Bad Fall - Romantic Suspense by Dellani Oakes

Part 9

 "Why didn't anyone call me?"

"I don't know. I thought Kenny told you."

"If we have to, we call the cops, okay?"

"Yes, Frank."

"Sue, this isn't your fault. Okay, I'm going by my place to get clean clothes and then the grocery store. If there's any problem with our pal, call the cops, then call me."

"Yes, Frank."

He smiled, reaching through the window to take her hand. He kissed the knuckles. "You're the best, babe. Thanks."

Sue sighed as he walked off. She might be 15 years older than he, and married, but she wasn't immune to his charm.

"I can't wait to meet this guy," Marka said as they walked to his car.

"Trust me, you can. He's such a dick. He's making me fucking crazy!" He kept his voice down, but the F-word echoed around them.

"Such strong language from such a clean cut guy," she reprimanded gently.

"Sorry. Please tell me you aren't one of those women who's put off by bad language. I'm an F-word kinda guy."

"My dad was in the military, Frank. Do you really think I haven't heard it before?" She giggled. "Some of these old folks have delicate sensibilities. We're dealing with a lot of retired ministers."

He chuckled, tossing his keys and catching them one handed. "True." He clicked the button on his keyring and his black Cayenne beeped.

The setting sun chose that precise moment to drop between two trees, setting her dark hair aglow. Her face, partially cast in shadow, smiled up at him. Until that moment, he couldn't have told anyone the color of her eyes. Even after all the time he'd spent with her that day. When she turned her head, the sun glimmered in them, dropping to the depths, to rise again as a glittering topaz. The honey brown orbs twinkled merrily.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said with a grin.

"Oh, hell, they aren't worth that much." He cleared his throat. "I think I got too much sleep. Off my game. Okay, first I need to stop at my place, then on to the IGA for food. If I'm staying here a few days, I need to stock a few things."

"Okay. Where do you live?"

"Kinda out in the country. I wanted something closer to town, but when you see it, you'll understand."

"Onward and upward, excelsior."

"I had to memorize that poem in elementary school," he commented as he fastened his seat belt.

"Oh, horrors! For me, it was John Gilpin's Ride."

"Uugh. . . . Rime of the Ancient Mariner, tenth grade."

"Me too. Oh, but I loved that one. It was so grim and murky."

"Yeah, I always kinda figured Coleridge was trippin' when he wrote that."

She burst out laughing. "Yeah, I can see that."

"One guy in my English class asked the teacher where he could get the stuff Coleridge was smokin' when he came up with that poem. Cause it had to be good shit."

"Not you?"

"Nooooo. I knew to keep a low profile. My mom was a teacher at the same school. I had to be on my best behavior."

"Ew. Never fun."

"She eventually became assistant principal. Fortunately, that was after I graduated."

"What does she do now?"

"Principal of the high school now. Bucking for superintendent. She'll get it in the next election. The other one is retiring and has already endorsed her to replace him."

"That's so cool. Where's home?"

"For the moment? Here."

© Dellani Oakes

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