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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

Gates Barnes. Probably the only girl in this town who was nice to me. Once, in elementary school, some kids had knocked the books out of my hands, and I’d stood there as all my index cards with notes went flying through the hallway. Gates had stopped and helped me pick them up while everyone else laughed. That was how we met.

“I remember,” I said. “How is she?”

“She’s a lawyer, too.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. She’s the county attorney now.”

“Wow. She always told me she wanted to get out of this town.”

He shrugged. “Not everyone was as smart as you. I was really proud of you for just leaving like that and making something of yourself. I never got to tell you.”

“Well, I appreciate that, Roscoe.”

He nodded again and looked at his watch. “I better go. I got a class to teach.” He rose from the booth and hugged me again. “You seen your dad yet?”

My guts turned to ice. “No.”

“Oh. Well, say hi to him for me.”

“Don’t think I’ll be seeing him, but it was good seeing you.”

His grin went away again as he thought of something to say, and then he just patted my shoulder and left. The waitress brought coffee over, and as I poured in some cream and sugar, I thought about Gates. I’d run away from here so fast I hadn’t really thought about who I’d left behind. Out of them all, she was the only one I had missed.

And the last time I’d seen her, she was lying broken in a hospital bed, and I could barely bring myself to look.

I drank the coffee and ordered a slice of chocolate cake. I’d been a kid when I’d run away from here, and what I’d felt then had come back the second I drove into town. A claustrophobic tightness like I was being crushed in some giant fist. I had a feeling that whatever demons I’d been running from as a kid were still here.

9

9

When I was done eating, I checked Airbnb for a place to stay, and not a single place was listed. I remembered there was an old motel down the street, and I drove past some newer-looking condominiums, white and gray. An attempt to bring some modernity to a street where people kept horses and sheep in their yards. I pulled in and spotted a sign about inquiries into leasing or buying, and I called the listed number. I told the Realtor I was interested, and she said she’d drive down in fifteen minutes. Didn’t sound like there was a lot of business coming through.

A slim blonde in cowboy boots rode up ten minutes later. She saw my car and her eyes went wide, probably at the prospect that I actually had the money to buy a unit.