Free Dorothy Garlock by A Place Called Rainwater

wake. “You will sign the paper. You owe it to me, you know.”
    “You've no right to stick your nose in my business.”
    “I've every right, and we both know it. God, you're even stupider than I thought you were.”
    “I don't owe you a damn thing! ”
    He laughed. “You think not? But enough of that. It was good of old Hunter to volunteer to oil the street.”
    “Old Hunter? I doubt he's any older than you are.”
    “Now, how would you know how old Hunter is? ”Lloyd's eyes moved over Justine's flushed face before going beyond to the man coming up the steps to the porch.
    “Hello, Skeeter, ”Justine said. “Come sit a spell. Mr. Madison was just leaving.”
    “Howdy, Justine.” Skeeter stood hesitantly in front of her.
    Lloyd got to his feet. With an amused look on his face, he looked from Skeeter's down-at-the-heels boots to his dirty tattered shirt and up to his whiskered face.
    “You do like the lowlife, don't you, Justine? ”He shook his head as if in wonderment. “Why am I surprised? Water seeks it's own level, as the saying goes.” He took a quick step and dropped a kiss on her cheek before she could flinch away.
    “Get away from me! ”
    “I'll be going. Far be it from me to stand in the way of…romance. I'll be back in a day or two. Think over what I said about your … affairs. I will handle them, you know.” He smiled down at her. “Take care of yourself, and if you need anything, phone me or, better yet, send Jill over. It's time she and I got better acquainted.”
    Justine's mouth was clamped shut and it stayed that way until Lloyd left the porch. He never merely walked anywhere but scurried, sprinted. Instead of turning, he seemed to spin around.
    “Sit down, Skeeter.”
    “I don't like that son-of-a-bitch, ”he growled.
    “Why? ”
    “Hell, he always acts like he's got somethin 'up his sleeve beside his arm.”
    “Forget him. Tell me the news.”
    “The darky that works for Westfall said that the gal that's been stayin 'there ain't there no more. She flew the coop.”
    “What's new about that? His women come and go. Next week he'll have another one, and it's nobody's business but his.”
    “I hear he walked out with that prissy miss you brought here to run the hotel. If n she's like the others, she'll be hightailin 'it out.”
    “Godamighty, Skeeter. She just met him last night.”
    “I don't like her, either.”
    “I don't give a damn if you like her or not. Why were you up here on the porch making such a horse's ass out of yourself? ”
    Skeeter chuckled. “See how far she'd go, I guess. Didn't 'spect her to dump no dirty water on me.”
    “If you'd've spit on my clean floor, I'd a slapped the pee, wind and hockey out of you.”
    “That's why I never done it.” He chuckled again. “Why're ya doin 'business with that fellow with the devil mark on his face? He ain't the only lawyer in town. If this was back in the olden days, he and Westfall'd have a shoot-out on Main Street.”
    Jill came out onto the porch, but she stopped short and glared when she saw the man sitting on the bench. Her hands went to her hips.
    “What's
he
doin 'here? ”
    “He came to apologize, ”Justine said. Then, to Skeeter, “Get with it.”
    “Yeah, well…”He stood up and removed his hat. “I'm sorry I done it and won't do it no more.” He slapped his hat down on his head. “ 'Bye, Justine.”
    “'Bye, Skeeter. Come again.” Justine's shoulders slumped. “Honey, tell Thad I'm ready to go back inside.”

Chapter 5
    D INNER IS READY, MISTAH HUNTER. ”The soft voice fell in the quiet of the room.
    “Thank you, Dinah. I'll be there in a minute.”
    Hunter shuffled the papers on his desk. He seldom worked at home; but, knowing that it was going to be a long, lonely day, he had decided to while away the hours by putting some figures together to see if adding a roller coaster to his amusement park would be profitable. It was definitely not as enjoyable as spending the hours in hot pursuit