The Gunny & The Jazz Singer (Birchwood Falls #1) Read Free

River
that night. "I just want to be sure."
    "Yeah, okay, I understand. I
can order up the files. Do you want to come back tomorrow morning?"
    At that, Marc nodded. Butch walked
him to the door of the sheriff's office where they shook hands. "I'll see
you later on at Marietty's."
    Well, that hadn't been too bad. The
last semester of high school had been a blur of grief and shock, but older
memories were coming back as he strolled around Courthouse Square. Some of the
stores—more than he'd expected—were the same. Fourth Street had a pet store and
Third had a chain coffee shop. Those were new.
    He just couldn't get over how quiet
it was, with grass, trees, neat lawns, and flower beds. He'd been on the other
side of the world for so many years that it would take some getting used to
seeing green grass instead of tan sand and dust. Just thinking about the dust
made him thirsty, so he turned in to Java Joe's.
    Taking his iced coffee, he strolled
through the short hallway into the bookshop. What the people of the Middle East wouldn't give for normalcy like
this, the safety and security of a cup of joe and the peace to read a book.
    A quick flash of bright pink caught
his eye. A woman's hair—her bangs to be exact. The figure had brushed past him
from behind then turned around to speak to a store clerk. His body heated. He'd
know that face anywhere even though he'd mostly ogled her body. Just this
morning it had been. Yup. It was the same delicate, pretty face and petite body
of the woman in the picture window.
    When she glanced up at him, warm
green eyes widened in recognition, then shuttered. She obviously remembered him
from that morning, but since two red spots flamed across her pale cheeks she
was understandably embarrassed. She
shouldn't be.
    His cock swelled and his balls
tightened as he did his own remembering of her lovely body. It had been a long
time since he'd been with a woman. Surprisingly it hadn't been the first thing
on his mind lately. He was that focused on his parents.
    They were mere feet apart and
staring at each other when someone jostled him. He muttered a perfunctory "sorry".
But the moment passed. Another woman—he hadn't noticed her—took Pink Bangs'
arm. Before they could move on he touched his brow with two fingers, giving his
new neighbor a sharp salute.
    Her mouth opened, then closed. She
gave a slight smile and short nod in acknowledgement.
    For someone who displayed her naked
self in her front window she acted shy, something he wouldn't have expected.
Pretty women usually came on to him. He didn't even have to try. She didn't
turn around as they exited the bookshop, but her friend did and shot him a
questioning glance. He could hear the start of her question. "Who was…?"
    They were gone, and he trailed
around the bookstore, gazing at the colorful displays and book spines on the
shelves. After a while he wandered back outside. He didn't recognize any faces
on the street, but since he'd been gone so long he didn't really expect to. He
didn't know them, and they didn't know him anymore. That didn't keep him from
searching faces for some recognition.
    He found himself walking south
toward the location of the old Rahn hardware store. His stomach churned with
nerves.
    Knowing the building was gone didn't
help. So many days had been spent there helping out his dad and mom in the
store. He couldn't count the number of times he'd slipped out the side door and
perched on the rocks along the riverbank to throw his fishing line into the
rushing water. Shade trees helped keep him cool in the hot summer sun.
    Will
the rocks still be there? In the same place? He doubted it if Wilcox had
built a resort and marina, but a boy could hope, couldn't he?
    The immense gray-stone church
looked the same, the big town cemetery right behind it. The rectory had been
built onto over the years since he'd been gone, the addition white clapboard.
    Right next door a five-story hotel
loomed up, all straight lines except for