good.”
“I think I’ll join you,” Gabe said. “Bring the wife
and kids. Any little bit helps.”
That was when they both turned their heads toward
Dawn, but she skirted their gaze. Church wasn’t for her. Praying wasn’t for
her. She lived in the here and now, and with all she’d seen, it was too hard to
believe that there was someone up there looking out for people. She’d also seen
enough bad that she didn’t need to believe in a hell below, either. People were
capable of enough hell on their own.
“Well, kids,” Jim said as he pushed himself up from
the table. “It’s getting late, and I think we’re all just making ourselves
blue. I think it’s best we pack it in and try again tomorrow.”
“I’m on board with that,” Gabe said. “I turned the oven
off after I pulled out the nachos.”
“You two head on out, then,” Jim said as he stroked
his beard. “Maybe tomorrow your prediction will come true and we’ll see those
hunters we’ve been waiting on.”
Gabe smiled at that. “You’ll see. Come noon, this place
will be full of men in camo with guns slung over their backs.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dawn said, unable to hide the roll of
her eyes at his insistence. “How about we make the walk home together? After
everything, I think I could use the backup.”
“I was going to suggest the same thing,” Jim agreed.
“I couldn’t stand to see you go, too.”
“Thanks, Jim,” Dawn said as she gave him a hug. “And
I’ll think about church.” Not for herself, but she knew being there would help
Jim. The way his eyes lit up when she said it was enough proof that she was
right.
The temperature was hovering near freezing when Dawn
and Gabe left the bar. The wind had mercifully slowed, but it was cold enough
that the beginnings of frost were starting to form on the grass edging through
the sidewalk, and Dawn let herself shiver.
“Cold night,” Gabe said, more to say something than to
actually make note of the temperature.
“Yeah,” Dawn nodded. “Listen, you didn’t really
believe that Mosley guy, did you?”
“Come on,” Gabe groaned. “Let it rest. The guy was
beating himself up over it. He looked a wreck. Besides, I’ve watched enough
baseball to have heard of the kid. He’s a good guy, did lots of charity work in
his day, too. No one ever had a bad thing to say about him, and with his career
ending shoulder injury, everyone said it was terrible for something like that
to happen to such a nice guy.”
“I guess,” Dawn relented. “I just... something doesn’t
seem right.”
“It’s an easy answer,” Gabe said as they walked down
the main street of Goosemont. “But that doesn’t make it the right answer. He’s
a good guy. Maybe you should talk to him, one-on-one, and see what I mean. Hate
does nothing but hurt yourself.”
Dawn didn’t know about that. Hate and anger had kept
her alive, along with a good dose of fear and precaution. She wasn’t about to
go changing that over a few tears from a grown man.
“Think about it,” Gabe said as they stopped in front
of Dawn’s tiny house. “Give the guy a chance before you judge him. Innocent
until proven guilty, and all that.”
“Fine.” She eased up a little. “I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask,” Gabe said with a smile. “Try to
get a good night’s sleep.”
“Thanks,” she said as she let herself into the house.
From her kitchen window, Dawn watched as Gabe made the
final twenty or so feet to his own house. Once he was safely inside, she
finally let herself relax some, but the moment she did, the dreadful thoughts
returned, and she found herself reaching for the whiskey to quiet them down.
“Goddamn it,” she muttered as the second shot burned
down her throat. All she wanted was to settle her mind, but the alcohol only
seemed to be making things worse. The only thing she could say to its benefit
was that at least it was making her sleepy.
Before she made her way to her bed, Dawn pulled out
“I think I’ll join you,” Gabe said. “Bring the wife
and kids. Any little bit helps.”
That was when they both turned their heads toward
Dawn, but she skirted their gaze. Church wasn’t for her. Praying wasn’t for
her. She lived in the here and now, and with all she’d seen, it was too hard to
believe that there was someone up there looking out for people. She’d also seen
enough bad that she didn’t need to believe in a hell below, either. People were
capable of enough hell on their own.
“Well, kids,” Jim said as he pushed himself up from
the table. “It’s getting late, and I think we’re all just making ourselves
blue. I think it’s best we pack it in and try again tomorrow.”
“I’m on board with that,” Gabe said. “I turned the oven
off after I pulled out the nachos.”
“You two head on out, then,” Jim said as he stroked
his beard. “Maybe tomorrow your prediction will come true and we’ll see those
hunters we’ve been waiting on.”
Gabe smiled at that. “You’ll see. Come noon, this place
will be full of men in camo with guns slung over their backs.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dawn said, unable to hide the roll of
her eyes at his insistence. “How about we make the walk home together? After
everything, I think I could use the backup.”
“I was going to suggest the same thing,” Jim agreed.
“I couldn’t stand to see you go, too.”
“Thanks, Jim,” Dawn said as she gave him a hug. “And
I’ll think about church.” Not for herself, but she knew being there would help
Jim. The way his eyes lit up when she said it was enough proof that she was
right.
The temperature was hovering near freezing when Dawn
and Gabe left the bar. The wind had mercifully slowed, but it was cold enough
that the beginnings of frost were starting to form on the grass edging through
the sidewalk, and Dawn let herself shiver.
“Cold night,” Gabe said, more to say something than to
actually make note of the temperature.
“Yeah,” Dawn nodded. “Listen, you didn’t really
believe that Mosley guy, did you?”
“Come on,” Gabe groaned. “Let it rest. The guy was
beating himself up over it. He looked a wreck. Besides, I’ve watched enough
baseball to have heard of the kid. He’s a good guy, did lots of charity work in
his day, too. No one ever had a bad thing to say about him, and with his career
ending shoulder injury, everyone said it was terrible for something like that
to happen to such a nice guy.”
“I guess,” Dawn relented. “I just... something doesn’t
seem right.”
“It’s an easy answer,” Gabe said as they walked down
the main street of Goosemont. “But that doesn’t make it the right answer. He’s
a good guy. Maybe you should talk to him, one-on-one, and see what I mean. Hate
does nothing but hurt yourself.”
Dawn didn’t know about that. Hate and anger had kept
her alive, along with a good dose of fear and precaution. She wasn’t about to
go changing that over a few tears from a grown man.
“Think about it,” Gabe said as they stopped in front
of Dawn’s tiny house. “Give the guy a chance before you judge him. Innocent
until proven guilty, and all that.”
“Fine.” She eased up a little. “I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask,” Gabe said with a smile. “Try to
get a good night’s sleep.”
“Thanks,” she said as she let herself into the house.
From her kitchen window, Dawn watched as Gabe made the
final twenty or so feet to his own house. Once he was safely inside, she
finally let herself relax some, but the moment she did, the dreadful thoughts
returned, and she found herself reaching for the whiskey to quiet them down.
“Goddamn it,” she muttered as the second shot burned
down her throat. All she wanted was to settle her mind, but the alcohol only
seemed to be making things worse. The only thing she could say to its benefit
was that at least it was making her sleepy.
Before she made her way to her bed, Dawn pulled out
Similar Books
