Read Online After All These Years by Sally John - Free Book Online

what are you doing talking to Valley Oaks’ clearinghouse of gossip?”
    â€œI recognized her as such.”
    â€œThen why are you giving her the time of day?”
    â€œI’m interviewing lots of folks in an attempt to get a more rounded view of your author.”
    â€œDid she tell you about her daughter Tammy and Brady?”
    â€œIs this gossip?”
    â€œNo. She told me her side of the story, he told me his, and I saw some of it. Brady and Tammy worked together on acommittee for the Faire last year. Tammy went after him, flirting, asking him out. He wasn’t interested. Her ego was bruised. Her mother has held Brady in contempt ever since, blaming him for the entire situation.”
    â€œWhich leads you to believe her opinion is a little biased.” He chuckled. “Come on, Iz, give me more credit than you would a baboon writing this piece, huh?”
    â€œYou’ll not just take her word for something?”
    â€œI won’t take anything she says as fact unless two others substantiate it. Fair enough?”
    Isabel crossed her arms. His track record didn’t promote trust, but that was personal, something between the two of them. And it was a long time ago. She took a deep breath, again pushing aside the memories. “Promise?”
    â€œPromise.”
    Her temper fizzled. With a start she recognized a bad habit she thought was long gone. Angered at the drop of a hat, she would fuss and fume for a while, and then feel better. The sight of Tony sitting with Dot had ignited it. Tony seemed to be igniting too many emotions.
    She shook her head. “Sorry. Dot is just a needy person.”
    â€œShe seems pretty self-sufficient to me. Hey, I think I hear a band warming up.” He was changing the subject.
    Isabel glanced toward the square. The giant black grills used for cooking the pork chops were shut. The crowd of food-tent workers and patrons had dwindled. People were gathering nearer the band shell where park benches had been removed from the concrete slab, opening it up for dancing.
    She felt deflated. How she loved the Autumn Faire! This was her fourth one, and she had been anticipating for weeks the great fun and camaraderie it offered. And now here she was stewing over Tony’s presence. He was an outsider…he was going to tarnish this year’s memory…but then again…he didn’t have to, did he? After all, her reaction was her choice.
    He was as needy as Dot, but he didn’t recognize it in himself. Maybe he had never seen Jesus in action. Maybe she could at least give him a glimpse of that. That, after all, was what he needed to experience for his article.
Lord, love him through me?
“Come on, Tony. You’ve got to catch the full flavor of this weekend. Let’s dance.”
    â€œIt’s country.” His tone balked.
    â€œWard, you always did have a snooty side. Now, wouldn’t it serve your best interests if you joined in rather than stood at a distance and observed like a condescending city slicker? Potential interviewees might see you as approachable if you do a little,” she lifted her arms and stepped sideways, “line dancing.”
    He stood. “Good grief. You’ve gone Christian
and
country on me!”

Seven
    Cal stood eye to eye with Brady and asked, “In public?”
    His friend grinned. “Breaking new ground here. Watch my backside?”
    â€œAlways.” He returned the grin and punched Brady’s shoulder, and then he walked on.
    Cal continued patrolling the more or less circular edge of the Autumn Faire crowd gathered near the band shell. Things were winding down elsewhere in the park. He thought about Brady, who had just let him in on the latest developments with Gina.
    Five years ago the guy was a basket case, working long hours at three jobs. He was teaching high school English, farming with his dad, and writing instead of sleeping, desperate to publish his stories.