Free Full Tilt (Rock Star Chronicles) by Creston Mapes Page A

who needs a home.”
    “Why would they take the baby Jesus?” Karen attacked the dark soil.
    “I don’t know.”
    She squinted up at him. “Are the murderers connected with your brother?”
    “I doubt it. So does Eddie.”
    “Well…do you have any other explanation? Who did this!” she yelled. “ Why?” She went back at the dirt with a vengeance—a side of her Everett had never seen.
    “I just don’t know, honey. Maybe it was some drugged-out DeathStroke fans.” That haunting feeling crept up on him. You’re paying for your past. And now, so is she. “I’m sorry.”
    The craving for booze came so strong and sudden, it actually took his breath away. You should have let her go.
    Karen was down in the hole now, sweating and out of breath, throwing shovelful after shovelful onto the growing mound of earth beside the grave.
    “Is this deep enough?” The sound of her voice snapped him out of it.
    “Yeah.” He nodded. “That’ll be fine.”
    “I want to get a gravestone for her.” Her angry front melted, and Karen dropped to the edge of the hole, her shovel falling, her anguish bursting forth in a flood of tears.
    Everett jumped into the twenty-five-inch hole and nestled next to her. “I’m sorry, babe.”
    He got only a glimpse of her pink cheeks and wet upper lip before she buried her face in his chest.
    “We can’t have children, Ev,” came her muffled cry.
    “Now, darlin’, this isn’t gonna to stop us from having little Lesters. I know it’s been—”
    “I can’t have babies!” She shook her head against his chest as she clung to him. “Because of the abortion. I found out yesterday.”
    The silence pounded in his ears. She must be wrong. We’ll fix it…
    “What are you saying?” He pried her away so he could look her in the eyes. “Tell me! What’s going on?”
    “I wanted to—ever since the appointment.” She moaned. “There hasn’t been time! I wanted you to tell me about the concert, then Eddie called—”
    “Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” He stroked her cheek, backtracking to the day before and counting the hours she’d held in the news. “What’d the doctor say?”
    “When I had the abortion.” She had to catch her breath. “I had an infection in my womb and Fallopian tubes. The doctor said it was nothing—”
    “So, what’s the problem?”
    “Let me finish!” she cried. “I was young enough, he said, there’d be plenty of time to heal. That’s why I never mentioned it. It was nothing…”
    “But the doctor—”
    “Yesterday, the ob-gyn said there are adhesions on my Fallopian tubes; she thinks they’re shut for good. I’m infertile!”
    “We’ll get a second opinion.” But the discussion with Eddie flooded back to him. And somehow he knew this was God’s plan. It was cold and dreadful. But it was the hand they were being dealt. Now, he would be forced once again to walk further and deeper in the blind faith he’d just tried to explain to his brother.
    Karen lurched out of the hole and ran from Everett. Ten yards out, her body went limp with the siege of emotion, folding to the ground like a wilting flower. “Millie’s dead. My womb is dead. My dream is dead ! I’m not going to be able to have your children.”
    Everett rushed to her side as she pounded the dirt with her fists. “What did I do to deserve this?”
    He couldn’t help but think, You married me.
    Rosey approached her, whimpering and nudging her wet nose against Karen’s coat.
    “I’m sorry, honey,” Everett said. “I’m so sorry. I should have asked more about the appointment. I’m so dang selfish.”
    Karen shuddered at his words, the tears streaming down her anguished face. “I wanted to tell you. I wanted you there with me…”
    Everett squeezed her tightly, pressing his cheek against the top of her head. How long is this angel of a woman going to put up with a loser like me?
     
    Karen insisted on accompanying Everett to bury Millie. The dog was still wet, heavy, and