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Back Black Ambrosia Save as PDF
Chapters (46)
  1. CoverImage
  2. Introduction by Grady Hendrix
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. About the Author
  46. About the Cover

“Ha. Good for you. Bet she keeps you hopping, doesn’t she? Gloria’s a good old broad. Her husband’s a charter member of the Yacht Club here. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t have any use for me at all. Hah. Gloria. Give her my love . . . no, better not.” He winked at me as he noisily gulped the last of his coffee.

Suddenly, all the energy ran out of my limbs like warm water. I needed to go home.

I stood and thanked Cap, parrying his insistence that I stay and have breakfast. I explained my working hours, and he invited me back that night as his guest, to have a little late dinner before work, to see the club in action, to meet his friends.

In my anxiety to get away, I agreed. Later, I was sorry, and thought about not going. On the other hand, it was a perfect excuse to see some of the local side of social life in Seven Slopes, and I, too, was lonely for companionship.

“I began to hate Angelina. After such a long time with no word of her, I figured she must be dead. I tried to tell myself that she was either dead or reformed, but I knew better. I knew deep down inside myself that if Angelina died, I’d know about it. She was all I could think about, and it was ruining my life. I prayed for word of her so I could stop her. And then I prayed for word of her so I could see her again. I had to talk to her, I had to ask her ‘Why?’ And finally I prayed for word of her so I could have an excuse to leave Westwater. It was suddenly too damned small-­town for me. I hated it, and I hated everybody’s demands on me. Another winter and I thought I’d die of boredom. I was restless like I’d never known before. Really restless. I just wanted to get out, see some new things, meet some new people. I just wanted to get out.

But this is the address where my newspapers come, and it was from here that I’d started my network trying to find her, so I didn’t dare leave. I was trapped here because of Angelina. She’d tied me down here in Westwater, and I really hated her for it.”

17

17

I slept through the day and awoke about four in the afternoon. It was already dark outside. I turned on the radio to hear Christmas music, and I couldn’t help but reminisce. One year ago I had been with Lewis; the Christmas before that, I had been with my mother and Rolf. Would the holiday season ever again be as it used to be? Probably not. Christmas was for children.