Kathy was right. She had one last hurrah before she gave up. I loved all of her family except her oldest brother. He was a cop, a shift commander. He was also arrogant and a bully. We tolerated each other, just. He'd taken to pulling me over regularly, just to mess with me and demand I forgive his sister. I talked to Paul, he had me log the next four stops, and the good commander found himself explaining his interest in me to the assistant chief. The stops halted, and it didn't make him like me more. It was two weeks before the final hearing. The sun was shining, spring was in the air, and I was feeling happy for the first time in a long while. The Yamaha was humming right along that Saturday morning when the lights came on behind me. I pulled over. I was getting my license out, not looking at him, when he tasered me, put me in cuffs and threw me in the back of his car. I had just come around when he stopped at a nearby park, hauled me out while I ranted, and handcuffed me to a be
It was wood, stone and glass, with a high ceiling and lots of natural light. After I explained he was all for it, if we could do it on a Monday, his slowest sales day. He gave me a case of wines I hadn't tasted it yet, just for an opinion. Many of his wines had names linked to the area. Millrace Red was named for the old grist mill on the edge of his property. Yankee Orchard White was named for a friends' apple orchard. A transplanted New Yorker, he specialized in rare and new varieties. Juice from his Pink Lady apples were mixed with a medium white, and it was really smooth, tasting like fresh apples with just a hint of grape. It had been a long day, and I needed to unwind. As it happened, I had to go right by the bar on the way home. Forgetting how I was dressed, I walked in. There was silence for a minute, then the laughter and ribbing started. "Where you been? A funeral?" Laughed Fat Bob, the first guy I'd talked to when I found the place. We'd become pretty good friends, to t
By now I had calmed down and was a little ashamed. I let go of her and opened the passenger door. She slid in without hesitation. We had gone a mile when she started to talk. I held up my hand. "Not a word, or I'll pull over and finish what I started. Then I'll leave you where you are. Understand?" She nodded, wide eyed. I pulled into the parking lot, reached over and threw her door open. "Out. Now." She got out. I slammed the door, pulled onto the highway, and turned the turbo loose, shredding tires. I didn't go back for three weeks, waiting until after she had to leave before I walked in. Giving Helen the coat, scarf and gloves. "Here. They're for Amanda. She can wear them, burn them, or stick them up her ass. I don't really care." Helen and Sam looked at me in shock. Then Helen grinned and slapped me. "What the hell was that for?" I asked, rubbing my cheek. "That's for making us put up with a screaming bitch for three weeks. We wondered what happened when you dropped out
"Hey! I was watching that.""It's boring as shit, Suit. Besides, I'm your guest here."She settled on some show about four girls and a secret they shared. I lasted five minutes."If you're going to watch stuff that turns your brain to mush, I'm going to bed before I get infected. Good night, Amanda."I could still hear the tv blaring when I drifted off to sleep. The next morning she woke me up, banging on my door."Breakfast, sleepyhead," she said, parroting me from the day before, "eat it while it's hot."Sausage, home fries and grits. I was still getting used to them, not being from the South. I will admit they were growing on me."You don't keep much food around do you?" she asked as I ate."Single guy, not home much, no reason to," I said, around a bite of sausage.She stacked the dishes when I was done."Do you need a ride tonight?" I asked, as I walked out the door."I'm off tonight," she said, "but d
She stopped in midtwirl, her eyes filled with tears, and she bolted int her room. Shit, what had I done now? She came home from school the next week giggling. "What's up?" I said, glad she was in a good mood. "I got asked out by this really cute guy. We'd been talking off and on for a month." I felt like someone had driven a stake through my heart. "Oh." was all I said, turning away. She was on me in a flash. "That's all you got to say? Oh?" I was defensive. "What would you like me to say? You're obviously interested, you've been flirting for a month. Why should I stop you?" She went into her room, slamming the door. I sighed. That had been happening a lot lately. I was going to have to have it rehung if she kept this up. I knocked but she refused to answer. Giving up, I got a beer out, and wallowed in misery. By my third, I was pondering the mysteries of women before dozing off. I woke when she shook my shoulder, gently. "What?," I said, trying to focus. The Big Four cam
I'll admit it, I had to jump in the water about every five minutes, trying to get my erection to go down. The water was so warm it didn't help. Her body was small but proportional, making her 32c cups look a lot bigger than they were. Her ass made men stop talking as she walked by. I saw one wife jab her husband in the ribs over it. We tried to kill each other with sex that night. Didn't work, but we almost went into comas. ... Six glorious months went by. I made her quit the bar so she'd be home with me. She grumbled, but did it. She was walking around with that secret smile I recognized. She was up to something. To fill in her time, she went back to school, going for a degree in hospitality and food management. I supported her fully, but didn't understand her degree choice. She called me at work, sounding panicky. "Honey, I need you to come home. Now. It's important." I left immediately. She was pacing back and forth, obviously agitated. She rushed into my arms. I was startin
The tears started in earnest when I told her I loved her, and she flew into my arms, sobbing her heart out. Amanda walked in. "What's going on?" she asked, nervously. "Our child is growing up, honey. She did something bad, got caught, came home, and told me all about it. I truly believe she understands what she did, and is sorry. I'll let her tell you about it. Here." I handed her off and went outside, catching the D.S.S. worker at the mailbox. "Hi, Denise. Sorry, it was a false alarm. She got caught doing something she shouldn't have, and got suspended for three days. Nothing real serious, but she was afraid to face us. Amanda is with her now, getting to the bottom of what happened. They're inside, if you want to check on them." She sighed. "I ought to, but I think I can trust you. Now I can get home and cook Fred's dinner, and eat as a family for once." "Thanks, Denise," I said, feeling bad for taking time away from her family. "Why don't you guys come over Sunday? I got a co
The regulars were a little leery at first, but soon you could hear discussions and sometimes arguments over which farm provided the best produce, and which fresh herbs and spices complimented which dishes best. It was a riot to see two big bikers almost come to blows over which soup was better, pumpkin or butternut squash. She also added a wine list, all locals, with Jacks' getting top billing. It was funny, in our state you couldn't serve wine in a place that had pool tables, so they had to go. Helen and Sam really didn't mind because that was usually where the fights started, and they could add eight more tables in the space. Helen took the lead and worked a deal with a local brewer to feature their beers on draft. A local food critic, hearing good things, paid us a visit. We didn't even know it until the review came out. THE BEST HIDDEN JEWEL IN THE STATE was the caption, followed by an outstanding review. "Sam's Bar and Grill, located on Swan Pond Road just outside of the cit