Free Billy Bob Walker Got Married by Lisa G. Brown Page A

so distinctly Shiloh Pennington's that for an instant, Billy thought it must be his imagination that had called it up, the result of some subconscious memory from this afternoon when she'd stood free in the sunshine outside his window.
    But there was a commotion behind him that made him twist to see what had caused the racket, and his mouth dropped nearly to his knees.
    T-Tommy, flustered, was arguing with an angry, red-faced state trooper, who had Shiloh in a firm grasp above the elbow. The policeman meant to pull her forcibly into the cell area; he'd pushed open the door between it and the office, and he, Shiloh, and T-Tommy stood framed there as they argued.
    "You act like you know this girl," the trooper was saying angrily. "That's real good, because she's gonna need friends. I clocked her at ninety-eight miles an hour out on Highway 25. That's fifty-three miles above the speed limit. Fifty-three," he nearly shouted, flapping his free hand in T-Tommy's face, which paled considerably as he faced Shiloh.
    "Good Lord," he said to her piteously, "tell me you wudn't makin' no such speed as that, Shiloh."
    But before the flushed girl—she was shaking in the cop's grasp, Billy realized—could open her mouth to answer, the trooper added, "She's got no license, either."
    "I told you—I left home in a hurry."
    "I noticed." Furious sarcasm hardened the cops voice.
    "It's in my purse, but I didn't remember to get it before I left."
    "I can tell you who she is—" T-Tommy began.
    "I don't care who the hell she is," the other man said loudly; then, through clenched teeth, he added distinctly, "she wrecked the damn car."
    T-Tommy gave a violent jerk. "What?"
    "And she better be down on her knees thanking God she ran off in a ditch instead of into a telephone pole, which would have killed her. She was able to walk away— or I should say, run. I had to chase her down on foot, across a cotton field. Then she kicked me," the trooper said in painful remembrance, reaching a hand down toward his left shin.
    Shiloh struggled briefly in his hard grasp. "I—he scared me, yelling and swearing. He came after me like a ... a mad dog. When I ran, he jumped me—grabbed me from the back. Of course I fought—what else was I supposed to do?" she asked T-Tommy, half furious, half pleading.
    "Reckless driving, no license, wrecked car, attacking an officer," the cop reeled off. "I want her locked up. Now."
    "Shiloh, what's got into you?" T-Tommy demanded in desperation.
    She took a quick, shuddering breath. "I—I had a fight with Sam. I thought he'd sent you after me, T-Tommy. Then this—this man—"
    "Who in the hell is Sam?" the trooper demanded in a rush of frustration. "I hope he's her keeper, because she needs one. This girl's a lunatic."
    "Her father," T-Tommy returned mournfully. "Sam Pennington."
    The trooper stared. "Sam Pen—" he got out in shock. Then he looked wildly at the girl and made haste to drop her arm, which Shiloh rubbed painfully. "I don't care if her old man does own three counties," he began bravely, but his voice was already more subdued. "She ought not get out of this. It's—it's gonna cost her a bundle, this little joyride. And Pennington ought to be grateful she's getting away so easy. Wait till you see what she did to that car—she could be dead right now."
    There was a long silence while the three of them looked at each other. The trooper was just a kid, Billy Bob thought, and getting younger every minute.
    T-Tommy took a deep, resigned breath.
    "You're right," he told the officer. "She pays. Write up the accident. Give her a ticket, and make it stiff. And I've got an empty cell," he added, pulling the huge jangling clump of keys up from his belt.
    Shiloh s face flushed and her chin came up in surprised defiance. "You can't lock me up, surely. I didn't hurt anybody except maybe myself."
    "You kicked this man," T-Tommy pointed out.
    "I'm — I'm willing to forget that," the trooper put in hastily. "And I'll settle for