A Long Dark Highway - Smoke If You Have Them

The tire smoke looked all convoluted through the broken windshield, but the smell left no doubt that the tires did their job and shut the Mustang down. "Glad it's a rental." he thought as he pushed the door open. He stood on the bridge, and scratched his head. The sign said "Bridge Out" but it's not, it spans the creek perfectly. That feeling came back to him, his "Spidey Sense", and the hair stood up on his neck again. He reached for the Glock but then remembered he put it in the seat next to him.

He turned and started to run for the car, he just about made it before the shot rang out and the bullet put a crease in his forehead. As the dawn turned to dusk, and dusk to dark he hears her laughter ringing in his ears. His last thought was that now she would never get what she wanted most in the world.

A Long Dark Highway - Road Signs

"You'll never get it, even if you rip my beating heart out of my chest, you'll never get it. Only I know where it is, and only I can retrieve it, so take the bacon and shove it."

"You are so cute, trying to act all tough and such. You'll give it to me, you know I'll find you wherever you try to hide. I found you here, I'll find you there." She looked out the window at the sun peeking over the horizon, "Looks, like another beautiful sunrise."

I slowly moved my left hand around to my Glock, yeah, it's not my gun hand but at this distance I don't think I could miss.

"Leave the gun alone, Romeo, you'll never get a shot off." The hair on my neck bristled, I could feel my blood pressure rise, I slid out of the booth, threw a twenty on the counter and without a word, walk out, sounds of her laughter echoing between my ears.

Gravel flew as I hit the pavement. I headed back the way I came, headed back to the only home I have ever knew. Once there, she would be on my turf, on my terms, it was going to end my way.

I never saw the "BRIDGE OUT" sign until I hit it.

A Long Dark Highway - Breakfast Is Served

She pulled herself into the booth just as Ambrose brought her meal. "Two eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gray and a double order of bacon. Is there anything else?" Ambrose said as he glanced down at her cleavage.

"How about some privacy?", she spouted back at him. Ambrose turned and walked behind the counter shaking his head.

"So, in what way are you going to ruin my life this time?" I said as I looked into her eyes. "You don't show up unless you're bored and want to screw with me."

"O ye of little faith. I only want one thing." she said as she crunched some bacon.

The hair stood up on my neck and I started to wonder if I should pull the Glock. I knew what she wanted, she's wanted it for years, and I also knew that if I gave it to her she would leave me alone and I could once again settle down. I just wish it was that simple, because there was no way I could, or would, give it to her.

A Long Dark Highway, continued

The cold metal barrel of my Glock was hard against the small of my back, where it was stuck in my waistband. She knew I had it, I always did, and she knew I'd use it, I usually did. I tried to open the driver's car door, it was locked. I slowly put the key in and turned the lock, my hand slowly opened the door, I wouldn't put it pass her to blow us both up for spite. As I stepped in, her perfume enveloped me, I missed that fragrance, and the feelings that came with it.

"So, come here often?" I ask in my best tough guy voice.

"I would really like some bacon and eggs." she said without eye contact.

Bacon, I thought, damn, I forgot bacon with my eggs. "If you want a meal, you better hurry before the rush starts."

She looked at me, a shy smile across her lips, "I forgot your stupid, dumb-as-a-rock humor. Let's go, we can talk inside."

Ambrose looked funny at me as we walked to a booth in the back. "Same as I had, Ambrose, except add some bacon."

She said, "I need to freshen up." Ambrose pointed to the other end of the diner. As she walked away from us, Ambrose smiled and said, "Wow, she is gorgeous, you sure work fast."

"An old fiend." I said.

"You mean an old friend?"

"No, fiend, she took the 'our' out of friend a long time ago."

A Long Dark Highway

This late at night the highway seems void and endless. This night is starless and the asphalt stretches out before me sucking up the glow of my headlights. My eyes ache as they strain to see ahead of me, my mouth is dry and my stomach growling. Lightening flashes in my mirror as I notice a faint glow of lights ahead of me.

I pull into an all night diner, you have seen them, sitting there like they were back in the 60's, needing a fresh coat of paint and someone to wash the windows. This one was one of those that looked like an old passenger train car that derailed and came to rest next to a couple of huge boulders. As I turn off the engine and lights, I look inside and see only the cook behind the counter, dressed like Mel from the TV show "Alice", cigarettes rolled up in his t-shirt and a goofy hat on his head. Something looked familiar about him, I couldn't place it, but it put me at ease about going in.

I looked around as I walked through the front door, the booths are lined up along the front of the place, with the red stools standing attention around the counter. A round glass case is sitting there with a couple of pies left in it. I sit next to the pies at the counter, the red stool is pretty comfortable, the vinyl squeaked as shifted my weight. The place was surprisingly clean compared to the outside, the chrome sparkled, the air clean, the coffee hot.

I found out that Mel's name was really Ambrose, and that he quit his job on Wall Street, bought this diner, and the rest, he said, was history. He said he loved what he was doing, meeting people and filling their stomachs. He filled mine very well with two eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, a piece of lemon pie, and more coffee. I had miles to go before I slept so I had to bid Mel, I mean Ambrose, goodbye.

The early morning air was crisp and awakened the senses. I stood outside the door and breathed in a couple of deep breathes, and turned to waved at Ambrose. As I turned I noticed the reflection in the front window. I could clearly see that someone was in my car, and I could clearly see that I knew who it was. How could she find me here, and at this time of morning?

Dreams and Memories

It was a fond memory, or a dream, either way I know that I'm fond of it. It was a simpler time before life grabbed hold and threw me down a path to where I am, to what I've become.

I loved that time of my life, and I loved often. Hearts were broken, mine and theirs, and hearts were set afire with passion. Or should I say lust. We would walk the railroad tracks to "our private spot" and spent the day encased in each others arms, and the quilt. The birds sang to our beat, the wind played its melody as it swept across us, nature turned off the sounds of the world so we could listen to each other's heart beat.

That is until the train came by, shattering our world, pulling us back to reality. I can still see the eyes of two older ladies who sat in the third passenger car, two rows from the back, as they realized what they were seeing. Was it disappointment in this younger generation that glared back at me? Was it disgust? Was it envy? Was it a fond memory, or a dream, that they remembered from years past?

We laughed, hoping our grandparents weren't their friends, and started back down the railroad tracks to my car. She looked up at me and said something like this, "I don't think I will ever have another day as good as this one." I don't know about her, but life did get sweeter with a few sour spots along the way. What I could tell her now is that love, true love, is much sweeter than lust. That lust, no matter how good it is, lasts for only the moment, love lasts forever and a day.

It may be a fond memory, or a dream, but it is unique to me, for me. One of millions that has piled on day after day, made just for me. And when these memories come flooding back, I smile and once again relive that moment in time.

Review: Give The Lady A Ride

I'm beginning to realize something, I enjoy the work of new authors over the over-published pros. With the old pros you get the same ole same ole. With a new author you have no expectations and usually I enjoy the book more than the pros. I've posted on a couple of other authors who fell into this category that I've had the privilege to converse with, to drop names K.M.Weiland, Michael Snyder and John Robinson, and their books were excellent. Now you can add another name to that list, one that some of you may already know, Linda W. Yezak.

I posted a few months back that her book was being published and posted a trailer for it. Well, it has been out for a couple of months and I finally got around to reading it, and I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked it. There have been too few books that when I finished that last page I wished there was a few chapters more. There have been even fewer books that when I finished that last page I already missed the characters in it. This book did that for me.

I guess I identified with the main character, Talon, because he is a chick magnet. He is also a cowboy, a real ranch hand, cow puncher. Being an Okie and having real cowboy blood flowing through my veins, I quickly and easily identified with him.

I'm not going to give away the plot or the characters, but you can probably guess the plot as it's a romance but you won't guess the twists that Linda crafted so well. The characters, especially the cowboys, are believable and the descriptions of the various locations, from rodeo arena to bunk house, was well written.

Linda, congrats on a good book, and following your dream. I'm patiently waiting on the sequel or whatever else you may put into words. I hope you continue to enjoy your marketing and all aspects of your writer's journey.