’s idiocy out on River Road. But at least she had Specter with her. Whatever else you could say about the stupid dog, he was highly protective of Diana.
Colby hauled out the tools he would need to change the tire.
He was removing the last of the lug nuts when Margaret Fulbrook’s heavy old Cadillac pulled off the road and cruised to a halt behind him. Its headlights illuminated the Mazda in a harsh glare. Harry Gedge opened the door and got ponderously out of the driver’s seat. He was alone.
Colby stayed crouched near the tire, but he kept the wrench in his hand as he watched Harry come toward him. It had been twenty years, but he knew Harry could carry a mean grudge.
“Well, well, well,“ Harry drawled as he stopped a few feet away. “Got yourself a little project there, I see.“
“It’ll keep me busy for a while.“ Colby went back to work on the lug nuts, but he watched Harry out of the corner of his eye.
“I’ll leave the Caddy parked where it is while you change the tire,“ Harry volunteered. “The headlights will make it a little easier to see what you’re doin’.“
“Thanks,“ Colby muttered, dropping the last of the
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