Page 23 (1/2)

"What coh

"Okay, you’ll never be president, but you’ll be irreplaceable You’re brilliant You hungry?"

Justin laughed at hi to get us a pizza," Al said

"I can help with that, too," the kid said

In the feeeks Al had been there he watched as Lucky’s becaularly, whether she’d been out for a run or on her way ho jobs She often checked in, asking Eric what they should do for dinner When Mac filled up the sheriff’s departed to stay awhile because the crew at Lucky’s ood company Such was the case with many residents And, of course, there were Ray Anne’s visits, seldo hurry If Al are she was at the pump, he took the job He wiped off his hands, excused the rest of the garage team and spent a little quality ti while she was there

Eric said, "You ever wonder how she walks in those shoes?"

Al had lifted a brow and said, "Walking is way overrated"

On one of her passes through the station she said, "I guess I’ll see you toht off"

"I guess so," he answered

"You know, one of these nights you’ll have to stay for dinner"

"I’ve had dinner there a ti it’s about ti Italian"

"Sure," she said, clearly disappointed

"You can probably recoood place"

"Of course," she said "I’ht you could Let’s see--I’ll get to Cliff’s around five Maybe five-thirty That’s about when you get there, right? You think of soood Italian place and I’ll take you out How’s that?"

The disappointment on her face melted instantly into a look of pure pleasure "That would be perfect I know all the best restaurants in Coos County"

"I’ forward to a dinner out with Ray Annewhile, and it was entirely successful, starting with their hysterical laughter when he folded hionna work," he said

"I can’t get in that truck!" she said, laughing "It’s as far off the ground as I aht skirt and heels!"

"And those heels do you proud, too You don’t weigh ested

"Aw, you don’t think I weigh much? Not only do I love you for that, I can eat ht than I’d planned to Now just put your chin on your knees like a good boy and letyou there!"

"Drive carefully," he said "If you hit a berm or pylon, I’ll have to have my knees removed from the back of my head"

She took him to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant decorated with plastic vines and grapes and he told her he’d forgotten his reading glasses and asked her to order for theh dinner He wanted to know all about what it was like growing up in Coos County and she wanted to knohat it was like justfrom job to job with no real commitments

"It’s not exactly like that," he said "I’ve worked for a few of the sah I don’t see for a career In a dozen years I’ve worked for Eric several different times, then I’d hear from someone who needs help or wants me back for a contract they can’t fulfill without extra help I don’t like the north in the winter, I don’t like the south in the su house, that’s just how I roll I like Eric I don’t work for people who don’t prove to htforward and Eric is"

"So you’ll move on and probably come back in six months or a year?" she asked

He tilted his head, wrinkled his brow and said, "That just sees I like driving a truck, like mechanics, and since I was raised on a faro back to Iowa just about every year even though there’s hardly anyone there I know anyhbors"

"What happened to the faave it up Sold it There’s just ave her half to charity and I put my half into a few bonds and a new truck It wasn’t thatit, but once it was for sale it turned out to be a little dinky farm"

"Do you miss it?" she asked

"I do," he admitted "But I didn’t want to be a farone, it didn’t holdto see I could do without those really bad Midwestern winters"

Ray Anne, he learned, loved what she did and where she did it Loved it with a passion Thunder Point was an easy place to live, she knew everyone, and her work took her all over Coos County and beyond She loved being with people all day, as ood friends in town,rental property in the area, and life was as she liked it-- "If I could’ve talked Cooper out of that beachfront property, the coreedy bastard wouldn’t let it go I love him, but that was on the selfish side"

When they finally left the restaurant after a long dinner, Ray Anne drove them back to Cliff’s, Al’s chin on his knees His truck sat in the parking lot, looking pretty lonely It was late and the restaurant was near closing

She turned toward him "If you’re interested, you could follow htcap or cup of coffee"

Al frowned a little bit He gently touched her shoulder "Listen, that’s nice I have to s You already know--I’-ter-ter "If I date you aI didn’t ask you if you wanted to make an investI was ood at it I haven’t been tehed