Free In Case of Death (The Adventures of Gabriel Celtic Book 3) by J.T. Lewis Page B

as I had planned on taking Betty’s old Mercedes for my jaunt. I had been using it more as of late, especially for any traveling I needed to do that didn’t involve transporting prisoners. 
    As the engine rattled to life, I closed my eyes and let the ambience of the car invade my senses, hoping for a gentle tug of a reminder of Betty. We had had some good times on the few trips we had taken with the car, and I let those experiences waft into my mind.
    A smile crossed my lips at the memories as I moved the lever into drive and accelerated slowly down the driveway. Maybe Betty wasn’t exactly here, but I felt her essence as I turned onto the road and headed toward the Interstate.
    Ready for a trip? I asked in my head, knowing how she would have answered had she been with me now.
    You betcha!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 23
    September 17, 1999
     
    I pulled into the graveled driveway and shut off the car. I had visited here once soon after May and Tom had gotten married, and had been surprised that they had never moved.
    Lying on the outskirts of the city, the home was a small single story bungalow. I noticed that they had added a room or two onto it at some point in the past, but it was still tiny. It was definitely not the typical housing of the successful executive that Tom had become.
    I remembered that May had mentioned that the lot was the key feature that had swayed them to this property in the beginning. Looking to be at least a full acre, May had successfully filled it with shrubs and flowers of all types. Even this late in the year the yard was full of color.
    Knowing May, I knew that she would have been driving force for staying in this location for all of these years. In my mind, it was truly a testament of the type of Man she had chosen for her mate. A man that would sacrifice the trappings of his status for his wife was an uncommon thing.
    I knocked on the side door, inhaling the scent of the roses as I waited. Looking about at the multitude of flowers surrounding the entry, I heard the rattle of the doorknob behind me.
    “Hi Gabe!”
    Turning, I found my old friend smiling at me sincerely. Dressed in a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, her hair had been pulled up into a loose ponytail. Errant strands of brown hair on each side had escaped their bindings however, as if it was their lot in life to softly frame her face.
    She still looked fantastic.
    Taking a step and reaching out with her arms, she enveloped me in a hug.
    “Hi yourself,” I muffled through the fabric of her sweatshirt as I squeezed her gently in return.
    “Oh, sorry,” she giggled when she realized that she had buried my face into her shoulder.
    Waving her off, I took another quick look around. “The old place still looks great May.”
    She beamed at my compliment.
    “Thank you Gabe! It’s a labor of love, and it has become quite therapeutic since the boys left for college years ago, and with Tom’s travel schedule…”
    A look of sadness crossed her face, but only for a moment as she squared her shoulders and said, “How about some coffee?”
    I followed her into the neatly apportioned kitchen and took the seat indicated. As May flittered around the room gathering items for coffee, I found myself watching her intently. Although mostly hidden by her bulky top, she still had quite an attractive figure, and she seemed to have the energy of someone half her age.
    Realizing that I was staring, I dropped my eyes to the table a split second before she turned back toward me. I was mentally berating myself for ogling her, trying to fathom what was wrong with me lately.
    “Gabe?”
    “Yes May?”
    “I asked if you would like any pastries with your coffee. You looked like you were miles away, is there anything wrong?”
    Smiling at getting caught and hoping that my face wasn’t red, “No, it’s just that my mind seems to wander more as I get older. Lately, it seems to be getting much worse. I’m hoping it’s just temporary.”
    May