on . . .”
She waved the thought away. “Oh, I’m done with that. Go ahead and turn it off. The Braves can’t win, and the last thing I want to do is listen to their excuses. I hate excuses. There’s no reason they should have lost, and they know it. What’s going on?”
Beth walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter as Nana poured the lemonade from the pitcher. “Are you hungry?” Nana inquired. “I can make you a quick sandwich.”
“I just had a banana.”
“That’s not enough. You’re as skinny as a golf club.”
From your mouth to God’s ears, Beth thought. “Maybe later. Someone came in to apply for the job. He’s here now.”
“You mean the cute one with the German shepherd? I figured that’s what he was doing. How is he? Tell me that it’s always been his dream to clean cages.”
“You saw him?”
“Of course.”
“How did you know he was applying for the job?”
“Why else would you want to talk to me?”
Beth shook her head. Nana was always a step ahead of her. “Anyway, I think you should talk to him. I don’t quite know what to make of him.”
“Does his hair have anything to do with it?”
“What?”
“His hair. It kind of makes him look like Tarzan, don’t you think?”
“I really didn’t notice.”
“Sure you did, sweetie. You can’t lie to me. What’s the problem?”
Quickly, Beth gave her a rundown of the interview. When she was finished, Nana sat in silence.
“He walked from Colorado?”
“That’s what he says.”
“And you believe him?”
“That part?” She hesitated. “Yeah, I think he’s telling the truth about that.”
“That’s a long walk.”
“I know.”
“How many miles is that?”
“I don’t know. A lot.”
“That’s kind of strange, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” she said. “And there’s something else, too.”
“What?”
“He was a marine.”
Nana sighed. “Why don’t you wait here. I’ll go talk to him.”
For the next ten minutes, Beth watched them from behind the living room window curtains. Nana hadn’t stayed in the office to conduct the interview; instead, she’d led them to the wooden bench in the shade of the magnolia tree. Zeus was dozing at their feet, his ear flicking every now and then, shooing away the occasional fly. Beth couldn’t make out what either of them was saying, but occasionally she saw Nana frown, which seemed to suggest the interview wasn’t going well. In the end, Logan Thibault and Zeus walked back up the gravel drive toward the main road, while Nana watched them with a concerned expression on her face.
Beth thought Nana would make her way back to the house, but instead she began walking toward the office. It was then that Beth noticed a blue Volvo station wagon rolling up the drive.
The cocker spaniel. She’d completely forgotten about the pickup, but it seemed obvious that Nana was going to handle it. Beth used the time to cool herself with a cold washcloth and drink another glass of ice water.
From the kitchen, she heard the front door squeak open as Nana came back inside.
“How’d it go?”
“It went fine.”
“What did you think?”
“It was . . . interesting. He’s intelligent and polite, but you’re right. He’s definitely hiding something.”
“So where does that leave us? Should I put another ad in the paper?”
“Let’s see how he works out first.”
Beth wasn’t sure she had heard Nana right. “Are you saying you’re going to hire him?”
“No, I’m saying I did hire him. He starts Wednesday at eight.”
“Why’d you do that?”
“I trust him.” She gave a sad smile, as if she knew exactly what Beth was thinking. “Even if he was a marine.”
8
Thibault
T hibault didn’t want to return to Iraq, but once more, in February 2005, the First, Fifth was called up. This time, the regiment was sent to Ramadi, the capital of Al Anbar province and the southwest point of what was commonly referred to as “the triangle of
She waved the thought away. “Oh, I’m done with that. Go ahead and turn it off. The Braves can’t win, and the last thing I want to do is listen to their excuses. I hate excuses. There’s no reason they should have lost, and they know it. What’s going on?”
Beth walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter as Nana poured the lemonade from the pitcher. “Are you hungry?” Nana inquired. “I can make you a quick sandwich.”
“I just had a banana.”
“That’s not enough. You’re as skinny as a golf club.”
From your mouth to God’s ears, Beth thought. “Maybe later. Someone came in to apply for the job. He’s here now.”
“You mean the cute one with the German shepherd? I figured that’s what he was doing. How is he? Tell me that it’s always been his dream to clean cages.”
“You saw him?”
“Of course.”
“How did you know he was applying for the job?”
“Why else would you want to talk to me?”
Beth shook her head. Nana was always a step ahead of her. “Anyway, I think you should talk to him. I don’t quite know what to make of him.”
“Does his hair have anything to do with it?”
“What?”
“His hair. It kind of makes him look like Tarzan, don’t you think?”
“I really didn’t notice.”
“Sure you did, sweetie. You can’t lie to me. What’s the problem?”
Quickly, Beth gave her a rundown of the interview. When she was finished, Nana sat in silence.
“He walked from Colorado?”
“That’s what he says.”
“And you believe him?”
“That part?” She hesitated. “Yeah, I think he’s telling the truth about that.”
“That’s a long walk.”
“I know.”
“How many miles is that?”
“I don’t know. A lot.”
“That’s kind of strange, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” she said. “And there’s something else, too.”
“What?”
“He was a marine.”
Nana sighed. “Why don’t you wait here. I’ll go talk to him.”
For the next ten minutes, Beth watched them from behind the living room window curtains. Nana hadn’t stayed in the office to conduct the interview; instead, she’d led them to the wooden bench in the shade of the magnolia tree. Zeus was dozing at their feet, his ear flicking every now and then, shooing away the occasional fly. Beth couldn’t make out what either of them was saying, but occasionally she saw Nana frown, which seemed to suggest the interview wasn’t going well. In the end, Logan Thibault and Zeus walked back up the gravel drive toward the main road, while Nana watched them with a concerned expression on her face.
Beth thought Nana would make her way back to the house, but instead she began walking toward the office. It was then that Beth noticed a blue Volvo station wagon rolling up the drive.
The cocker spaniel. She’d completely forgotten about the pickup, but it seemed obvious that Nana was going to handle it. Beth used the time to cool herself with a cold washcloth and drink another glass of ice water.
From the kitchen, she heard the front door squeak open as Nana came back inside.
“How’d it go?”
“It went fine.”
“What did you think?”
“It was . . . interesting. He’s intelligent and polite, but you’re right. He’s definitely hiding something.”
“So where does that leave us? Should I put another ad in the paper?”
“Let’s see how he works out first.”
Beth wasn’t sure she had heard Nana right. “Are you saying you’re going to hire him?”
“No, I’m saying I did hire him. He starts Wednesday at eight.”
“Why’d you do that?”
“I trust him.” She gave a sad smile, as if she knew exactly what Beth was thinking. “Even if he was a marine.”
8
Thibault
T hibault didn’t want to return to Iraq, but once more, in February 2005, the First, Fifth was called up. This time, the regiment was sent to Ramadi, the capital of Al Anbar province and the southwest point of what was commonly referred to as “the triangle of
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