Read Online Karaoke at the Tumbleweed by Carol Lynne - Free Book Online Page A

around back. She was just about to leave when she noticed the back patio door wasn’t closed all the way.
    Looking through the glass she couldn’t see a thing. “Tag?” she called again as she entered the quiet house. Walking through the empty rooms felt strange. It was evident Tag had been here. The big question was if he was still in the house and why he wasn’t answering her calls. “Tag?”
    Nicole ascended the grand staircase toward the upper floor. The house was still as beautiful as she’d remembered from her childhood, although, it almost felt lonely. A house this big should be filled with children.
    Searching bedrooms, Nicole opened the door at the end of the hall. “Tag?”
    Tag was curled on the bed sound asleep. Nicole looked around the room. Scratch that previous thought. Tag was curled on the bed passed out from a bottle of Wild Turkey. “Oh, Tag,” Nicole sighed as she picked up the empty bottle.
    Going to the bathroom down the hall, Nicole wet a washcloth and took it back to the bedroom. Sitting on the side of the small twin-size bed, Nicole wiped the grime off Tag’s masculine face. Deciding he needed a whole lot more than a face wash, Nicole started stripping the clothes from his body.
    Tag didn’t even stir as she bathed his entire body with a washrag and pan of hot water. Even in sleep, Nicole could see the anguish on his face. “What have you been through this week?” she whispered.
    After shaving his face, Nicole covered Tag and went downstairs to see if there was anything in the house to eat. As expected, the cupboards were bare which meant Tag probably hadn’t eaten at all in the last three days.
    She penned a quick note and left the house.
     

     
    Opening his eyes, Tag tasted toothpaste. “What the hell,” he grumbled. The sound of his own voice almost shattered his ear drums. His head was pounding and he thought for a second he must be dying.
    The rolling of his stomach reminded him of his activities the past few days. He needed to pee so bad he was in pain, but the thought of lifting his head off the pillow was enough to keep him there. He tried to look around the room for something to pee in without having to actually get out of bed. It was then that he noticed he was naked and under the covers.
    He held both hands to his head as he forced himself to sit up and swing his legs over the small bed. The sound of someone coming up the stairs had him releasing his head to cover his groin with the child’s bedspread, no, not the child’s, his. This had been his room when he was a boy.
    The door opened and he looked up. “Angel?”
    The smile Nicole flashed him gave Tag the strength he needed. “I need to pee.”
    Laughing, Nicole helped him up. “Even hung-over you’re still a sweet-talker.”
    He gave as much of a smile as he could master and put his arm around her shoulders. Without being asked, Nicole helped him down the hall to the bathroom. When he should have released her, he held on, making her walk him to the toilet.
    “Do you want me to hold it for you, too?” she asked.
    “Only if you want,” he answered. Tag reached down with his free hand and relieved himself with a sigh of pleasure. Very few things outside of the bedroom felt as good as that first pee of the morning. “What time is it?”
    “Almost four.”
    Four? “What day?” he asked as he shook himself off.
    “Thursday.”
    She helped him to the sink where he washed his hands, noticing his clean-shaven face. “Did you brush my teeth, too?”
    “No,” she giggled. I did squirt a little toothpaste in your mouth though. I was working so closely that your breath was starting to get me drunk.”
    Nicole walked him back to bed. “Why don’t you rest? I’ll go down and get you a bowl of soup.”
    The thought of food had his stomach doing flip flops. “I don’t think I can keep anything down.”
    “Too bad. You’re going to at least try. I’ll bring a puke bucket back up with me, but if you don’t get