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I leaned back in the chair with my tea and frowned Wudus was Gullah for evil spirits, so Preacher believed in wholeheartedly I can’t say that I totally bought it, but I wasn’t completely opposed to the idea I scrutinized hi old You look exactly like you did the first tiled my brows "You’re hot, Preacher h-pitched cackle rattled the pots hanging froirl, for shairl," Preacher said, his eyes s "I love ya like you was my own child, you know dat? Seth, too" He watched me closely, and I felt clear towas up Even if you didn’t believe in Gullah ways, there was no getting around the power Preacher radiated It hat saved ed me from a total path of self-destruction

That hat the Gullah called me, because of ht it fit ot up, and walked over to Preacher, who in fact did look a little tired today, and to be honest, that fact bothered the hell out of htly "Yeah, I know, and we love you, too" I kissed his cheek, his unique, fa to my nostrils "I don’t knoe’d do without you and Estelle" I uys saved my life Mine and Seth’s" They knew it, too, and it wasn’t the first time I’d told them For some reason, the need to assure them that I still felt that way overtook me, and they allowed it

Preacher sat silently, as was his way, and we stared at each other for what see time He and Estelle and their extended community were the only faliht after I’d turned ten, and Seth was a baby I re for hours on end, days on end, and I’d always hated hi idiot Last I heard, he was somewhere in the Louisiana prison systeain Soured he was at that age when his curiosity was getting at hiuy wants a dad--even if that dad was a total fuckup

Estelle bustled back into the nook and swatted it, girl," she said, gathering plates before I even had a chance to pick h shorts, dere"

I laughed, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and smiled at Preacher "Peace out, Preacher ave a single nod, and I was already at the blue curtain before he said anything "When you feel like sayin’ what it is you don’t wanna say right now, coot ears for you"

I looked at him over my shoulder and stared in wonder I knew he could tell so was up "How do you do that?" I asked Seriously I had oneso from him Damn

Preacher merely lifted one plaid-covered shoulder "You coaze "I will" I scooted through the curtain and left Da Plat Eye fast There was hardly anything worse than Preacher knowing so for you to spill the beans Trusthe made you squiruilty as hell for withholding info, but I needed to see exactly what the boys had done at da hell stone It was a big deal, and I kneould be to Preacher

I lanced at the Kit-Cat Clock (eBay, Classic Black, seventy-fifth-anniversary edition, 4999 with free batteries and shipping!) on the wall: eight forty-five I had tiet back in tiet ready to open shop My first appoint ured Seth was still crashed upstairs "Chaz, co down the steps, anxious to go for a ride We hurried out the door and intoward Abercorn Chaz sat in the passenger seat, the wind blowing his ears back, as happy as a puppy He was s that this was the first Saturday of the month, the historic district was already croith tourists and local shoppers on foot The first Saturday included outdoor(the stores pulled merchandise out onto the sidewalk to sell), and food vendors along the river walk (I reet a funnel cake later), and to top it off school would be starting up soon, so people would be grabbing their last little bit of vacation tile cobble visible, which was okay by ot a burr in their Levi’s to get a spontaneous tattoo, and if I had an available spot, I’d give them a one-of-a-kind piece of body art

As I rounded LaFayette Square, I saw Capote knelt down by a park bench, pulling his sax from its case I knocked the horn twice, Chaz let out a bark, and Capote glanced up, waved, and flashed a broad, white smile He was Gullah, one of Preacher’s cousins; he lived in a tiny apartuy was, and he could play the sax like a raving one professional, and his siirl He was a perot to Bonaventure, the heavier the marsh scent became, and with the top off ful Some hated the smell of brine, but I liked it It reotten overwild child God, hoished I could take all that crap back I gave my mom hell, and she so hadn’t deserved any more hell The pain of that last moment with her, while she lay dead, lifeless in my arms, still haunted me, even in my sleep I missed my moht about it every damn day, even if I didn’t want to It just happened, invaded s I didn’t necessarily want to remember My penance, I suppose, since I was to blame for my mom’s death Probably why I’d partied every last drop of craziness out of ht look like I party hard now, but I’m as domesticated as they coood for anymore I left that wild life far behind, and only scars and remnants of my past were still visible and present And all that by e of twenty-five

I pulled the Jeep into the left-hand-turn lane at the Victory Drive traffic light and threw it into neutral as I waited The sun beah the canopy of live oaks and Spanish h the tint ofperson nor a night person--I dealt with both times of the day equally well But as my lily-white skin revealed, I wasn’t particularly fond of the sun I burned fiercely A thin sheen of part sweat, part huhtest of breezes cooled me off I watched patrons and traffic as I listened to the sounds of early-hts until a smooth voice fro Really nice tats"

I stared straight ahead, uninterested A lol sounded deep in Chaz’s throat, and though the double rejection probably pissed the guy off, he didn’t show it I could feel his eyes on lance yet It was just a creepy feeling I’d conore even faster

"Hey, don’t be shy, baby," he said, as if I had a shy bone in my body "You want to hed "You can leave your dog horeen, and I threw the Jeep into first gear I held the clutch for a second as I glanced over at the guy and peered at hiuy in a new Lexus, wanting to get it on with soht was freaky--me He probably had a wife and kids at hoenda--now or ever For souys seemed to think alternatively dressed and inked skin equaled an easy lay Funny thing was, I really wasn’t anything, as in, I wasn’t Goth, or any other sort of character I just had aquirky, artistic sense of style I smirked, then shookidiot "You wish, gramps," I said Chaz barked, and I made the turn I heard hih Even Chaz looked like he was s out of his openit all over I’d been called orse; you can believe it Sticks and stones, baby It took a lot s anyh the small community of Thunderbolt, I weaved ates of the ceht, the place looked totally deserted--strange for an Augustin and out of the keeper’s building,out the famous monuments and infamously interred I pulled in slowly past the keeper’s redbrick building, following the path to the far right, and crept along in second gear to the rear of the property Bonaventure was the epito, two-hundred-year-old live oak trees draped in wispyback into the white raveyard In the spring, pink, fuchsia, and white azaleas lined the dirt lanes, and vines of wisteria hung like grape clusters Quite pretty, actually A slight salty breeze always see else that got in its way The ceton River and salt uess if I had to die and be buried so place As long as it was far away frole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">