Where There's Smoke

“They’re still drinkers, liars, cheaters, and fornicators, but they’re less honest about their failings than the folks out at Bobby’s.” He angled his head to one side. “Come to think of it, you’d’ve fit in much better out there at the country club with all those other hypocrites.”

Lara took the insult with equanimity. “What is it about me that really bugs you, Mr. Tackett?” Once today she had slipped and called him by his first name. That had been at the height of the crisis with Letty Leonard. Last names seemed more appropriate now. It reestablished the breach.

He brought the Lincoln to a halt in her driveway, barely missing the Leonards’ picnic paraphernalia still scattered about.

Laying his arm on the back of the seat, he turned to face her. “What really bugs me is that the whole world knows you’re a whore. Your own husband caught you whoring. But you don’t own up to what you are. You pretend to be another kind of woman entirely.”

“What do you suggest I do, brand a letter A on my chest?”

“I’m sure man

y would pay for the pleasure. Me, for one.”

“How dare you judge me? You don’t know the first thing about me, and you know even less about my relationship with your brother.” She shoved open the car door. “What do I owe you for today?”

“Forget it.”

“I don’t want to be obligated to you.”

“You already are,” he said. “You cost Clark everything that was important to him. He’s no longer around to call in the marker, but I am. And when I do, it’s going to be expensive.”

“You’ve got it backward, Mr. Tackett. I’m the one who’s holding the IOU, and you are the one who’s going to pay.”

“How do you figure?”

She gave him a level look. “You’re going to fly me to Montesangre.”

His arrogant grin collapsed, and for a moment he stared blankly at her. Then he cupped his hand around his ear. “Come again?”

“You heard me.”

“Yeah, I heard you, but I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it.”

He was incredulous. “Does the expression ‘not in this lifetime’ mean anything to you?”

“You’ll take me there, Mr. Tackett,” she said confidently as she alighted. “I’ll see to it.”

“Yeah, right, Doc.” He was laughing as he backed the Lincoln out of the driveway. It fishtailed as he sped away.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Heather Winston and her boyfriend, Tanner Hoskins, were entangled on the quilt they’d spread out in the tall grass. Nearby the lazy waters of the lake slapped against the rocky beach. The moon had risen and was reflected on the water.

Even on the hottest evenings there was always a cool breeze around the lake, which made it more comfortable for the young lovers who parked there. In Eden Pass the lake was the most popular make-out spot. If you went to the lake with someone, everyone assumed the relationship was serious.

Heather and Tanner had a serious relationship, now four months old. Previously she’d gone out with Tanner’s best friend, who, she came to find out, was fooling around with another girl. Following the much-publicized breakup scene outside the chemistry lab, Tanner went to her house to console her.

He’d been very sweet, calling his friend a stupid jerk-off and taking Heather’s side on all points. Heather took a closer look at Tanner and decided that he was much more handsome than the creep who’d cheated on her.

After polling her best friends and discovering that they, too, thought Tanner was a good catch, she changed the tenor of the time they spent together. Soon it was known around school that she was “with” Tanner. She couldn’t have been happier with the way things had turned out.

Since Heather Winston was the most sought-after girl in the junior class, Tanner was also walking on air. The first time he kissed her they’d frenched, and it nearly took the top of his head off. All the guys agreed that she had a body—taking after her mama, who was indisputably the hottest-looking bitch in Eden Pass. There was a lot of good-natured speculation in the locker room as to just how much of Heather’s delights ol’ Hoskins had sampled.

Tanner’s responses to these teasing jeers were deliberately vague. Most of the guys chose to think he was getting all he wanted but was protecting Heather’s reputation with gallant silence. Those more cynical figured he hadn’t seen or touched anything that a swimsuit would cover.