Read Online Hunting Witches by Jeffery X Martin - Free Book Online

‘rasslin and accidentally falls through the window into the front bushes.”
    “Does that happen a lot?” Mark asked.
    Tommy spat on the steps. “Oh, son,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe.”
    “I’m sure I wouldn’t,” Mark mumbled.
    “Hey, Rafferty!” Tommy yelled. “Let’s get to measuring!”
    A man climbed out of Tommy’s work truck with a measuring tape. He was wearing a sleeveless denim shirt and jeans with holes and the knees. Mark noticed a tattoo on the man’s arm, still dark, relatively new. It was the face of a man Mark didn’t recognize.
    “You can go on back in, Mr. Pendleton,” Tommy said. “Rafferty and I will get this whole thing figured in a few minutes.”
    “All right, then,” Mark said, and went back inside.
    Nika was finishing up her plate, but she looked up at Mark. “He sounded friendly,” she said, her mouth full.
    “Yeah, he’s friendly,” Mark said. “Guy he’s working with is a bit of a lunk, but Tommy seems okay. You may want to put on some more clothes, though.”
    “Well, aren’t we provincial this morning?” Nika said.
    “I’m having a delicate morning, Nika,” he said. “Can you just do this one tiny thing without it pricking your sensitive feminist interests, which I normally fully respect and support?”
    Nika wiped her mouth and stood up. “You know, I’m ashamed to admit this, but it’s a bit of a turn-on when your patriarchal side comes out.” She trotted down the hallway to get dressed.
    “Hey, Mr. Pendleton!” Tommy yelled through the broken window. “Think we’ve got you figured out.”
    Mark opened the front door. “Come on in,” he said. “Would you like some coffee?”
    “If it’s not any trouble,” Tommy said.
    “Nah,” Mark said. “It’s already made. No trouble at all.”
    He held the door open and the two men entered. They followed Mark into the kitchen. “How do you take your coffee, gentlemen?” Mark asked.
    “Just black is fine,” Tommy said. Rafferty held his hand up and shook his head, saying nothing.
    “He don’t drink coffee,” Tommy said.
    The men were discussing measurements and materials when Nika walked into the kitchen. Mark didn’t notice her at first, but Rafferty did. He raised his eyes without moving his head, making his eye sockets look like dark canyons.
    Nika could feel the stranger’s gaze on her, like a tick on bare skin. She instinctively covered her breasts with her arms, but the man’s intense staring didn’t feel sexual. Predatory, yes, but in a different way. She was a cricket and he was a wolf spider.
    “Oh!” Mark said. “Hey, babe!” Mark had seen her on the kitchen perimeter and was waving her in to the table. Keeping her chest protected, she walked in.
    Tommy quickly offered his hand without waiting to be introduced. “Tommy Clark, Tommy’s Glass.” Nika lightly shook his hand and told him her name. Tommy pointed over his shoulder. “That there’s Rafferty. He don’t talk much.” Rafferty nodded once. Nika waved politely.
    “Well, the good news is this is not going to cost nearly as much as I thought it was going to,” Mark said. “Tommy says the glass that was…”
    “See, the glass what was in there,” Tommy interjected, “was just some cheap single pane glass. Something could have flown up while you were mowing the lawn and chipped that window. We can get you some good reinforced glass, double pane, for about the same as some Bell Plains shyster would charge you for the same shit you had in there. Excuse the language. I ain’t sayin’ it could withstand a brick, but it might.”
    “Well, that’s great,” Nika said.
    “Sounds like a ‘yes’ from the wife,” Tommy said.
    “How long will it take you to get it replaced?” Nika asked.
    “We leave now,” Tommy said, “come back, have it done by four in the afternoon.”
    Mark clapped his hands. “Gentlemen, you are so charged to fix our window.”
    “Huh?”
    “Um… git ‘er done.”
    Tommy smiled.