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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

She was quiet a second and said, “Tatum, what’re you going to do?”

“I don’t know, okay. I have no idea. I didn’t sign up for this. I came out here to get away from my problems, not inherit everyone else’s.”

“Well, sorry we’re such burdens, but he’s your dad.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

She rose and went into the kitchen and began washing plates off before putting them in the dishwasher. I rubbed my face and leaned my head against the couch cushions.

“How many hours a week you put into this ranch?” I said.

“About thirty.”

“On top of everything with work?”

“Yeah.”

“So what do you do for fun?”

She chuckled. “You’d think it was stupid.”

“You know I wouldn’t.”

She stopped washing the dishes and dried her hands on a towel. “Come here.”

I followed her outside and over to a barn. She slid open a massive door and inside was a truck and two cars. One of the cars, an old Nissan, was up on a mechanic’s platform, and the engine was only halfway put together.

“You fix cars for fun?”

“Technically I build them. That’s a Nissan body with a Mustang engine.”

“You watch football and build cars, while taking care of a ranch. Why do I get the feeling I’m the girl in this relationship?”

“That’s because you’ve bought into the lies about what a woman is. We’re not trophies and we’re not princesses.”

“Hey, I ain’t complaining. More power to you.” I stepped closer and peered at the engine. “Where you even learn how to do this?”

“Self-taught. I think it’d ruin the fun to take a class.” She adjusted something in the engine block and said, “I heard you visited Roscoe today.”

“Yeah, and how’d you hear that already?”

“He called me.”

“What’d he say?”

“He asked why you had come to see him.”

“And what did you say?”

She pulled her hand out of the engine, and it was covered in grease. On a rack near the car was a bunch of towels, and she took one and tried to wipe the grease off. “I told him it was your case, and I was staying out of it. You know, he’s a really loved figure in this town. One of the mayor’s best friends.”

“He’s also lying to me.”

“You sure about that?”

“I’m not sure of anything at this point, but yeah, I think he’s not telling the full truth about Anderson. Something happened the day he was injured, and they’re both lying about it, and I think it involved Patty.”

She tossed the towel back over the rack. “Well, just be careful. If it gets out you’re harassing him, whoever sits on that jury is not going to be happy with you.”

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