Page 141 of My UnTrue Love
Boom!
The explosion shook the night and sent water shooting twenty feet into the air.
Clem looked back over her shoulder, towards the pool. He saw her register that Johnny was still under the surface. Saw her realize that he wasn’t ever going to leave that boggy pit.
Bill hugged her tight. “I’m sorry.” He wasn’t sorry Johnny was dead, but he was sorry she was hurt.
She let out a shaky breath and kept walking. “I have no idea who that maniac even was. He was a stranger.” She shook her head. “All that matters is you’re okay, Bill. It was very brave of you to face him down, but it was far too risky.”
He kissed the top of her hair.
Clementine pressed closer to him. “You can’t take a chance on hurting your practically-magical hands. No more fights. I mean it. You only get ten fingers.”
“I will not mess up my practically-magical guitar-playing hands. I promise.”
“I meant, they feel magical, whenever you touch me.” Clem shrugged. “But your guitar playing is nice, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
From that day forth, night after night,
He howled up at the sky,
Music ‘til the dawn of light,
Then he’d break down to cry.
Lyrics from the folk song “Crossroads Coyote”
Clem entered the TV station and a whole lot of eyes widened. Bill figured she’d better get used to eliciting stares. Not many women walked around with a prowling coyote on either side of her.
Luke was stuck to Clem like glue, glaring at people as if he expected one of them to grab his new sister-in-law away at any minute. Nobody was that dumb. The kid seemed more menacing by the hour. The savage part of Luke had skipped all the initial growing pains, secure in Clem’s love. That just seemed to make the coyote mature into its animal-cunning faster than normal, though.
It was a mean son of a bitch.
Anyone could see it peering out of those spooky brown eyes. Waiting. …Unless you were Clementine. She saw nothing but sweetness in the boy. And Luke’s monstrous coyote was gentle as a lamb with its momma. Everyone else was just a threat or a meal. Folks tripped all over themselves to get out of the boy’s way.
Bill liked to think his own behavior was a mite subtler. After all, there was nothing wrong with a man holding his wife’s hand as they walked together. And if he happened to have hisother arm slung around her shoulder, it was a harmless gesture. So long as nobody threatened Clementine, they had no reason to worry about his eyes scanning them.
Ranger O’Rourke looked alarmed when he spotted the three of them approaching. Mamie had played up Bill’s support of women in the music industry, so maybe Ranger thought he’d be softer. More smiley and blond. A Sir Galahad type. He was unpleasantly surprised by Bill’s hard edges and flat stare.
The longtime TV star was a short man who favored pure white suits and plenty of rhinestones. His gray eyebrows soared when he saw Bill prowl across the studio in jeans and the only shirt he owned that hadn’t been incinerated. Clem had bought it for him thirty minutes before. It was blue.
Red River Valley had opened its doors to the residents of the Westward Arms. Johnny had been right: Dynamite was a big story, especially when it was wielded by a disgraced musician. None of the residents had died, but a lot of them were now forced from their homes. Fundraising was already breaking records.
Bill didn’t mind using his particular talents for Good. Real quiet and indirect, he made sure Vulture Valente and the local news stations got lots of info on the families most in need, so they’d get help. No sense in letting Johnny’s selfish insanity ruin lives. Clem had a fondness for their neighbors, and he liked to make her happy. They were still on for bowling with the witches.
“Well.” Ranger cleared his throat, his eyes darting from Bill to Luke and then settling on Clem. “I suppose I owe you some thanks, for helping my little girl. When I think of what that demented arsonist could have done to Mamie…”
“No.” Clementine rushed to say. “You don’t owe us any thanks.” She squeezed the man’s arm in solidarity. Luke and Bill both winced at the unnecessary touching. “We were glad to help Mamie. She’s a wonderful person and Johnny was…” Clem trailed off and a smidgen of sadness crossed her face. “Well, he fooled us all, didn’t he?”
Bill gave her a sideways hug.
She’d told him that she would never forgive Johnny Jacobs, but a part of her mourned John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt. “Johnny killed him.” She’d whispered. “And that boy was my friend once.”
Bill supposed it helped Clem to separate the teenage Johnny from the man who’d tried to rape and kill her. He could understand that well enough. Whatever she needed to do to put it all behind her was fine by him.
Ranger seemed relieved to have a sweet little blonde to talk to, rather than two taciturn coyotes. “I’m just glad it all worked out and you folks are here.” He waved a proud hand towards the stage. “What do you think?”
