lights flashing, but no sirens, raced down the
street. “We’re searchin’ for my Juanita,” Hap reminded him.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t explain why I’m here. Now, I know. It’s divine providence that I meet Annamarie.”
“Are you claimin’ the Lord led you here? What about Koni in Gillette? Or Martie in Lander? Or Sara in Cody? Or the Cainette
twins in Encampment that you were too shy to even speak to twice? You said they were all divine providence, too.”
“Hap, Annamarie has a classic beauty. She could pose for one of those Greek statues.”
“Statues? You ain’t just ponderin’ her… sports car?”
“I was talking about her face. And her eyes. Have you ever seen eyes like that? They make a man feel alive and important and…
and…”
“Yeah… right. Laramie, she’s just a diversion. We’ve got to clean up out front. Then we’ve got to figure out somethin’ about
my truck, how to get back to the motel, how to go pick up our pay at the feedlot. Where are you goin’?”
“To get diverted,” Laramie said.
Laramie leaned his backside against the counter close to where Annamarie sat, legs drooped over the edge. She rocked back
and forth and chewed on a long round stick of pepper-spiced beef jerky. A one-sided phone conversation filtered out from the
office in back where Sam had retreated with a stack of forms and receipts.
“Anyway, that’s the short version of my life story… and Hap’s… and what we’re doing in south Texas.” He fought to keep focused
on her eyes and wished he had his dark glasses on to filter his enthusiasm. “Thanks for listening. I appreciate your graciousness
after my brain freeze in the parking lot.”
“I enjoyed the visit. Mother is the only one I have time to talk to much anymore. It’s nice to hear someone else’s voice.”
“I want to hear more about you. You just got started when I interrupted.”
“Now, that will take a while. But you heard the most important parts. The more I talk about it, the more complicated it sounds.”
Her cheeks dimpled with her smile.
“I don’t have many plans for the next few decades, other than Hap’s idiot obsession, and I’m a good listener.”
“You’ll need to be. My motives get so confusing, I can’t even figure them out. Would you believe this is the best talk I’ve
had in three years?”
Hap ambled into the minimart, hat pushed back, broom over his shoulder. “Don’t bother comin’ out to help me, partner. I got
the parking lot swept up.”
“Annamarie and I got busy visiting. Sorry about cutting out on you.”
“We were comparing college courses.” Annamarie’s teeth were straight and bright, like an ad for whitening gel.
“College? What’s there to talk about? He was an ag major in junior college.”
“I had to take organic chemistry,” Laramie announced. “Same as nursing majors like Annamarie.”
“Well, us weldin’ majors had to study the density of metal. At the moment my dense brain feels like an exploded burrito. If
you’re through with intellectual pursuits, I reckon it’s time to head back to the motel. I’ve got to phone my insurance company
and figure somethin’ out about my truck.”
Annamarie reached over and clutched Hap’s elbow with her long, thin, ringless fingers. “I think what you are doing is terribly
romantic.”
Hap stared at her hand. A grin crept across his face. “You do?”
“Looking for your Juanita and all. Laramie told me all about it.”
“Some days it seems foolish.”
She broke the jerky in half and handed a piece to Laramie. “In a way, it reminds me of something my husband did when he was
young.”
Hap glanced over at his partner.
“Annamarie’s husband got killed in Iraq.” Laramie bit off a bite of jerky that burned his lower lip.
Hap yanked off his black, beaver felt cowboy hat and held it over his heart. “Was he in the service, ma’am?”
“No, he worked for a Texas-based drilling
street. “We’re searchin’ for my Juanita,” Hap reminded him.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t explain why I’m here. Now, I know. It’s divine providence that I meet Annamarie.”
“Are you claimin’ the Lord led you here? What about Koni in Gillette? Or Martie in Lander? Or Sara in Cody? Or the Cainette
twins in Encampment that you were too shy to even speak to twice? You said they were all divine providence, too.”
“Hap, Annamarie has a classic beauty. She could pose for one of those Greek statues.”
“Statues? You ain’t just ponderin’ her… sports car?”
“I was talking about her face. And her eyes. Have you ever seen eyes like that? They make a man feel alive and important and…
and…”
“Yeah… right. Laramie, she’s just a diversion. We’ve got to clean up out front. Then we’ve got to figure out somethin’ about
my truck, how to get back to the motel, how to go pick up our pay at the feedlot. Where are you goin’?”
“To get diverted,” Laramie said.
Laramie leaned his backside against the counter close to where Annamarie sat, legs drooped over the edge. She rocked back
and forth and chewed on a long round stick of pepper-spiced beef jerky. A one-sided phone conversation filtered out from the
office in back where Sam had retreated with a stack of forms and receipts.
“Anyway, that’s the short version of my life story… and Hap’s… and what we’re doing in south Texas.” He fought to keep focused
on her eyes and wished he had his dark glasses on to filter his enthusiasm. “Thanks for listening. I appreciate your graciousness
after my brain freeze in the parking lot.”
“I enjoyed the visit. Mother is the only one I have time to talk to much anymore. It’s nice to hear someone else’s voice.”
“I want to hear more about you. You just got started when I interrupted.”
“Now, that will take a while. But you heard the most important parts. The more I talk about it, the more complicated it sounds.”
Her cheeks dimpled with her smile.
“I don’t have many plans for the next few decades, other than Hap’s idiot obsession, and I’m a good listener.”
“You’ll need to be. My motives get so confusing, I can’t even figure them out. Would you believe this is the best talk I’ve
had in three years?”
Hap ambled into the minimart, hat pushed back, broom over his shoulder. “Don’t bother comin’ out to help me, partner. I got
the parking lot swept up.”
“Annamarie and I got busy visiting. Sorry about cutting out on you.”
“We were comparing college courses.” Annamarie’s teeth were straight and bright, like an ad for whitening gel.
“College? What’s there to talk about? He was an ag major in junior college.”
“I had to take organic chemistry,” Laramie announced. “Same as nursing majors like Annamarie.”
“Well, us weldin’ majors had to study the density of metal. At the moment my dense brain feels like an exploded burrito. If
you’re through with intellectual pursuits, I reckon it’s time to head back to the motel. I’ve got to phone my insurance company
and figure somethin’ out about my truck.”
Annamarie reached over and clutched Hap’s elbow with her long, thin, ringless fingers. “I think what you are doing is terribly
romantic.”
Hap stared at her hand. A grin crept across his face. “You do?”
“Looking for your Juanita and all. Laramie told me all about it.”
“Some days it seems foolish.”
She broke the jerky in half and handed a piece to Laramie. “In a way, it reminds me of something my husband did when he was
young.”
Hap glanced over at his partner.
“Annamarie’s husband got killed in Iraq.” Laramie bit off a bite of jerky that burned his lower lip.
Hap yanked off his black, beaver felt cowboy hat and held it over his heart. “Was he in the service, ma’am?”
“No, he worked for a Texas-based drilling
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