BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

A group of women who’d been playing cards on the other side of the room finished their game. One of them got up and walked over to the pool table.

“Arnetta, we promised Edna we’d take a ride over to her sale. Are you coming?”

“Nope.”

“You’re not?” Gladys asked.

“I don’t want any of her junk. I’ve got enough of my own.” The men laughed.

Gladys put her hand on her hip. “We’re not going over there to buy junk, Arnetta. We’re going over there to show our support. I thought Edna was your friend.”

“She is my friend. And I show her plenty of support. She’s moving here because of me, isn’t she? Maybe I’ll drive over later and find out how much money she raked in. Not that she doesn’t have enough already. She thinks she doesn’t, but she does. Gladys, we’re in the middle of a tournament …”

“Good-bye, Arnetta.” Gladys turned away with a disgusted look. It’s not nice the way that woman is always teasing Edna about money, she thought as she walked toward the door, where her friends were waiting.

“Arnetta’s not joining us?” one of the women asked.

Gladys shook her head. “How did you guess, Margaret? She says they’re in the middle of a tournament, but really, she can’t be bothered.”

“I knew she wouldn’t want to join us,” Margaret replied. She lowered her voice. “I don’t think any of that group would admit it, but they’re playing for money.”

20

I’ll get that,” Cleo said, hurrying over to her bathing suit and pulling it off the clothesline. Her heart was beating wildly.

“So,” Dirk said. “How about a swim?”

Cleo looked up at him. His face seemed kind. She didn’t want to be by herself. “Might as well. You want to wait a minute while I put this on?”

Dirk pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and smiled. “I’ve got all the time in the world for you.”

Oh, God, Cleo thought. Is he a nice guy or a nut? I don’t know. Maybe I should just pack up and leave. But at this point I wouldn’t know where to go. “I’ll be right out.”

Dirk nodded.

Cleo unlocked the door of the cabin, hurried inside, and shut the door harder than she intended. I hope he doesn’t think I slammed it, she thought, breathing more heavily than when she stopped running. Who followed me here? Who? She went over to the desk where she’d left her cell phone and dialed Daisy, but it went directly to voice mail. Cleo hung up, hurried into the bathroom, and glanced in the mirror. Look at those bags under my eyes.