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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 shook her head. “That poor girl. Yeah, do what you have to do, I guess. But nothing public, not yet. Oh, I asked around about Horace. No one would say much, but it’s pretty clear he’s getting huge donations from both the mayor and Nathan Ficco. Looks like the powerful in this town don’t want me in the top spot anymore.”

“They don’t want whatever they’re hiding to come to light.”

We rode a little in silence.

“I used to come up here for hours,” she said. “Just sit on a ledge and let the world disappear. You have a place like that in Florida?”

“The pier near my house, I guess. I mean, it was always crowded, but there was something about being near the ocean that . . . I don’t know. It does something to you.”

“Do you know I’ve never seen the ocean?”

“What’re you talking about? You’ve never been to the beach?”

“I’ve never been more than a couple hundred miles from River Falls. Went to law school at UNLV and would just drive down every morning. I had a plan to study abroad, but Dad got sick.” She glanced at me. “How’s Adam?”

“Not good. He’s coughing up a lot of blood, but he refuses to get treatment. And he’s got a little arsenal of pain medication. I think his plan is to take the pain meds until it’s time to check out.”

“He’s not that old. He’s got time left if he started treatment.”

“Said he’s tired of life. Don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Well, you need to talk him into it.”

I chuckled. “Since when does anyone talk Adam into anything? He does what he does, and the world be damned.”

She smiled. “Gee, who does that sound like?”

We dismounted and sat on a small rock ledge that overlooked the entire ranch. There was no breeze, no cars, no crickets or katydids, nothing.

“Tonight he asked me if I wanted kids,” I said.

“What’d you say?”

“I said no. Too late anyway. I’m an old man now.”

“Pushing forty is hardly an old man. Besides, you started everything else over. Maybe not having kids is something you need to rethink, too.”

I looked out over the green plains. In the moonlight, they were the same aquamarine as ocean water.

“I don’t belong here,” I said. “It feels like I’m in a play. I should’ve just kept driving through.”

“I don’t think you believe that for a second. I think you’re scared of something, and you’re not used to being scared.”

We stared at each other a second, and she said, “We better get back. I have an early meet and greet with the old fogies in town.”