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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

It was in the afternoon that day when I sat on Gates’s porch and looked out over the meadow behind her house. Some cows were roaming around, and I could see her horses in the pen by the fence. Dandelions dotted the landscape, and farther out were trees and then a valley. She came and sat down in the rocking chair next to me.

“You know the local paper has been bugging me about getting them an interview with you.”

I waved my hand. “Hate that stuff. Always have. Besides, you’re a much prettier face for the media.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to get your name out there. I mean . . . if you’re planning to stay.”

I inhaled deeply and looked out over the grass. “I think I’ll be around for a while. My dad gets out of the hospital today and I want to be there. I don’t know him, and he sure as hell doesn’t know me. I thought maybe we could change that.”

She watched me a second and said, “I think he would like that.” She sipped water out of a bottle she was holding. “Guess who else will be staying?”

“Jia. I know.”

“How do you know?”

“She texted me and said she turned the job down. It’s a good move for her. I don’t think she’ll stay here, but she needs to cook a little bit in the fire of the courtroom before she heads out to bigger and better things.”

“Better?”

I grinned. “Well, at least bigger.”

She reached for my hand. I took hers, and we sat quietly a minute and watched the grass and the cows before I said, “I have a surprise for you.”

“What?”

“I’ll show you.”

We pulled up to the City and County Building.

“What is it?” Gates said.

“Wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.”

Once inside, she was going to head downstairs, and I said, “No, up here.”

Gates and I took the stairs to the third floor. The floor was massive and people were boxing things up. Some movers were there as well, and Gates glanced around and said, “What’s going on?”

“The city manager’s office is moving downstairs. And guess who’ll be moving up here to the nice offices?”

“Are you kidding me? How’d you manage that?”

“Easy. I bought the building.”

She chuckled. “What?”

“I bought the building. What? It’s a good investment. I looked at the demographics, and the town is slowly—albeit very, very slowly—growing. One day I can leave this building to my kids.”

“Kids? Who are you and what have you done with Tatum?”

I approached her and took her hands in mine. “I don’t . . . I screwed it up once. You don’t get many second chances. I’m not going to screw it up this time.”