Caddy started to say something else but then thought better of it. Bentley was a good man who’d been brought up in a gilded world in Jackson. It would take some time, but she knew he had heart and ideals and would come around to the way things worked. Maybe it’d been too much to show him Billy Jack so soon. The Colson family watched the movie nearly every Thanksgiving after the parades, football games, and big supper. Those old action movies a big part of their family history.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so mean in my life,” Bentley said. “Tossing a sack of flour in a kid’s face. Come on.”

“He was trying to make him white.”

“I did like that one girl,” he said. “The one in those big boots and crazy glasses who told the asshole kid her name was Up. ‘Up Yours.’ She was beautiful. Had a nice little attitude.”

“And you like a little attitude?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Son of a bitch.”

“Can I get a drink of water?” Bentley said, grinning. “Or you gonna just toss me back out in this weather?”

“I didn’t plan on you staying.”

“I know.”

“But it is a long way home.”

“Three hours.”

“Don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She refilled her cup from the tap and passed it on to Bentley. Her phone started to ring, skittering across the kitchen table. Caddy picked up.

“Caddy?” a deep voice said. “It’s Boom. I’m drunk as hell and sure could use a little help.”

“Where are you?”

“Southern Star.”

“OK,” Caddy said. “Give me five minutes.”

She ended the call.

Bentley turned to her. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Don’t worry about it. Be right back.”

*   *   *

The girls had arrived at nine as promised and were on their way by ten. Sam Frye bought a Coke for Toby outside at the machine, the weather still for a moment, just kind of hanging in there in pink and black swirls above the truck stop and the highway. It was real nice, gloomy and pleasant at the same time.

“Why’d you tell the girl you were my uncle?” Toby asked. Sam Frye handed him the Coke, standing back and amazed at the wonderful show nature was providing that night. The swimming pool was a light emerald green, ruffled by the wind.

“Made sense,” Sam Frye said. “Two nice men. Old man and his nephew. The old man getting his nephew the first good ride of his life.”

“Something that girl will never believe,” Toby said. “No way she would think it was my first time any more than I would’ve believed it was her first. Did you see the body on her? She was little, compact and short. But strong, Sam. Boy, she really knew what she was doing.”