Page 45 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
Grady sipped his beer and waited for her to continue. She kept her eyes outside. She wasn’t looking at the street, Grady knew; she was seeing the whole case play out, her losing and having to face some kids full of apologies.
Charmaine returned to the room and sipped her drink. “The defense will tear them to shreds and these two boys, well”—she met Grady’s eyes, and her look was solemn—“they won’t hold up.”
Grady blew out a breath and looked around at the old velvet furniture in the room, the place decked out like it was still the nineteenth century.
“I dunno why you do it.”
She snorted and finished her drink as her salad was placed in front of her.
“I’ll have another one,” she said to Donna and smiled expectantly. Donna acquiesced even though no one got table service here, but Charmaine was just like that; someone you felt you had to say yes to, like her mere presence changed the rules of the game.
“You do know why I do it,” she said once Donna was gone.
“Just makin’ conversation,” Grady replied as Donna came back with Charmaine’s wine and Grady’s steak.
“Let me know if you needin’ anything else,” Donna said to Grady. She smiled politely at Charmaine and hurried off.
Charmaine shot out a wry laugh at her retreating form. “It’s a wonder she doesn’t just proposition you in front of me.”
Grady cut into his steak, took a mouthful and chewed. Charmaine picked at her salad and drank her wine.
“I known her since school,” he said once he’d finished.
“Yes, I know.”
And this was all rote, Grady thought. The trial. The barmaid. All could’ve been written down and run without Grady even here. They’d said it all before. Only thing was, this time, Gradyfelt like something was off in the banter. Like the humorous tone had shifted and taken on a sharp edge.
“You done?” he asked.
“Think I’ll have another drink,” she replied and went up to get it.
Grady finished his beer and tuned out the sound of her trilling laughter at something Donna was saying. Yeah, the people around here might be fake with her, but that wasn’t a one-way street.
Charmaine had another three wines and a shot of tequila before they left, and Grady carried her passed-out body into the house. He took her up the stairs and laid her on the bed as the sun was setting. Grady knew she liked a drink. This was more than a drink.
He went downstairs, made a coffee and listened to the quiet of the house. It felt empty. He wondered how Cole was doing. He went out to the porch, sat and thought about where he’d be by now and where he’d decided to camp. Grady was going to suggest camping as far from that pasture’s dam as possible on account of the mosquitos, but he never got around to it because Cole was gone before he got up. He’d probably settled for the edge of the field near the sheep, let Chloe wander free, not even bothering to hobble her, just trusting she’d come back to him in the morning.
Grady finished his coffee, went inside and sprawled on the couch. He picked up the book Cole was reading and started from the beginning.
27
C
harmaine left at noonthe next day. Grady hugged her, and she squeezed him back as they stood on the gravel driveway, the breeze softly ruffling the hair escaping her messy bun around her temples.
“Good luck with the trial,” he said as he released her.
“Thanks.” She smiled, but it didn’t touch her tired eyes. “You take care of Cole.”
Grady was surprised and wasn’t sure how to take her meaning. She shrugged, smiled; it was lighter than before and she answered his unspoken question.
“I just got a feeling.”
“You got a feeling.”
“Yeah.”
She went to the driver’s side, opened the door and looked at him one last time.
