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Authors: Elizabeth Rose
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paint was peeled, and the words barely readable. The driver didn’t even see her as he turned off the main road and headed down a dirt path into the woods. He pulled an empty car trailer behind him. He headed slowly over the bumpy dirt trail, the heavy foliage devouring him up from her sight.
She ran after him and stopped at the dirt trail. She never would have even seen it hadn’t the truck passed through. She followed at a safe distance, already knowing that this was the road that led to the home of the infamous Thomas Taylor.
Thomas threw his duffel bag into the cab of his pickup and hurried over to meet Gus Kramer. The man was already an hour late, yet he drove slow and lazily as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“It’s about time you got here,” Thomas grumbled, opening the man’s door and all but dragging him out.
“Slow down, Taylor, will ya?” Gus remarked, shaking Thomas’s hand off his arm. “You know I don’t like to be rushed.”
“Rush is a word no one in all of Sweet Water has ever heard. Has there ever been a case of you showing up on time yet?”
“We’ll get there, we’ll get there,” he said, heading toward the back of the trailer and slowly flipping down one tire ramp. It was already a hot morning, and Gus took the opportunity to pull a handkerchief from his pocket, removing his glasses to wipe the sweat from them. “Sure is goin’ ta be a scorcher today. But old widow McCalister said it should rain in the next few days because her knee has been hurtin’.”
“I’m not paying you by the hour to hear a weather report from an old woman with arthritis.” He hurried over and flipped down the second ramp himself. “I need to get to Brighton fast. I’ve got a potential buyer waiting, and if I don’t sell this car I’ll be eating roots and last year’s apples throughout the winter.”
“All right, all right,” he said, don’t get your pants in a knot. I’m moving as fast as I can.” The man continued to inspect his eyeglasses and Thomas was about to blow his cool. He motioned with his arm for Daniel to bring the car over and drive it up the ramps onto the trailer. Daniel was an excellent driver. Thomas had taught him how to operate behind the wheel since he was thirteen. The boy had been driving the tractor and four wheeler around his land since he was ten.
Josh and Elijah sat atop the corral fence eating apples. Jacob swept up a mess in the pole barn, and Zeke was off hiding somewhere again. Sam stayed in the shadows, his face turned downward. The boy longed to drive more than anyone, and by Thomas’s standards he should have been doing so by now. But with the boy’s bad right leg, Thomas wasn’t sure he would ever drive. Maybe some day he could afford to buy an automatic instead of stick. Maybe he could teach him to drive with his good leg instead.
“That’s good, Dan,” called Thomas, and the boy stopped on a dime. The day was nice and the ebony top on the convertible was down, and Dan hopped out right over the side without bothering to open the door.
Gus whistled in admiration when he saw the car, taking his time to slowly make his way all the way around it. “She’s a beaut,” he said, peering over the side into the front seat. “Got a four on the floor Hurst linkage,” he stated, showing his knowledge of cars.
“With a posi-traction rear end,” Daniel added, trying to match the man’s expertise.
Thomas grabbed his duffel bag out of his truck, deciding they’d never get there today if he followed Gus in his own truck like he usually did. The man would just have to face the fact that he was going to drive.
“And it’s got a big block 396,” said Josh running over, leaving Eli sitting alone atop the fence.
“Painting it fire engine red was my idea,” shouted Jacob from inside the pole barn.
“Well, Taylor, you got yerself some mighty smart boys here,” said Gus with a nod of approval. Gus might move slowly, but the man was one of
She ran after him and stopped at the dirt trail. She never would have even seen it hadn’t the truck passed through. She followed at a safe distance, already knowing that this was the road that led to the home of the infamous Thomas Taylor.
Thomas threw his duffel bag into the cab of his pickup and hurried over to meet Gus Kramer. The man was already an hour late, yet he drove slow and lazily as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“It’s about time you got here,” Thomas grumbled, opening the man’s door and all but dragging him out.
“Slow down, Taylor, will ya?” Gus remarked, shaking Thomas’s hand off his arm. “You know I don’t like to be rushed.”
“Rush is a word no one in all of Sweet Water has ever heard. Has there ever been a case of you showing up on time yet?”
“We’ll get there, we’ll get there,” he said, heading toward the back of the trailer and slowly flipping down one tire ramp. It was already a hot morning, and Gus took the opportunity to pull a handkerchief from his pocket, removing his glasses to wipe the sweat from them. “Sure is goin’ ta be a scorcher today. But old widow McCalister said it should rain in the next few days because her knee has been hurtin’.”
“I’m not paying you by the hour to hear a weather report from an old woman with arthritis.” He hurried over and flipped down the second ramp himself. “I need to get to Brighton fast. I’ve got a potential buyer waiting, and if I don’t sell this car I’ll be eating roots and last year’s apples throughout the winter.”
“All right, all right,” he said, don’t get your pants in a knot. I’m moving as fast as I can.” The man continued to inspect his eyeglasses and Thomas was about to blow his cool. He motioned with his arm for Daniel to bring the car over and drive it up the ramps onto the trailer. Daniel was an excellent driver. Thomas had taught him how to operate behind the wheel since he was thirteen. The boy had been driving the tractor and four wheeler around his land since he was ten.
Josh and Elijah sat atop the corral fence eating apples. Jacob swept up a mess in the pole barn, and Zeke was off hiding somewhere again. Sam stayed in the shadows, his face turned downward. The boy longed to drive more than anyone, and by Thomas’s standards he should have been doing so by now. But with the boy’s bad right leg, Thomas wasn’t sure he would ever drive. Maybe some day he could afford to buy an automatic instead of stick. Maybe he could teach him to drive with his good leg instead.
“That’s good, Dan,” called Thomas, and the boy stopped on a dime. The day was nice and the ebony top on the convertible was down, and Dan hopped out right over the side without bothering to open the door.
Gus whistled in admiration when he saw the car, taking his time to slowly make his way all the way around it. “She’s a beaut,” he said, peering over the side into the front seat. “Got a four on the floor Hurst linkage,” he stated, showing his knowledge of cars.
“With a posi-traction rear end,” Daniel added, trying to match the man’s expertise.
Thomas grabbed his duffel bag out of his truck, deciding they’d never get there today if he followed Gus in his own truck like he usually did. The man would just have to face the fact that he was going to drive.
“And it’s got a big block 396,” said Josh running over, leaving Eli sitting alone atop the fence.
“Painting it fire engine red was my idea,” shouted Jacob from inside the pole barn.
“Well, Taylor, you got yerself some mighty smart boys here,” said Gus with a nod of approval. Gus might move slowly, but the man was one of
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