Read Online Song of the Road by Dorothy Garlock - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dorothy Garlock
Ads: Link
There was an instant silence. He then pulled the wire used as an antenna from the window and picked up the radio.
Frank was still on the ground. Eli stood over him with a big stick. “I’ll just keep this awhile to make sure you don’t decide to do something foolish and turn it on again.”
“I’ll complain to the sheriff. They’ll throw you so far back in jail you’ll never get out.”
“No, they won’t. If anyone goes to jail it’ll be you,” Mary Lee said. “I’ll insist on it.”
“That jailbird’s stealin’ my radio.”
“Get up,” Jake said, nudging him with the toe of his boot. “Get back in there and keep your mouth shut. You’re just a whisker away from me kickin’ your butt up between your ears.”
“You’re on parole. I’ll tell the sheriff —”
“Frank, honey.” Dolly stood swaying in the doorway. “Ya comin’ back in?”
Mary Lee went to her. “Come to the house, Mama.”
“Ya can kiss my foot!” Dolly yelled. “You’re just like that stuffy old Scott. Ya don’t want me to have no fun.”
Frank brushed past Mary Lee and took Dolly’s arm. “Come to bed, sugar,” he said, glaring triumphantly at Mary Lee. “We’ll have us a hot time ’tween the sheets. I know a few tricks that’ll give ya a duck fit.”
Mary Lee felt a hand on her arm pulling her away from the door. “You’re shivering. Go on back to the house.” Jake walked with her back to the porch.
She couldn’t hold back the tears that filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. They were tears of humiliation, grief and anger.
“Thank you for what you did. I hope you won’t get in trouble.”
“I won’t unless the owner complains about me breaking down her door.” Jake resisted the urge to put his arms around her.
“She won’t.”
“I’ll take a couple of tubes out of the radio and leave it on the step over there so he can’t accuse me of stealing it.”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
“It wasn’t a bother. I told Eli to come get me if Frank got smart with you.”
“The telephone is disconnected or I’d have called the sheriff.”
“Go on back to bed. You’ve got a good lookout. Eli will let me know if there’s any more trouble. I kind of wish I’d let him hit Frank with that stick.”
She felt strangely disturbed and too warm. A little laugh bubbled from her lips. “So do I.”
Chapter 6
“I ’M . . . COMING! I’ M COMING —” he yelled as he ran through the high meadow grass. The long blades wrapped about his feet and held him back. Mary Lee! She was holding her arms over her belly, trying to protect her unborn child. Her mouth was open in a silent scream.
Jake woke with a start and reared up in the bed. His heart was pounding. He was wet with sweat. It was dark where, seconds before, it had been bright sunlight. The cramp in his leg brought him to his feet. He put all his weight on the leg and massaged the tight muscle in his calf with strong fingers. When he was able to stand, he walked back and forth beside the bed until the muscle was relaxed.
The dream was still with him.
Lon Delano, the son of a bitch, had tried to kill Mary Lee’s baby! And when he saw Jake coming, had shot him.
The room was pitch dark, but in his mind’s eye he could see Mary Lee’s fear-filled eyes, pain in every line in her face. She had been big with his child when Lon threw her to the ground.
His child?
Jake sat down on the bed and put his face in his hands. The dream had been so real, he was still shaking. For the first time in his life he began to doubt his sanity. Mary Lee was carrying Bobby’s baby, not his. Bits and pieces of the dream kept coming back to him.
They had made love in a meadow surrounded by a thick fog. Warm and naked, she had lain on top of him so that he could feel the movement of their child. He had slipped inside her so gently she had been unaware of it. When she realized that they were joined, she laughed and laughed and kissed him again and
Frank was still on the ground. Eli stood over him with a big stick. “I’ll just keep this awhile to make sure you don’t decide to do something foolish and turn it on again.”
“I’ll complain to the sheriff. They’ll throw you so far back in jail you’ll never get out.”
“No, they won’t. If anyone goes to jail it’ll be you,” Mary Lee said. “I’ll insist on it.”
“That jailbird’s stealin’ my radio.”
“Get up,” Jake said, nudging him with the toe of his boot. “Get back in there and keep your mouth shut. You’re just a whisker away from me kickin’ your butt up between your ears.”
“You’re on parole. I’ll tell the sheriff —”
“Frank, honey.” Dolly stood swaying in the doorway. “Ya comin’ back in?”
Mary Lee went to her. “Come to the house, Mama.”
“Ya can kiss my foot!” Dolly yelled. “You’re just like that stuffy old Scott. Ya don’t want me to have no fun.”
Frank brushed past Mary Lee and took Dolly’s arm. “Come to bed, sugar,” he said, glaring triumphantly at Mary Lee. “We’ll have us a hot time ’tween the sheets. I know a few tricks that’ll give ya a duck fit.”
Mary Lee felt a hand on her arm pulling her away from the door. “You’re shivering. Go on back to the house.” Jake walked with her back to the porch.
She couldn’t hold back the tears that filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. They were tears of humiliation, grief and anger.
“Thank you for what you did. I hope you won’t get in trouble.”
“I won’t unless the owner complains about me breaking down her door.” Jake resisted the urge to put his arms around her.
“She won’t.”
“I’ll take a couple of tubes out of the radio and leave it on the step over there so he can’t accuse me of stealing it.”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
“It wasn’t a bother. I told Eli to come get me if Frank got smart with you.”
“The telephone is disconnected or I’d have called the sheriff.”
“Go on back to bed. You’ve got a good lookout. Eli will let me know if there’s any more trouble. I kind of wish I’d let him hit Frank with that stick.”
She felt strangely disturbed and too warm. A little laugh bubbled from her lips. “So do I.”
Chapter 6
“I ’M . . . COMING! I’ M COMING —” he yelled as he ran through the high meadow grass. The long blades wrapped about his feet and held him back. Mary Lee! She was holding her arms over her belly, trying to protect her unborn child. Her mouth was open in a silent scream.
Jake woke with a start and reared up in the bed. His heart was pounding. He was wet with sweat. It was dark where, seconds before, it had been bright sunlight. The cramp in his leg brought him to his feet. He put all his weight on the leg and massaged the tight muscle in his calf with strong fingers. When he was able to stand, he walked back and forth beside the bed until the muscle was relaxed.
The dream was still with him.
Lon Delano, the son of a bitch, had tried to kill Mary Lee’s baby! And when he saw Jake coming, had shot him.
The room was pitch dark, but in his mind’s eye he could see Mary Lee’s fear-filled eyes, pain in every line in her face. She had been big with his child when Lon threw her to the ground.
His child?
Jake sat down on the bed and put his face in his hands. The dream had been so real, he was still shaking. For the first time in his life he began to doubt his sanity. Mary Lee was carrying Bobby’s baby, not his. Bits and pieces of the dream kept coming back to him.
They had made love in a meadow surrounded by a thick fog. Warm and naked, she had lain on top of him so that he could feel the movement of their child. He had slipped inside her so gently she had been unaware of it. When she realized that they were joined, she laughed and laughed and kissed him again and
Similar Books
