T-R-O-U-B-L-E

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So Dad ended up having to tell the deputy, this mean, skinny-looking guy in a white cowboy hat, how he was just tryin' to wash some stinky mud off his kid and he didn't know the water'd be hot enough to burn me and how he just moved to Tonopah to work on the northern bomb test range which was a top-secret national defense job and he had a security clearance and stuff.

The deputy was just standing there with squinty eyes looking at Dad like he was a dumb dog or something and didn't know any better. He had those sunglasses that are big on the outside and little where his nose stuck out. It was sunburned. Real sore-looking. Even in the shade of his hat you could tell he was squinting. Dad got done talking about his vital defense security job and the deputy's eyebrows lifted up over his sunglasses.

If it's so doggone secret, maybe I oughta arrest you for talkin' about it. That's what he said.

Dad just shrugged and stared over at the store like he wanted to go in there and do something besides business. You could see those old people looking out, dark shapes with eyes.

So I said I was okay and it was really my fault for climbing that date tree and Sir. And my Dad wouldn't hurt me for nothin', he always takes good care of me since my Mom died, and when I quivered up my lip and sniffled the deputy's face uncurled and he came over and got me by the shoulder. You could get your neck broke fallin' out of a palm tree, he said. It's sure been done.

Why don't they have a fence around the damn place? That was Candace, Dad's girlfriend. I called her Candy Ass, but not out loud, except once. She got out of the car where she was sitting with the doors open. We've got perfect grounds for a lawsuit, she said, wiggling her head around. If people have died out here.

You the mother?

No, I'm the fiancé. Her mother died in an automobile accident.

It was a date picker, ma'am. The deputy looked over, starting down at her ankles and working up.

He fell off'n a ladder and broke his doggone neck. Nobody's fault but the man's own. Drunk on the job. Why don't you just go on in the store and get you some First-Aid cream for that girl's legs. And take her with you. Out of the sun.

She started to grab my hand and I took off for the screendoor with her tryin' to get ahold of me all the way but I got there first and opened it up like I was gonna let it slam right in her face. But then I went sideways and held it open, like a good girl.

You could see the old people hunching around to get behind the counter. Candy Ass gave me a dirty look and went in. I looked at her butt. Dad said she had a nice one but it just looked big to me.

I don't remember Mom so good but I know she didn't do the stuff ol' Candy Ass liked to do. I hated the noises those two made, like zoo critters in cages.

She looked at the old woman like she wanted to scratch her eyes out but instead she just asked if they had some First-Aid Cream for the young lady's injuries. Nothin' about a lawsuit.

The old woman said just a minute and started walking over to this shelf. They had a swamp cooler going and it was nice in there. I went over and started looking at the tourist stuff like postcards with these cartoons and pictures of rabbits with horns and shiny pieces of wood and stuff with words painted on. Rocks with little doll eyeballs glued. Then I saw these rubber spiders and went over. They were in a basket, spiders on top but underneath there were some green army-colored rats with the eyes painted red and then this rubber snake. Sort of grayish brown with yellow and black squares, really cool. Just one, like it was hiding out from everybody.

The old guy turned on this radio in back. Dad was out there with the deputy. The old woman was still poking around on the shelf so I grabbed that snake and stuffed it down my shorts and pulled my blouse out quick. Then I went over and stood behind Candy's big ol' butt with the snake sticking to the skin of my belly inside my underpants. The old lady found the First Aid Cream and Candy Ass got out her purse. The old lady gave me this look like she was sorry for me. But I just sniffled and walked outside and sat in the car on the side away from the deputy. Candy Ass came over with the First Aid Cream but I shut the door and said No I want my Dad, not you.